I have seen the future of network television, and it isn’t pretty. In fact, it’s one long commercial. Tonight, NBC makes history of sorts by airing “The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman” (7:44 p.m., NBC) following a repeat of “Friends” (7 p.m., NBC).

Wow! “Seinfeld” following “Friends”! It’s just like old times. Except that it isn’t.

“Seinfeld and Superman” is a clever little movie featuring Jerry Seinfeld hanging out, cracking wise and discussing bits of trivia with his pal. But in this case, instead of George, Kramer or Elaine, his pal happens to be a two-dimensional version of Superman, the Man of Steel. Unlike the old George Reeves incarnation of the “strange visitor from another planet, able to leap tall buildings at single bound,” this Superman likes to hang out at coffee shops and talk about nothing. And just to make the “Seinfeld” connection even cozier, Patrick Warburton, who played Elaine’s useless boyfriend Puddy, provides the voice for the cartoon superhero. This isn’t Warburton’s first stint as a cartoon hero. He starred in the wonderful but short-lived Fox comedy “The Tick.”

So why is this the future of television? For starters, it’s a commercial for a certain green credit card. And it was first “broadcast” on the Internet. In fact “Seinfeld and Superman” has been viewable for some time now. Tonight’s NBC broadcast will include some new and never-before-downloaded material, but it is essentially the same. Someday, folks may look back and say that this was the beginning of the blending of broadcast television and the Internet. Or maybe the beginning of the end of broadcast television. Or maybe both.

• Something is seriously out of whack when the most consistently popular television drama can conclude its season without an iota of buzz. No, I’m not talking about last week’s “ER.” Funny, nobody’s talking about last week’s “ER.” But that’s beside the point. Or is it the point?
• “CSI” (CBS) wraps up its fourth season tonight with an episode in which forensic evidence seems to contradict the testimony of an eyewitness (8 p.m.). Boy, that sounds different from every other episode of “CSI”! A repeat episode, guest-starring real-life Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, airs at 7 p.m.

Most of the hype surrounding “CSI” these days is in promoting the show’s New York incarnation, starring Gary Sinise, which will air next fall.