ShareThisNBC finally posted some winning ratings with its Winter Olympics coverage the past two weeks, but after this weekend viewership for the Peacock Network will likely come back down to Earth as Jay Leno returns to hosting "The Tonight Show" and the 10 p.m. EST hole is plugged with assorted series returning and new.
Hoping to hook viewers on a new show before they flee, network executives have scheduled a sneak peek at the frequently promoted "Marriage Ref" for 10:30 p.m. Sunday following the Closing Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.
Former NBC star Jerry Seinfeld executive-produces "The Marriage Ref" and he'll also appear in some episodes. So what exactly is the show? Hard to say without seeing it, and NBC did not make an episode available in advance for review.
At the TV critics winter press tour in January, Seinfeld said it's a little bit of a lot of things: Reality show, panel show and comedy show.
The basic concept: A married couple in dispute pre-tapes their disagreement -- it's supposedly not a marriage-threatening argument or something involving children or anything that would make a viewer too uncomfortable -- and then celebrity guests offer their reactions and choose sides. Celebrity panelists will include Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, Kelly Ripa, Tina Fey, Larry David, Eva Longoria and Charles Barkley.
In the end, only the Marriage Ref himself, comedian Tom Papa, can render judgment of who's right and who's wrong. The winner gets a prize that may relate to the predicament at hand.
"All of those subjects at dinner that you would feel comfortable talking to your couple friends with, that's what we deal with," Seinfeld said. "Really, 85 percent of marital difficulties is ridiculous problems."
One disagreement centers on a husband parking his motorcycle in the living room. In another, spouses squabble about whether to have their deceased dog stuffed.
Seinfeld said the idea for the series was born when he and his wife were arguing while one of her friends was present. The friend started to leave but Seinfeld invited her to stay and offer an opinion. He could not remember what the argument was about but he's pretty sure he lost.
"It was better because it was over," he said. "That's kind of the idea of the show: To shorten the fight. And we're not presuming to help these people. We're not going to fix your marriage."
There's actually something healthy in that acknowledgement. It doesn't sound like "Celebrity Rehab" or "Sober House" where a life may be truly on the line.
"This is a comedy," Seinfeld said. "We really feel laughing at yourself, laughing at your marriage, seeing other marriages that are also in absurd situations is a wonderful medicine."
After Sunday's preview, "The Marriage Ref" moves to its regular time slot: 10 p.m. Thursday.
Fox has canceled supernatural drama "Past Life." ... FX ordered a 13-episode second season of the hilariously deranged animated comedy "Archer." ... ABC Family ordered a fourth season of "Greek." ... A&E has ordered a second season of "Steven Seagal: Lawman." ... TLC ordered a third season of "The Little Couple." ... Season five of A&E's "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" premieres at 9 p.m. March 21. ... Classic '60s sitcom "Bewitched" joins the TV Land lineup next week, airing back-to-back episodes weekdays at 5 p.m. ... PBS's "Masterpiece" will remake the '70s hit "Upstairs, Downstairs" in three one-hour episodes. ... NBC's "Saturday Night Live" returns with a new episode Saturday as Jennifer Lopez pulls double duty as host and musical guest. March 6, Zach Galifianakis hosts with musical guest Vampire Weekend; on March 13, Jude Law hosts with Pearl Jam. ... A new season of Food Network's "What Would Brian Boitano Make?" premieres at 1 p.m. March 7.
(Contact TV editor Rob Owen at rowen(at)post-gazette.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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