{{Short description|American television executive (1948–2019)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox person | name = Rick Ludwin | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name=Richard Adam Ludwin | birth_date = {{birth date|1948|5|27}} | birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2019|11|10|1948|5|27}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | other_names = | alma_mater = Miami University | occupation = NBC television executive | years_active = 1980–2012 | known_for = Championing ''Seinfeld''{{'}}s first season; ''The Tonight Show'', ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', and ''Saturday Night Live'' }} '''Richard Adam Ludwin'''<ref name="nyt">{{cite web|title=Rick Ludwin, NBC Executive Who Championed 'Seinfeld,' Dies at 71|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/13/arts/television/rick-ludwin-dead-seinfeld.html|work=The New York Times|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|date=November 13, 2019|accessdate=November 14, 2019}}</ref> (May 27, 1948 – November 10, 2019) was 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.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rosenthal|first1=Phil|title=NBC executive stands apart by taking stands|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2005/08/21/nbc-executive-stands-apart-by-taking-stands/|access-date=April 4, 2017|work=Chicago Tribune|date=August 21, 2005|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Littleton |first1=Cynthia |title=Alan Horn Remembers How Rick Ludwin Saved 'Seinfeld' |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/alan-horn-rick-ludwin-nbc-seinfeld-1203401617/ |accessdate=November 12, 2019 |work=Variety |date=November 12, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> During his 31 years at NBC, Ludwin worked with every ''The Tonight Show'' host—Steve Allen and Jack Paar, albeit after their time on ''Tonight'', as well as Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and Jimmy Fallon. He also helped guide the network through the Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno conflict in 2010.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Carter|first1=Bill|title=The War for Late Night: When Leno Went Early and Television Went Crazy|date=2010|publisher=Penguin|isbn=9781101443422|page=66|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WUyzf2cJzu8C&pg=PT93|accessdate=April 4, 2017|language=en}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Ludwin was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 27, 1948,<ref name="nyt"/> and grew up in the suburb of Rocky River. He graduated from Rocky River High School in 1966 and attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, graduating with a degree in mass communications in 1970.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mass Comm alumnus returns to campus for 34th time|url=https://miamistudent.net/mass-comm-alumnus-returns-to-campus-for-34th-time/|accessdate=April 4, 2017|work=The Miami Student|date=October 14, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Summer '07 - Stay Tuned|url=https://www.miami.miamioh.edu/University_Advancement/MiamiAlum/news_events/Miamian_archives/summer_07/stay-tuned.htm|website=Miamian Magazine|publisher=Miami University|accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref>
Ludwin started his television career in 1968 hosting the talk show ''Studio 14'' on Miami University's WMUB-TV Channel 14. For years, Ludwin returned to his alma mater to talk to students. In March 2019, the Williams Hall studio where he began his television career was named the Richard A. Ludwin Television Production Facility.<ref name="cleveland">{{cite news |last1=Dawidziak |first1=Mark |title=Rick Ludwin, NBC executive who championed 'Seinfeld,' dies at 71 |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/11/rick-ludwin-nbc-executive-who-championed-seinfeld-dies-at-71.html |accessdate=November 12, 2019 |work=The Plain Dealer |date=November 11, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
He also donated items and memorabilia—including 15 original ''Seinfeld'' scripts—to the university, where it is now housed as the Rick Ludwin Collection.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rick Ludwin Collection|url=https://spec.lib.miamioh.edu/home/ludwin/|publisher=Miami University Special Collections & Archives}}</ref>
