Comedy may still be a desired staple of prime-time TV, but broadcasters haven't found much to laugh about for the upcoming season.

The TV networks unleashed their 2015-16 evening lineups in New York this week, leaving industry insiders buzzing about the Great Comedy Rollback. Burned by a high number of sitcom flops in recent years, programmers have decided to stop trying to bring the funny.

NBC, onetime home to generation-defining hits "Friends" and "Seinfeld," has exiled comedy to the dead zone of Friday nights. CBS benched "2 Broke Girls" until midseason and decided to take a flier on the drama reboot of "Supergirl," setting up a superhero battle on Mondays with Fox's young-Batman epic, "Gotham."

Here's a telling fact: This will be the first time since 1949 that CBS hasn't kicked off Mondays with a comedy.

Programmers' aversion to new comedy also makes more sense when one takes into account that many teenagers and twentysomethings never watch any network sitcoms.

"Young viewers in particular cruise YouTube for hours looking for funny content," said Jeffrey McCall, a TV expert and media studies professor at DePauw University. "Sitcoms are working in a very crowded arena these days."

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-upfronts-analysis-20150516-story.html#page=1

as a sitcom fan, this is very worrying.

yes very sad. Network sitcoms are practically dead. It's been bad before and they seem to always come back. But this is the first time that I've seen the networks actually give up on them. Maybe sitcoms weren't meant to survive the 20th Century. It seems like that's when the best sitcoms aired.

It's heartbreaking. :(
There are no sitcoms on now that I consider watchable, that is my opinion. I'd rather watch the grass grow than settle for the junk the networks air now. :rolleyes:

yes very sad. Network sitcoms are practically dead. It's been bad before and they seem to always come back. But this is the first time that I've seen the networks actually give up on them. Maybe sitcoms weren't meant to survive the 20th Century. It seems like that's when the best sitcoms aired.

i just can't imagine a genre that i grew up watching as a child into my 30s is on the brink of being extinct on the major networks. yet on cable TV, i've noticed a fair share of multi cam sitcoms crop up on there.

sitcoms make me happy, as well as laugh and smile. the characters, the interactions, the cast. i wouldn't be worried so much if sitcoms were given as much exposure to dramas and reality TV. but sadly that is not the case.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but CBS led off Mondays nights with Gunsmoke for nearly a decade around 1970. I don't know if there are other exceptions.
I think it's the first time since 1949 that no comedy has been on CBS Monday at the start of the season. I know it's been that way since I Love Lucy.

It's heartbreaking. :(
There are no sitcoms on now that I consider watchable, that is my opinion. I'd rather watch the grass grow than settle for the junk the networks air now. :rolleyes:

these networks only care about one thing: ratings. they don't care about viewers, especially ones who want to see more sitcoms on air.

I don't really like any new sitcoms (except 2 Broke Girls) anyway and they seem to be getting worse so I could really care less about them taking them off or not making more.

For comedy, I just watch my classic TV on DVDs and replay the film strips in my mind...my mind always makes me chuckle a little. Lol

Comedy has always been a tonic to cheer me up and boost my spirits. But I frankly just don't find 'modern' comedy to be all that amusing, whether sitcoms or stand-up or whatever. I just don't seem to relate to it on any level. The characters and the so-called 'humor' are far more apt nowadays to repel me than entertain me.

But at this point, I can't say I really care anymore. I've just long ago moved on from the networks/cable and what the culture at large seems to offer. And instead, rely on the older comedy fare that somehow addressed my funnybone, and connected with me as a viewer.

The only two current sitcoms I like are the Big Bang Theory and Mike and Molly. Nothing else on today interests me. That's why I mostly watch Antenna TV and DVDs.

Comedy has always been a tonic to cheer me up and boost my spirits. But I frankly just don't find 'modern' comedy to be all that amusing, whether sitcoms or stand-up or whatever. I just don't seem to relate to it on any level. The characters and the so-called 'humor' are far more apt nowadays to repel me than entertain me.

