“Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” Has a New Home
‘What’s the deal with streaming services?’
The recipe is simple: Throw a few funny people in a classic car, make for the diner, let the cameras roll. That sort of the straightforward approach is what made Jerry Seinfeld’s titular show great throughout the Nineties, and it’s what makes Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee one of the best now. Just don’t expect to find the next season where you found the last.
Variety reports that Seinfeld is taking his Emmy-nominated, auto-centric web series to Netflix. The move comes after five years, and nine seasons, of the show airing through Sony’s streaming service, Crackle. There are other changes coming, too. To date, each season of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee has been six or seven episodes, save for a unique ten-episode run in 2012; the tenth season, set to debut on Netflix later this year, will span 24 episodes.
Rumors that the show might find a new home began circulating last fall. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee made Crackle relevant, but several key Sony execs have departed in recent months; among them is Steve Mosko, the company’s longtime television boss, who oversaw the heyday of Seinfeld. Then there’s the money. Variety also reports that Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is part of a larger deal, whereby Seinfeld will film two new stand-up specials, both exclusives. The contract’s value hasn’t been disclosed yet, but considering Netflix recent spending on original comedy, you have to imagine it had plenty of zeroes.
Mostly, we’re just excited for the change in season format. More episodes, more quality banter and neat machines. Oh, and Netflix gets the rights to all 59 previous episodes, too. The late night binge-watching struggle will be very, very real.
