Sitcom Future Unclear After 'Friends'

[Janice]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/200...D827V1L81.html

Sitcom Future Unclear After 'Friends'

By DAVID BAUDER

NEW YORK (AP) - This June, Fox presents rappers Method Man and Redman as stars of a new sitcom about adjusting to life in a stuffy gated community.

Sound familiar?

It should. Will Smith walked the same road in the early 1990s on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Go back even further, and you'll find the same culture shock themes in "The Beverly Hillbillies."

With the "Friends" finale on May 6, "Frasier" bowing out a week later, "Sex and the City" already gone and "Everybody Loves Raymond" on its last legs, sitcoms are at a crossroads.

Depending on how you look at it, the sitcom is either an exhausted format in need of new ideas or a time-tested but slumping genre just waiting for new personalities.

"It's clearly a genre in desperate need of reinvention," said Doug Herzog, Comedy Central president. "I say that as much as a viewer as a television executive."

The success of "Friends,""Frasier" and the rest has masked how deep TV comedy's problems really are. So far this season, only five comedies are among Nielsen Media Research's list of top 25 shows, compared to nine dramas and nine reality shows ("60 Minutes" and sports fill out the list).

One is "Friends." Another is "Raymond," which is most likely headed into its last season. "Will & Grace," in its sixth season, is showing its age. "Coupling" lasted only a few weeks, this season's punch line for bad television.

That leaves CBS'"Two and a Half Men," hardly innovative and unproven without its "Raymond" lead-in.

ABC has tried to rebuild behind comedies the past few years. But "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teen-Aged Daughter" was derailed by John Ritter's death, and none of the others has reached a wide audience. With ABC just firing its management team, the strategy may be gone, too.

"People just don't care about sitcoms," said Stephen Fishler, a producer with Metropolis Entertainment who is experimenting with hybrids of reality and comedy. "Nobody is standing around the water cooler saying, 'did you see 'According to Jim' last night?'"

Those who believe comedy is simply in a slump point to all of the "comedy is dead" articles that appeared two decades ago just before "Cosby" ushered in a golden period with "Cheers" and "Seinfeld."

"The comedy resurgence is one good sitcom away," said Dick Wolf, executive producer of the "Law & Order" series. "I don't think anyone is coming out and saying, 'My God, nobody is watching these great new sitcoms.'"

Although Fox's "Arrested Development" has critical acclaim and dedicated fans, not many people believe the next great comedy is already on the air, waiting to be discovered.

Too many new sitcoms over the past few years are stylistically no different than those produced 40 years ago, Herzog said.

"They're just old-fashioned," he said. "They're all shot the same way. All have the same look, feel and tone. I feel as a viewer that they're horribly predictable. There's a whole generation that they don't speak to at all."

MTV, HBO and Comedy Central have changed the way people watch television and changed the type of humor that people enjoy, he said.

Sitcoms are a popular style for TV executives because when done right, they're a virtual gold mine. Shows like "Seinfeld" and "Friends" can live on in perpetuity in syndication, producing revenue long after the actors have moved on.

So networks keep trying, perhaps too hard, leaving viewers disgusted.

"I just feel like we've been bludgeoned with too many pale imitations," said Todd Holland, creator of Fox's short-lived series "Wonderfalls."

NBC has been particularly aggressive developing comedies this spring, both because of its lack of recent success and its high-profile losses. The efforts range from the predictable - "Friends" spinoff "Joey" - to more adventurous fare like "Father of the Pride," with computer-generated animation.

CBS has a pilot with "Seinfeld" actor Jason Alexander portraying a Washington Post sportswriter. Jeff Goldblum, Jessica Simpson and Rob Reiner are other big names attached to projects in development.

Fox has an agreement with a comic troupe in Los Angeles, the Naked Angels Theater Group, as a workshop to try out new ideas, said Craig Erwich, the network's executive vice president for programming.

"We're definitely trying to take a lot of shots because we don't know which way it's going," Erwich said.

Other creators are also trying to stretch the boundaries of the form. HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," considered one of the funniest shows on the air, uses loose story structures that give actors room to improvise.

NBC is making an American version of BBC's "The Office," which puts actors in settings that viewers can recognize as real life.

Fishler believes these type of scripted reality shows represent the future. He's making two of them: "Life After Skippy," which focuses on a has-been child actor, and another set in a make-believe local TV newsroom.

He provides the setting and the situations, then sets the actors free.

"It's a very subtle format and it's hard to describe to someone why it's appealing until they actually see it," he said. "It's a matter of creating funny, uncomfortable, subtle moments."

Some of what is considered "reality" today, like "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance," is really comedy, Erwich said. "The Simple Life" is as much a fish-out-of-water comedy as "The Beverly Hillbillies," only with wealthy people sent to live with the commoners instead of the other way around.

