It's no secret that NBC has been the leading producer of comedy shows on prime-time for the last two decades: with shows like Friends, The Office, 30 Rock, Cheers, and Seinfeld. All of these critically acclaimed shows - which are not the only comedies NBC has to offer - are branded "Sophisticated Comedy": smart jokes with complex characters that are easily relatable. All of these shows have won awards and had (mostly) great ratings - so great that no other channel put any comedies on Thursday nights because that was the NBC Comedy Block. But if they were doing so well with these smart comedies, why are they refusing to make anymore - and keep the current ones on the air? The simple answer - FOX and ratings. In that past few years, FOX has introduced three new comedies that rival anything on NBC right now: New Girl, The Mindy Project, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine - funny enough, these shows star or have regular guest stars that we're on NBC's biggest comedy, Saturday Night Live. FOX has made it very clear that they are moving away from their short-lived family comedies to smarter comedies. And NBC is making it very easy for them to take over as the new leader of comedy. By moving away from the smart comedies and into the family comedies, NBC risks losing their entire demographic for something that may get better ratings. But, NBC executives argue that these silly old smart comedies are not what the people want: we want to be patronized through people falling and degrading comments that somehow funny and references passed off as jokes.
NBC's Thursday night ratings have fallen 17 percent in the last year, and 57 percent in the last four years, since they tried to force Whitney and Are You There Chelsea? on their viewers. On the other hand, FOX is taking risks - starting three new comedies in three consecutive television seasons can be pricey and dangerous if the comedies don't all do well. But it looks like the way things are going now, they don't have to worry. NBC has said that after Parks and Recreation and Community end - which seems like it could be this season - they are done producing smart comedies. They have already started their new Family Comedy lineup with The Michael J Fox Show and Sean Saves the World - already having to cancel Welcome to the Family. However, FOX is still pumping them out with a show NBC originally was going to produce and then rejected at the last minute, Mulaney - written, created by, and starting another former-SNL employee, John Mulaney - coming in 2014. I'm no expert on television (who am I kidding, yes I am), but I really do not think NBC has thought this through. But good on you, FOX.
1 Comment
Mrs. Hackett
11/7/2013 09:52:10 am
Great writing Olivia - just as good as The Huffington Post TV page:)
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