But at this point, I can't say I really care anymore. I've just long ago moved on from the networks/cable and what the culture at large seems to offer. And instead, rely on the older comedy fare that somehow addressed my funnybone, and connected with me as a viewer.
THIS

I don't really like any new sitcoms (except 2 Broke Girls) anyway and they seem to be getting worse so I could really care less about them taking them off or not making more.

For comedy, I just watch my classic TV on DVDs and replay the film strips in my mind...my mind always makes me chuckle a little. Lol

i'm in the same boat as you - the modern sitcoms just don't resonate with me at all. i'm more into the classics from the 70s to early 00s. but when i look at it from a TV point of view, this news is disheartening.

Modern comedies are mostly too raunchy, they might become popular again if the vulgarness and sex jokes are cut down.

Two things that have killed the sitcom at least to me for the last 25 years are over reliance on toilet humor and sex jokes and political correctness.

Ugh, only four sitcoms on one night (Thursday) on CBS next season. That would make it difficult for Mike & Molly and 2 Broke Girls to return at midseason. If either Life in Pieces or Angel from Hell become successes, then M&M and 2BG are practically screwed. Neither of the new single-camera comedies deserve to be compatible with The Big Bang Theory and/or Mom.

From another board (about hit shows that one hates):
[2 Broke Girls] could fade away tomorrow and never return.

No, this should not happen. 2 Broke Girls is not going to be pushed off the air just for some stupid single-camera comedy that could end up being flopping in the ratings or losing at least half of the TBBT or Mom lead-in.

what killed the multicam sitcom

- over reliance of reality shows

- too many drama shows

- networks turning to single camera sitcoms to save costs and money

- lack of multicamera sitcom ideas and shows being commissioned and rights bought by network TV

it appears as though cable networks are picking up the slack when it comes to multicam sitcoms.

Two things that have killed the sitcom at least to me for the last 25 years are over reliance on toilet humor and sex jokes and political correctness.
I do agree with you. The problem with sitcoms today is they have no heart. If I don't like the characters than I can't like the shows.

what killed the multicam sitcom

- over reliance of reality shows

- too many drama shows

- networks turning to single camera sitcoms to save costs and money

- lack of multicamera sitcom ideas and shows being commissioned and rights bought by network TV

it appears as though cable networks are picking up the slack when it comes to multicam sitcoms.
some single cams are good. I love the Middle and the Goldbergs but most just aren't funny. Isn't a sitcom supposed to make you laugh? I think all the great comedians have died. Nobody has replaced them.

some single cams are good. I love the Middle and the Goldbergs but most just aren't funny. Isn't a sitcom supposed to make you laugh? I think all the great comedians have died. Nobody has replaced them.

I wanted to like the Goldberg's and a few others that I had hopes for but to me, they seemed silly and not funny. I liked Mike and Molly and Big Bang but a couple of years both changed and now IMO they aren't funny anymore.

I miss sitcoms, I need to laugh but what we've got now doesn't even make me smile. I agree that most of the great comedians have died but there are a few younger ones that are good. I think the problem is with the writers. The same goes for the movies today, there has only been a couple of really good movies in the last few years, mostly its like TV, junk.

I wanted to like the Goldberg's and a few others that I had hopes for but to me, they seemed silly and not funny. I liked Mike and Molly and Big Bang but a couple of years both changed and now IMO they aren't funny anymore.

I miss sitcoms, I need to laugh but what we've got now doesn't even make me smile. I agree that most of the great comedians have died but there are a few younger ones that are good. I think the problem is with the writers. The same goes for the movies today, there has only been a couple of really good movies in the last few years, mostly its like TV, junk.
Mike & Molly used to be one of my favorite shows. I hardly watch it at all anymore. It's completely changed.

some single cams are good. I love the Middle and the Goldbergs but most just aren't funny. Isn't a sitcom supposed to make you laugh? I think all the great comedians have died. Nobody has replaced them.

i just find it difficult to get used to the single cam sitcom format, it's not just the lack of audience laughter, but the jokes, characters that i can resonate with and care about, and of whom have personality.

I like Blackish and the Middle. Also, The Middle but the rest forget it.

I like Blackish and the Middle. Also, The Middle but the rest forget it.You must really like The Middle. ;)