Others believe in being counterintuitive.

Some of the series that rely on production gimmicks, like "Scrubs," lose luster quickly, said Robert Thompson, head of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. And an "Arrested Development" requires viewers to pay closer attention than many want when watching a comedy, he said.

"You could enjoy an episode of 'Friends' if you're half-dead," Thompson said. "I would defy anyone - even if they've never seen the show before - to watch three minutes of 'Friends' and remain confused."

The next great comedy will likely be very traditional in feel and form, he said.

One of television's top creators, "Survivor" and "The Apprentice" producer Mark Burnett, said people shouldn't be intimidated by the sorry state of comedy.

"I think it's an opportunity," Burnett said. "It's an opportunity to take risks. Clearly, playing it safe isn't working."

[Dean Winchester]

whether you love or hate Friends, you have to admit the article is true. Once Friends and Frasier is gone, all left is Raymond and Will And Grace, both are expected to go off next season anyways.

If anything, all the "marquee" shows going off (after Raymond and W&G go off, what's left? Scrubs, Yes Dear and King Of Queens will probably be the closest things to "marquee sitcoms" then and KOQ probably won't be on much longer either) is showing karma to the networks who have gotten sucked way too far into the reality trend in favor of giving shows time to grow and find their audience.

I mean....
Friends - ratings weren't so hot (well, not for Thursday night status) the first part of season 1, but it grew to find an audience
Raymond - flopped the first season, grew and was a hit by season 3
Frasier - spun off from Cheers, which was last place in it's first season, and by season 9 was #1
Will & Grace - got very mediocre ratings the first season, buzz slowly got around and it eventually became a top 10

Whereas now a show like Coupling gets cancelled because it's not a top 5 ratings grabber in it's first 4 weeks. The way the networks are so hellbent on if something isn't watched by 15 million people the first month it's on, then cancel it, there probably will never be another Cheers or Seinfeld again.

Arrested Development is similar, it is a great, well-written, funny series, that can certainly grow to being a respectable cult smash, but since Fox is on such an American Idol kick, they are more than likely going to cancel the show, even tho they forget a lot of the shows that put Fox on the map (Married With Children, Beverly Hills 90210, The X-Files) were hardly ratings hits when they first came on, and all took their times and got bigger.

[TJL]

"People just don't care about sitcoms," said Stephen Fishler, a producer with Metropolis Entertainment who is experimenting with hybrids of reality and comedy.

Not true. I care about sitcoms. I don't care about crappy sitcoms.


"It's clearly a genre in desperate need of reinvention," said Doug Herzog, Comedy Central president.

The sitcoms has been around for 50 years, and although the format in the broadest sense is the same, it has been tweaked from time to time by some very cretive people, some of which were mentioned in the article. But, it is the network's apprehenson to let these new and different genre bending shows find an audience that is killing sitcoms. Three episodes and cancellation is not the best way to present a show.

"Some of the series that rely on production gimmicks, like "Scrubs," lose luster quickly, said Robert Thompson, head of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. And an "Arrested Development" requires viewers to pay closer attention than many want when watching a comedy, he said."

What an insulting statement. Sitcoms should be engaging, and you should have to pay attention, just like a drama.
What a connundrum. They want to shake up the sitcom genre with fresh ideas, yet they think the viewing audience is too stupid to sit through something other than a standard line-line-joke show.

There are smart, discrimnating viewers out there who have high expectations, you TV Executive pinheads. Put down your nielson books, burn your demographic charts and don't underestimate our intelligence.

[Skywalker]

Arrested Development is the future of sitcoms. Where else are you going to hear catch phrases such as "no bananna grabbing" or "douche chill"?

[Dean Winchester]

Originally posted by jpnoyes
Arrested Development is the future of sitcoms. Where else are you going to hear catch phrases such as "no bananna grabbing" or "douche chill"?

lol, but I keep hearing Fox is going to cancel it because they're on such an American Idol trip. Even tho I can see Arrested Development actually still being on in 5 years, I can't see American Idol lasting that long.

Let's just hope Ron Howard has enough clout to let Fox stick with the project (like how ABC kept George Lopez though it flopped at first because of Sandra Bullock's name)

[barwars]

Arrested Development and Scrubs ARE the future of sitcoms.

As much as I like them (especially AR).... I cant help but think that the studio-audience format is dead.
All of my favorites had an audience (at home, and at the studio), and I hope some new GOOD shows have one as well.

[Dean Winchester]

Originally posted by barwars88
Arrested Development and Scrubs ARE the future of sitcoms.

As much as I like them (especially AR).... I cant help but think that the studio-audience format is dead.

