‘Seinfeld’ Star Jason Alexander Says He Could’ve Made a Lot of Money If He Agreed To This Diabolical Thing
By the time Seinfeld came to an end in 1998, it was one of the most-watched shows in TV history. By this time, Friends — a show that shared “Must See TV Night on NBC — was in its fourth season, leaving fans with a Seinfeld-shaped void to fill. Knowing the popularity of the show, star Jason Alexander says someone tried to bribe him for a mischievous reason.
The ‘Seinfeld’ finale garnered a lot of viewers
In May 1998, all the Seinfeld fans received a bittersweet ending to the beloved sitcom. The two-part episode brought former fans and new ones to the epicenter of Jerry and friends’ final conversations about nothing.
The finale aired long before technology advances made leaks and streaming possible. That made for a large number of viewers — 76.3 million of them. Though the finale ended on a controversial note, it’s still one of the most-watched series endings of all-time.
Today’s TV viewing means plots or spoilers end up on the internet before an episode airs. Luckily, Seinfeld didn’t contend with this issue — or did it?
As it turns out, Alexander says details about the finale were so desired, anyone could’ve been paid off to slip — including him.
Jason Alexander reveals he was bribed to do this 1 thing
During a video reunion with co-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the two discussed the lengths NBC went to keep the finale under wraps. This included building walls around the set to keep paparazzi from snagging spoiler photos.
“I remember thinking at that time, ‘Seriously? Who gives a sh*t?’” Dreyfus said.
“My own publicist — I don’t know if this came for you, too — my publicist was asking me if I was willing to leak out some secrets for money,” Alexander said. “And I went, ‘They’ll kill us!’ How can you do that?”
Dreyfus joked he should’ve fired the publicist but Alexander replied, “No, I gave him a raise.”
Like other shows in today’s world — Game of Thrones, for example) — leaked storylines, scenes, or key details may have sacrificed viewers. The thought alone feels like its own Seinfeld episode.
Here’s where ‘Seinfeld’ ranks among most-watched series finales of all-time
Yes, curious fans wanted to know how nine seasons of “nothing” would end. But how do the ratings stack up to other shows? Seinfeld is currently the fourth most-watched finale in TV history.
The top three spots are held by M*A*S*H, with 105 million viewers, Cheers with 80.4 million, and the 1967 version of The Fugitive with 78 million tuning in.
Friends, which is also in syndication, is one above Seinfeld. The show garnered 52.5 million viewers, according to The Florida Times.
Other notable shows in the top 20 include Full House, The Golden Girls, Happy Days, Dallas, and Frasier.
No matter how much time passes, Seinfeld and its bizarre ending is as much a part of history as the Costanza family’s Festivus.
