'Marriage Ref' opens big thanks to Olympic lead-in

With the last night of the Winter Olympics as a lead-in, Jerry Seinfeld's new reality show, "The Marriage Ref," got off to a strong start for NBC on Sunday night.

The program, which Seinfeld executive produces and on which he will make occasional appearances, seeks to resolve trivial and not-so-trivial spats between couples. Last night's guest judges were Alec Baldwin, who certainly knows what does not make for a good marriage, and Kelly Ripa.

Premiering at 10:30 p.m., "The Marriage Ref" averaged 14.6-million viewers and a 4.8 rating among adults ages 18 to 49. Each rating point in that category equals 1.3-million people. It certainly did not hurt Seinfeld that the last half-hour of the Winter Games averaged almost 19.5-million viewers and a 5.3 rating among adults 18 to 49. "The Marriage Ref" will make its regular time-period debut Thursday, from 10 to 11 p.m.

Needless to say, NBC dominated the night with 19.8-million viewers and a 5.3 among adults 18 to 49. CBS was a distant second with 11.5-million viewers and a 3.1 in the 18-49 demographic.

Final numbers for NBC's Winter Olympics and an analysis will come later today.

-- Joe Flint

Photo: Jerry Seinfeld on "The Marriage Ref." Credit: Heidi Gutman / NBC

Comments

[uncle joe mccarthy]

need a correction...it was not a lead in

nbc broke away from the closing ceremonies to force viewers to watch the show

they pulled a heidi and it will backfire

[Aredee]

NBC dumped out of the closing Olympic Ceremonies to give us this piece of trash--the final insult in 17 days of lousy covereage.

[vegasgirl]

I have no desire to see this show. None. Thanks, NBC, for yet another annoying celeb vehicle like this.

[Rex]

Thr Marrige Ref is an abomination. What a shame Seinfelds' return to TV is so ridiculas.

[Bee]

Thanks, NBC, for (1) not broadcasting the closing ceremonies live (2) not starting the show when you said you would start, (3) cutting away to the Marriage Ref 3/4 of the way through the ceremonies - although, cutting away from the giant inflatable beavers was probably a good thing, (4) cutting to the same 5 commercials you showed everyday for the past 2 weeks, every 5 minutes - did nobody else advertise with you?

[G.Patton]

That show sucked! I turned it after the first 5 minutes. Shame on NBC by interrupting a once every four year event, which celebrates the spirit of the world and athletic competition for that drivel. That was very, very disrespectful to the audience and to all those who participated in the Olympics. I hope NBC's contract with the Olympics is over. PLEASE let them not cover the "World Cup" this summer.

[henryjw]

Legalized abortions are alive and living on NBC. If Seinfeld could not realize how bad that show was, I guess that the show "Seinfeld" was a fluke.

[Paula]

The marriage Ref, was so bad we turned it off. Everything about it was so bad.... will never make it...

[Dana]

it took someone a full 5 minutes to turn off Marriage Ref ?
can't you recognize garbage in 30 seconds?

seriously, at 10.30pm [et] NBC may have hit a new American-TV low in selfish (and stupid) self-promotion here -- NOT to say that the Closing Ceremony is that big of a deal, we get the idea, beavers, snow, RCMP fairies, maple leaves, eh? -- the athletic action WAS the story, NOT to say that NBC adequately showed it