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Jeff Zucker Makes Snide Comments in ‘My Name Is Earl’ Ad

NBCU’s prez and CEO Jeff Zucker awkwardly stars in a television ad that is said to be airing April 3 before the return of My Name Is Earl. In the ad, he recaps the season “to get everybody back to speed.” He also makes several snarky references to issues from the writers strike and mocks the writers themselves.

The recap of the season can be seen on NBC.com, he says, “where you can watch all of your favorite shows, preferably within the first 17 days.” The remark is in reference to a bone of contention from the writers strike: writers used to receive no residuals for any content downloaded online; now, the agreement provides a 17-day window during which studios can stream content without paying the writers any royalties, Deadline Hollywood Daily points out.

Zucker also says, in a tone that is likely meant to be taken as lighthearted, “Earl gets hit by a car, just like he did in the pilot episode. Writers refer to that as a ‘callback.’ I call it getting paid twice for writing the same thing.”

The ad can be viewed in its entirety here.