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For more than 30 years, John Kiesewetter has been the source for information about all things in local media — comings and goings, local people appearing on the big or small screen, special programs, and much more. Contact John at johnkiese@yahoo.com.

Netflix Gets Seinfield's 'Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee'

NBCUniversal
Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld's “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" is on the move -- from Sony's Crackle streaming service to Netflix late this year, Variety says.

Seinfeld also will do two new stand-up comedy specials for Netflix as part of the deal which brings 24 new "Comedians in Cars" episodes exclusively to Netflix starting in late 2017.

Netflix also gets an archive of 59 older episodes that first ran on Crackle.  

Credit Crackle
President Barack Obama taped an episode with Seinfeld in 2016.

The switch to Netflix from Crackle is significant for Seinfeld, whose relationship with Sony Pictures Television dates back to the 1989 premiere of his iconic NBC sitcom. Sony produced "Seinfeld" for its entire run (1989-98).

"When I first started thinking about 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,'  the entire Netflix business model consisted of mailing out DVDs in envelopes," Seinfeld said in a statement to Variety.  He praised Netflix's "amazing technology platform to deliver (the show) in a way that has never existed before."

Guests have included Kristen Wiig, John Oliver, Chris Rock, Steve Martin, Will Ferrell, Jim Gaffigan, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Tina Fey, Amy Schumer, Jon Stewart, Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., Jay Leno, Mel Brooks, President Barack Obama and Jason Alexander as George Costanza.

"Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" has been nominated for three Prime-Time Emmy Awards. After nods for best "Short-Format Nonfiction" in 2012 and 2013, it was nominated last year in the "Variety Talk Series" category, which is "virtually unheard-of for a streaming service," Variety said.

Seinfeld told Variety last summer: "This has been such an exciting Lewis-and-Clark, 'paddle down the river and see what's down there' adventure, there was no expectation of anything. I'm flattered and humbled our little show has gotten this far. We didn't even know if audiences would watch a TV show on the internet every week."

John Kiesewetter, who has covered television and media for more than 35 years, has been working for Cincinnati Public Radio and WVXU-FM since 2015.