Louis-Dreyfus: Back in the Fire?

By Stephen M. Silverman

05/15/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Let's hope she fares better than Michael Richards, because Julia Louis-Dreyfus is reportedly poised to become the second "Seinfeld" alum to surface with her own primetime show and is close to signing on the dotted line with NBC for a new series, a network spokeswoman told Reuters on Tuesday. "We are confident (a deal) is forthcoming," said Rebecca Marks. The show pitched by Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine Benes on the inhumanly popular "Seinfeld," and her husband, writer-producer (and former "Saturday Night Live" alum) Brad Hall, has her playing a lounge singer, say reports. According to the Los Angeles Times, Louis-Dreyfus and Hall would like the show to take place in "real time" and run commercial-free. They also wish to shoot only 13 episodes per season and limit the number of network executives who will have input on their creative decisions, says the Times. Michael Richards, who played Kramer on "Seinfeld," had a short-lived flop on NBC at the beginning of this current season, "The Michael Richards Show."