Rick Ludwin
| Rick Ludwin | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Richard A. Ludwin May 27, 1948 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Miami University |
| Occupation | NBC television executive |
| Years active | 1980–2012 |
| Known for | Seinfeld |
Richard A. Ludwin (born May 27, 1948) is an American television executive and former vice president at NBC Television. He is notable as the executive who backed Jerry Seinfeld's series Seinfeld, which went on to become one of the most popular and successful television sitcoms of all time. He was also the head of NBC's late night programming during the Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno conflict in 2010.
Ludwin, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, graduating with a degree in mass communications in 1970. He has since donated items and memorabilia – including 15 original Seinfeld scripts – to the university, where it is now housed as the Rick Ludwin Collection.
In the 1970s, Ludwin wrote jokes for Bob Hope and produced a variety show that aired in Ohio. After graduating from college, Ludwin joined NBC in 1980 and worked at the network for 32 years, during which time he was executive vice president of late night and special programming. As vice president, he oversaw The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Saturday Night Live, and championed several notable series, including Seinfeld and The Office.
Even though Ludwin had never worked on a sitcom before, he commissioned the Seinfeld pilot "The Seinfeld Chronicles," which aired in 1989. Other NBC executives wanted to pass on the series, but Ludwin lobbied on behalf of the show and used money from his specials budget to order four more episodes. Though market testing was mostly negative in response to "The Seinfeld Chronicles," Ludwin believed in the show so much he canceled a planned Bob Hope special in order to finance Seinfeld's first full season. Ludwin, who is not Jewish himself, also defended the show and its content when then-NBC President Brandon Tartikoff worried it was "too New York" and "too Jewish" and thus would not be popular with mainstream American audiences. The series was immensely popular, earning NBC more than $2 billion during its nine seasons, with an additional $3 billion in syndication deals.
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