This fall plays host to a new lineup of sitcoms and the return of some favorites. Viewers will reliably tune in to Modern Family, cling to the end of Parks and Rec, and search for a new hit in the network’s newest offerings, which include Red Band Society, The Mysteries of Laura, black-ish, and more.
Audiences for sitcoms continue to shrink, and this year, with big anniversaries of sitcom royalty from the past (20 years for Friends, 30 for The Cosby Show), the comparisons look especially gloomy. Friends regularly attracted 25 million viewers per episode -- NBC’s current Thursday night favorite, Parks and Rec, hovers in the 4 million range. Even the highly praised and highly syndicated Modern Family couldn’t hold its own compared to sitcoms from the glory days.
Where are viewers turning now? What makes for a beloved sitcom? Is there too much good TV and a too widely-scattered audience, or not enough?
Guest:
Willa Paskin, television critic at Slate