Did comic pen spoof letters?

Jerry Seinfeld could be returning to TV, in a fashion.

American network ABC is making a half-hour comedy based on the books Letters From A Nut, written by the mysterious Ted L. Nancy, who many believe to be Seinfeld.

The books is a collection of spoof letters sent to companies and their celebrities - and the deadpan replies.

Seinfeld wrote the introduction to the books, and Hollywood bible Variety says he attended meetings pitching the show.

The comic has said his relationship to Nancy is similar to that of "a Clark Kent figure I may not have been Superman himself, but it became known that I was able to contact him."

The TV version of Letters From a Nut will involve absurd real-life adventures based on the book.

Such spoofs include asking if the Baseball Hall of Fame would be interested in the toenail clippings of a famous player, asking a casino if he could play dressed as a shrimp, and asking whether etiquette on leaving a row of seats is to sidle our forwards or backwards -ie with your backside or groin to those in your row.

ABC's Andrea Wong said: "It's a totally fresh, new kind of comedy and I think the pilot will bear that out."

The book has echoes of the Henry Root letters, published in Britain 20 years ago, which spawned a fictional TV show starring George Cole.

Letters From A Nut on Amazon

Published: 30 May 2002