A Comeback for Costanza

12/04/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

Former "Seinfeld" second banana Jason Alexander (he played George Costanza, as if you could forget) could be back in a primetime series by early 2001, reports Variety. The actor has signed an exclusive, wide-ranging pact with 20th Century Fox Television. The two-year deal reportedly makes Alexander, 40, master of his domain, giving him ample creative control over the particulars of his return to TV. Once a series is set with a network, he's expected to make upwards of $200,000 per episode, with whatever network that picks up the show responsible for the lion's share of Alexander's fee. A full season commitment of 22 episodes is considered all but a given, according to industry insiders.