NBC’s “The Marriage Ref” solves marital conflict with a humorous twist

NBC’s new show, “The Marriage Ref,“ debuts Thursday night at 9 p.m. CST.

Seinfeld” was a show about nothing.

One that came out of a simple conversation between Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David.

Twenty years later, a conversation between Seinfeld and his wife Jessica has created “The Marriage Ref”.

“It’s the same kind of thing,“ Seinfeld said in January, recalling his conversation with David “It was an off-handed remark that didn’t go away.“

So now, inocuous domestic disputes, like whether a husband should be allowed to keep his stuffed dog,
get celebrity opinion.

With Seinfeld’s buddy, fellow comedian and host Tom Papa weighing the information and rendering a verdict.

“We figure if you’re in a relationship,“ Papa said, in explaining the celebrity participation, “You’re as much an expert as anybody else.“

It’s an expertise borne out of experience.

“Basically, if you’re married, you know fights never end,“ Papa said, “One of you just kind of shuts up, but the fight comes back eventually.“

That is, until “The Marriage Ref” has his say.

“It’s a very pro marriage show,“ Papa said, “This isn’t whether you should leave or not, who’s cheating. At the heart of it all, it’s married couples that really love each other.“

And hopefully, still do after The Marriage Ref intervenes.