I agree, I know a lot of people hate it, but I think it's GREAT that now there are sitcoms like Scrubs, Arrested Development and (tho it's over now, it was the one that really ushered the era in) Sex And The City, which the producers don't underestimate the audience, they know the viewer should know what scenes are funny and when not to laugh. It's also nice to see a "special guest star", like when Michael J. Fox guested on Scrubs, where when the star first appeared on camera, 30-45 seconds of episode time wasn't wasted by the audience ovation when they come on. Just watch the Friends episodes where Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis appeared in, and then look at how much time was spent with the audience cheering when they appear.

[barwars]

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
I agree, I know a lot of people hate it, but I think it's GREAT that now there are sitcoms like Scrubs, Arrested Development and (tho it's over now, it was the one that really ushered the era in) Sex And The City, which the producers don't underestimate the audience, they know the viewer should know what scenes are funny and when not to laugh. It's also nice to see a "special guest star", like when Michael J. Fox guested on Scrubs, where when the star first appeared on camera, 30-45 seconds of episode time wasn't wasted by the audience ovation when they come on. Just watch the Friends episodes where Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis appeared in, and then look at how much time was spent with the audience cheering when they appear.

I agree, I always find the "wooing" very tacky.
Thats what I though was very ingenious of Cheers -- on the finale episode when Diane returns, Shelley Long probably got a standing ovation -- but its edited so that the "wooing" is never heard -- and you dont get that "The Fonzie Show" (or was it.... Happy Days) effect.

Dont get me wrong, I love Happy Days -- but I think many will agree, the "wooing" and cheering gets old fast.

[ClassicComedyFan2]

I don't care about Friends, I think Frasier ending is bigger news. Aside from the mildly enjoyable "Hope & Faith," I don't enjoy any other current primetime sitcoms that aren't animated (I'm a big fan of The Simpsons and King of the Hill is mildly enjoyable). Let's hope this forces some creativity back into the business, like in the 60s with all of those brilliant concepts (genie, witch, talking horse, react to credits, etc.).

[Ant-Lox]

Networks won't give shows time to develop, that's why so many fail.

Everything has to happen fast nowadays, And i don't their will ever be a sitcom that runs for more that 5 seasons anymore.

[hawaii five-o]

In the early 80's, everyone was saying that sitcoms were dead. Then family sitcoms, such as Cosby and Growing Pains, became popular. Maybe that is what will happen this time.

[spunkygirl]

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
lol, but I keep hearing Fox is going to cancel it because they're on such an American Idol trip. Even tho I can see Arrested Development actually still being on in 5 years, I can't see American Idol lasting that long.

Let's just hope Ron Howard has enough clout to let Fox stick with the project (like how ABC kept George Lopez though it flopped at first because of Sandra Bullock's name)

I agree, I was reading somewhere that even though AI does have good ratings, their ratings aren't as good as they were in the previous years. That AI might be on it's last legs too, that people are growing tired of it.

[dawsongirl]

Originally posted by Janice


That leaves CBS'"Two and a Half Men," hardly innovative and unproven without its "Raymond" lead-in.

Good show. If CBS gives it a chance, it'll go far with or without Raymond, which isn't nearly as funny as it once was.

[dawsongirl]

Originally posted by TJL
"People just don't care about sitcoms," said Stephen Fishler, a producer with Metropolis Entertainment who is experimenting with hybrids of reality and comedy.

Not true. I care about sitcoms. I don't care about crappy sitcoms.


"It's clearly a genre in desperate need of reinvention," said Doug Herzog, Comedy Central president.

The sitcoms has been around for 50 years, and although the format in the broadest sense is the same, it has been tweaked from time to time by some very cretive people, some of which were mentioned in the article. But, it is the network's apprehenson to let these new and different genre bending shows find an audience that is killing sitcoms. Three episodes and cancellation is not the best way to present a show.

"Some of the series that rely on production gimmicks, like "Scrubs," lose luster quickly, said Robert Thompson, head of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. And an "Arrested Development" requires viewers to pay closer attention than many want when watching a comedy, he said."

What an insulting statement. Sitcoms should be engaging, and you should have to pay attention, just like a drama.
What a connundrum. They want to shake up the sitcom genre with fresh ideas, yet they think the viewing audience is too stupid to sit through something other than a standard line-line-joke show.

There are smart, discrimnating viewers out there who have high expectations, you TV Executive pinheads. Put down your nielson books, burn your demographic charts and don't underestimate our intelligence.

*applause*

[dawsongirl]

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
lol, but I keep hearing Fox is going to cancel it because they're on such an American Idol trip. Even tho I can see Arrested Development actually still being on in 5 years, I can't see American Idol lasting that long.

Man...I hope AI isn't on that long. It's already annoying.