Alfonso Ribeiro Rips Apart NBC, Says its "Must See TV" Killed the Sitcom - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 04-07-2009, 12:17 AM

You've starred in directed sitcoms. Sitcoms have been a big part of your career. Why do you think the genre is fading away? What sitcoms do you watch?

You know, the sitcom is coming back actually a little bit. Most of the networks have ordered a bunch more sitcoms. To be 100 percent honest with you, I think that "Must See TV" which NBC ran for years, killed the sitcom. It killed it because they continued to put out the same shows over and over again to a group of people that don't watch network television. White yuppie America doesn't watch network television. They watch HBO. They watch Showtime. They watch FX. They watch the History Channel. They watch National Geographic. They're not watching regular network television. But they continue to make shows for those people and the numbers continue to drop. They continue to push to a certain group in America that was themselves, but they don't watch television, themselves. It killed the genre. The genre will come back if they start to make sitcoms for the people that are actually watching network television. There's a reason shows like The Jeffersons can run for 14 years, or shows like The Cosby Showor Roseanne or any of those other long running shows that were made for regular middle America people. You have to sell it to those people. To be honest with you I don't like any of the sitcoms that are out there right now. I don't watch any of them because they are not directed towards people like myself. There's nothing to watch.

http://laist.com/2009/04/06/seven_qu...nso_ribeir.php

catlover79 · 04-07-2009, 12:32 AM

Hmmmm...I think it's REALITY SHOWS that killed the genre, not Must See TV, but to each his own.

Brian Damage · 04-07-2009, 12:44 AM

It's kinda funny considering NBC made him a star with 3 successful sitcoms.

Marvo301 · 04-07-2009, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

It's kinda funny considering NBC made him a star with 3 successful sitcoms.

Yeah, it kind of seems like he's biting the hand that fed him!

Brian Damage · 04-07-2009, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

Yeah, it kind of seems like he's biting the hand that fed him!

Exactly!

Mr. Television · 04-07-2009, 07:05 AM

I don't know. I always thought Must See TV had something to do with it. NBC made so many Friends clones and most of them were awful. The 8:30 and 9:30 timeslots on Thursday actually became a joke. NBC finally gave up and just started making the supersized episodes of Friends and their other hit shows. They stopped trying to make the multi-cam sitcoms after awhile. I can't explain the other networks but I know they made a lot of the same type of sitcoms too. Of course reality tv played a part in it too. They are cheap to produce and if one fails, they can plug another one it. It's a lot cheaper to replace than with a sitcom.

catlover79 · 04-07-2009, 09:30 AM

^ Well, to be fair, the other networks were making Friends clones at the time, too.

gidgetgrape · 04-07-2009, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

It's kinda funny considering NBC made him a star with 3 successful sitcoms.

3 sitcoms in which he played a yuppy too.

waichingliu81 · 06-13-2009, 05:11 PM

it's not just NBC- although back in the 90s, they were flying high with all these hit sitcoms at their disposal. although alfonso does have a point, from the 70s to late 90s, the sitcom was one of the most successful tv genres around. i agree with monika that the obsession with reality tv shows, multi-camera comedies and dramas, whilst the lack of good quality sitcoms these days is as a result to poor programming on tv.

waichingliu81 · 06-13-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gidgetgrape

3 sitcoms in which he played a yuppy too.

silver spoons (i think but i'm probably wrong on this one), fresh prince and in the house. although you could argue the maxwell stanton character in ' in the house' was a carlton banks clone in itself.

04-07-2009, 12:17 AM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Alfonso Ribeiro Rips Apart NBC, Says its "Must See TV" Killed the Sitcom You've starred in directed sitcoms. Sitcoms have been a big part of your career. Why do you think the genre is fading away? What sitcoms do you watch? You know, the sitcom is coming back actually a little bit. Most of the networks have ordered a bunch more sitcoms. To be 100 percent honest with you, I think that "Must See TV" which NBC ran for years, killed the sitcom. It killed it because they continued to put out the same shows over and over again to a group of people that don't watch network television. White yuppie America doesn't watch network television. They watch HBO. They watch Showtime. They watch FX. They watch the History Channel. They watch National Geographic. They're not watching regular network television. But they continue to make shows for those people and the numbers continue to drop. They continue to push to a certain group in America that was themselves, but they don't watch television, themselves. It killed the genre. The genre will come back if they start to make sitcoms for the people that are actually watching network television. There's a reason shows like The Jeffersons can run for 14 years, or shows like The Cosby Showor Roseanne or any of those other long running shows that were made for regular middle America people. You have to sell it to those people. To be honest with you I don't like any of the sitcoms that are out there right now. I don't watch any of them because they are not directed towards people like myself. There's nothing to watch. http://laist.com/2009/04/06/seven_qu...nso_ribeir.php Attached Images
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04-07-2009, 12:32 AM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	Hmmmm...I think it's REALITY SHOWS that killed the genre, not Must See TV, but to each his own.
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04-07-2009, 07:05 AM	#6
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	I don't know. I always thought Must See TV had something to do with it. NBC made so many Friends clones and most of them were awful. The 8:30 and 9:30 timeslots on Thursday actually became a joke. NBC finally gave up and just started making the supersized episodes of Friends and their other hit shows. They stopped trying to make the multi-cam sitcoms after awhile. I can't explain the other networks but I know they made a lot of the same type of sitcoms too. Of course reality tv played a part in it too. They are cheap to produce and if one fails, they can plug another one it. It's a lot cheaper to replace than with a sitcom.
	__________________ Sonny

04-07-2009, 12:44 AM	#3
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	It's kinda funny considering NBC made him a star with 3 successful sitcoms.

04-07-2009, 09:30 AM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	^ Well, to be fair, the other networks were making Friends clones at the time, too.

06-13-2009, 05:11 PM	#9
waichingliu81 debbie allen Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2006 Location: london, england, UK Posts: 4,347	it's not just NBC- although back in the 90s, they were flying high with all these hit sitcoms at their disposal. although alfonso does have a point, from the 70s to late 90s, the sitcom was one of the most successful tv genres around. i agree with monika that the obsession with reality tv shows, multi-camera comedies and dramas, whilst the lack of good quality sitcoms these days is as a result to poor programming on tv.