Jerry Seinfeld says his sitcom ‘never would have happened’ without Rob Reiner in heartfelt tribute

Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment produced Seinfeld’s eponymous NBC sitcom

Jerry Seinfeld has paid tribute to Rob Reiner, acknowledging the impact that the late film director had on saving Seinfeld from cancellation in the 1990s.

Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer, were found dead at their home in Los Angeles on Sunday. Their son Nick, 32, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is “responsible” for his parents' deaths, LAPD detectives said.

In a post accompanied by a photo of himself with Reiner and his father, legendary comedian Carl Reiner, Seinfeld said Monday via Instagram that the filmmaker “saw something no one else could.”

“When nobody at the network liked the early episodes, he saved us from cancellation,” Seinfeld wrote of his eponymous nine-season NBC sitcom that ran from 1989 to 1998.

“That I was working with Carl Reiner’s son, who happened to be one of the kindest people in show business, seemed unreal. I was naive at the time to how much his passion for us meant.

Jerry Seinfeld has paid tribute to Rob Reiner after the filmmaker and producer’s death aged 78 (Getty)

“Rob and Michele married right as our show was starting and they became an imprint for me of how it’s supposed to work, each one broadening the other. Their death, together, is impossibly sad.”

Reiner, whose production company Castle Rock Entertainment was behind the sitcom, spoke about fighting to save Seinfeld during a 2016 appearance on The Howard Stern Show.

“They said, ‘We can't have this show. What is this show? It's just people sitting around talking,’” Reiner recalled. He said he had a “screaming, crazy thing” with NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff, whom he had to beg to keep the show running.

“I said, ‘Please, I promise you there’ll be stories. You can’t take this show off the air. It’s going to be one of the great shows you've ever had,’” Reiner recalled.

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In addition to Seinfeld, the show starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Jerry Stiller, and Wayne Knight.

Reiner was famous for directing films including This is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men.

Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead December 14 at their Los Angeles home (AP)

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,” a family spokesperson said in a statement Sunday. “We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”

The news has prompted an outpouring of grief from political and entertainment figures.

Former President Barack Obama wrote on X: “Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people – and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action.”

Ron Howard wrote of Reiner: “Our careers and lives intersected often over the decades from Rob writing the pilot script for Happy Days and then as we each shifted from acting careers into directing and producing. He proved to be a superlative filmmaker, a supportive colleague and at all times a dedicated citizen. Rob will be missed on so many levels. My heart goes out to his family and his many close friends.”