20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Seinfeld
10. The Show Wasn't Originally Picked Up
During the 1990s, Seinfeld was the most lucrative thing on television. Even though the series ended 22 years ago, the series has made over $4 billion. The producers were so desperate for another season, they were willing to pay Jerry Seinfeld a staggering $110 million.
When you hear crazy numbers like that, it's hard to believe the studio had little faith in the show in the beginning. When the pilot aired, the test audiences found George to be "a loser" while Jerry was considered "boring", "powerless", and "naive". Excluding the stand-up comedy sections, the episode was perceived as underwhelming and weak. When Jerry Seinfeld asked Jason Alexander what were the chances of the show being picked up, he said it "didn't have a chance".
In a way, he was right. When NBC saw the negative reviews, they decided not to go ahead with a full season. Castle Rock Entertainment, which produced the pilot, offered another promising show to the studio called Ann Jillian. When this show tanked, NBC decided to give Seinfeld another shot and ordered a four-episode season, which was the smallest sitcom order in history. Within a few years, it became the most successful sitcom in tv history.