==Career== In the 1970s, Ludwin wrote jokes for Bob Hope and produced a variety show that aired in Ohio.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Grant|first1=Adam|title=Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World|date=2017|publisher=Penguin|isbn=9780143128854|pages=44–46|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pI3cDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA44|accessdate=April 4, 2017|language=en}}</ref> 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''. He was a staunch supporter of ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' during its fledgling early years, when other executives wanted the show cancelled,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Anita |title=Conan O'Brien Pays Tribute To NBC Late-Night Executive Rick Ludwin |url=https://deadline.com/2019/11/conan-obrien-pays-tribute-rick-ludwin-1202783562/ |accessdate=November 12, 2019 |work=Deadline |date=November 12, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and championed several other notable series, including ''Seinfeld'' and ''The Office''.<ref name="krcw">{{cite news|title=Rick Ludwin Shares Years of Late Night Insight|url=https://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/the-spin-off/rick-ludwin-shares-years-of-late-night-insight|accessdate=April 4, 2017|publisher=KCRW|date=February 20, 2015|language=en}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Armstrong|first1=Jennifer Keishin|title=Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything|date=2016|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781476756127|pages=33–35|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y9jPCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT33|accessdate=April 4, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Lowry|first1=Brian|title=From Allen to Fallon, Exec Has Worked With All 6 'Tonight Show' Hosts|url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/from-allen-to-fallon-exec-has-worked-with-all-the-tonight-show-hosts-1201109027/|accessdate=April 4, 2017|work=Variety|date=February 17, 2014}}</ref> 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, Ludwin, who was not Jewish, defended the show and its content.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Neuwirth|first1=Allan|title=They'll Never Put that on the Air: An Oral History of Taboo-breaking TV Comedy|date=September 7, 2010 |publisher=Allworth Press|isbn=9781581158489|pages=350–351|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vIEAyxEA4zAC&pg=PT350|language=en}}</ref> The series was immensely popular, earning NBC more than $2 billion during its nine seasons.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fahey|first1=Mark|title='Seinfeld': 25 years of making beaucoup bucks|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/05/31/seinfeld-25-years-of-making-beaucoup-bucks.html|accessdate=April 16, 2017|publisher=CNBC|date=May 31, 2015}}</ref>
Ludwin was promoted to executive vice president from senior vice president in 2005. Following the 2010 ''Tonight Show'' conflict, Ludwin fell out of favor with Jay Leno, who was unhappy the executive had backed Conan O'Brien over him. Leno stopped communicating with Ludwin. In September 2011, NBC announced that Ludwin would make a transition into acting as a consultant for the network.<ref>{{cite news|title=Truly End of an Era with Rick Ludwin Leaving NBC After 31 Years|url=https://www.tvweek.com/broadcast/2011/09/truly-end-of-an-era-with-rick/|accessdate=April 4, 2017|work=TV Week|date=September 16, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Carter|first1=Bill|title=Rick Ludwin to Leave Late Night Post at NBC|url=https://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/ludwin-to-leave-late-night-post-at-nbc/|accessdate=April 16, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=September 15, 2011|language=en}}</ref> He left NBC in 2012.<ref name="krcw"/>
==Death and legacy== Ludwin died from organ failure in Los Angeles on November 10, 2019, at age 71.<ref name="nyt"/><ref>{{cite news|url = https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/rick-ludwin-nbc-late-night-executive-who-backed-seinfeld-dies-at-71-1203400852/|title = Rick Ludwin, NBC Late-Night Executive Who Backed 'Seinfeld,' Dies at 71|last = Littleton|first = Cynthia|date = November 11, 2019|accessdate = November 11, 2019 |work = Variety}}</ref> Late night television hosts Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon paid tribute to him on their respective shows, as well as a tribute on a ''Saturday Night Live'' episode on November 16, 2019.<ref>{{cite news|last=Moniuszko|first=Sara M.|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/11/12/jimmy-fallon-seth-meyers-pay-tribute-nbc-executive-rick-ludwin/2573780001/|title=Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Mulaney mourn NBC executive Rick Ludwin|newspaper=USA Today|date=November 12, 2019|accessdate=November 12, 2019}}</ref>
A character named Rick Ludwin appears in Jerry Seinfeld's 2024 film ''Unfrosted'', played by Max Greenfield.
== References == {{Reflist|2}}
== External links == *{{IMDb name|2013103}} * {{twitter|riclud}} *[https://carsonpodcast.com/rick-ludwin/ Carson Podcast with Rick Ludwin]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ludwin, Rick}} Category:1948 births Category:2019 deaths Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century American businesspeople Category:Businesspeople from Cleveland Category:Deaths from organ failure in the United States Category:Miami University alumni Category:NBC executives Category:Seinfeld Category:Rocky River High School (Ohio) alumni