Can family friendly shows work in today's environment? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

mets82 · 05-27-2013, 10:56 PM

Do you think family friendly shows can work in today's environment? I mean obviously you wouldnt have any swearing, no sex or violence etc. but do you think they would draw?

One thing I noticed about a show like Full House, is that I dont think, and I stress, this is just my opinion, that adults talk like that in real life, you know? Full House was a G rated show, yet I dont think adults or kids use G rated language. I dont think they do now or even in the past.

So what do you think? Family friendly shows work in today's world. I'm all for it but just because you want it doesnt mean the show will become a hit.

noveel · 05-27-2013, 11:30 PM

Family friendly shows worked when families only had 1 TV and only 3 channels to choose from. In today's environment, Full House might be a hit with kids, it might work on a more narrowly focused cable network but probably not on an OTA network with wider audiences. The OTA networks don't expect kids to watch them and don't really care since advertisers are only interested in 18-49, not 9 year olds or 59 year olds.

Mr. Television · 05-27-2013, 11:52 PM

One of the family friendly shows I really like is Good Luck Charlie. It has the appeal of the old TGIF shows. It appeals to kids and adults. Unfortunately its on Disney and not a major network. All the networks care about is the 18-49 year old demographics so they'll continue to pump out endless reality shows and such.

Mr. Television · 05-27-2013, 11:56 PM

I will say that probably the most family oriented sitcom on network tv is The Middle and it has gone mostly unnoticed. It's not as tame as Full House but is pretty tame when compared to the rest of the network sitcoms.

noveel · 05-28-2013, 12:20 AM

In the old days, there would be enough olds watching kid friendly shows on the OTA networks. Now today if an OTA was to schedule a kid friendly show like Full House, kids might watch but adults wouldn't if there was another TV and 300 other channels available.

noveel · 05-28-2013, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

One of the family friendly shows I really like is Good Luck Charlie. It has the appeal of the old TGIF shows. It appeals to kids and adults. Unfortunately its on Disney and not a major network. All the networks care about is the 18-49 year old demographics so they'll continue to pump out endless reality shows and such.

Disney channel isn't after advertisers who care about 18-49.

noveel · 05-28-2013, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

One of the family friendly shows I really like is Good Luck Charlie. It has the appeal of the old TGIF shows. It appeals to kids and adults. Unfortunately its on Disney and not a major network. All the networks care about is the 18-49 year old demographics so they'll continue to pump out endless reality shows and such.

and how many families actually watch TV together today?

Mr. Television · 05-28-2013, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noveel

and how many families actually watch TV together today?

I don't know. I know it's not as much as it used to be because everybody now has a tv in their own room. But Full House did air during the 1990's and there was plenty of Cable channels at that time. Heck, I probably watched more cable at that time then I do now. I still watch certain shows on cable but outside of sports I don't tune in one channel all the time like I used to. I think if it's a quality show, people will tune in.

tiredmike59 · 05-28-2013, 12:54 AM

The Amish might watch them...that is if they ever get around to getting television sets.

Mr. Television · 05-28-2013, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiredmike59

The Amish might watch them...that is if they ever get around to getting television sets.

There's a lot of Amish around where I live. lol

tiredmike59 · 05-28-2013, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

There's a lot of Amish around where I live. lol

When they come into town are there special parking places designed for horse and buggy ? I always wondered about that.

Mr. Television · 05-28-2013, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiredmike59

When they come into town are there special parking places designed for horse and buggy ? I always wondered about that.

I've never seen any. I've actually only seen them in a horse and buggy a few times. Most of the time they come into town in cars.

EmoJoe · 05-28-2013, 02:17 AM

Those shows are mostly on cable now, on networks like Disney Channel. Good Luck Charlie was a good example provided earlier of a show that probably would've fit nicely into the old TGIF block or something similar - just as Full House would probably be on a network like Disney if it were around today.

TMC · 05-28-2013, 04:39 AM

See Dad Run w/ Scott Baio is also something of an "old fashioned" family/domestic sitcom. I like to consider it Charles in Charge: The Later Years

. It however, airs on Nickelodeon instead of a broadcast network.

noveel · 05-28-2013, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

I don't know. I know it's not as much as it used to be because everybody now has a tv in their own room. But Full House did air during the 1990's and there was plenty of Cable channels at that time. Heck, I probably watched more cable at that time then I do now. I still watch certain shows on cable but outside of sports I don't tune in one channel all the time like I used to. I think if it's a quality show, people will tune in.

there were only 30 channels then, not 300

05-27-2013, 10:56 PM	#1
mets82 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 14, 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,058	Can family friendly shows work in today's environment? Do you think family friendly shows can work in today's environment? I mean obviously you wouldnt have any swearing, no sex or violence etc. but do you think they would draw? One thing I noticed about a show like Full House, is that I dont think, and I stress, this is just my opinion, that adults talk like that in real life, you know? Full House was a G rated show, yet I dont think adults or kids use G rated language. I dont think they do now or even in the past. So what do you think? Family friendly shows work in today's world. I'm all for it but just because you want it doesnt mean the show will become a hit.
	__________________ http://www.superbowlgreatness.blogspot.com/ Please check out my blog. I vent on all things. TV, sports etc. you name it. Its also a work in progress. Check out and see what you think.

05-27-2013, 11:52 PM	#3
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	One of the family friendly shows I really like is Good Luck Charlie. It has the appeal of the old TGIF shows. It appeals to kids and adults. Unfortunately its on Disney and not a major network. All the networks care about is the 18-49 year old demographics so they'll continue to pump out endless reality shows and such.
	__________________ Sonny

05-28-2013, 02:17 AM	#13
EmoJoe Cool cool cool Forum Addict Join Date: Apr 23, 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 71,478	Those shows are mostly on cable now, on networks like Disney Channel. Good Luck Charlie was a good example provided earlier of a show that probably would've fit nicely into the old TGIF block or something similar - just as Full House would probably be on a network like Disney if it were around today.
	__________________ "I know the difference between TV and reality, Jeff. TV has structure, it makes sense, there are likable leading men. In real life, we have this. We have you." - Abed Nadir, Community www.sitcomsarestupid.blogspot.com

05-28-2013, 04:39 AM	#14
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,458	See Dad Run w/ Scott Baio is also something of an "old fashioned" family/domestic sitcom. I like to consider it Charles in Charge: The Later Years. It however, airs on Nickelodeon instead of a broadcast network.

05-27-2013, 11:30 PM	#2
noveel Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 13, 2005 Posts: 534	Family friendly shows worked when families only had 1 TV and only 3 channels to choose from. In today's environment, Full House might be a hit with kids, it might work on a more narrowly focused cable network but probably not on an OTA network with wider audiences. The OTA networks don't expect kids to watch them and don't really care since advertisers are only interested in 18-49, not 9 year olds or 59 year olds.

05-27-2013, 11:56 PM	#4
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,128	I will say that probably the most family oriented sitcom on network tv is The Middle and it has gone mostly unnoticed. It's not as tame as Full House but is pretty tame when compared to the rest of the network sitcoms.

05-28-2013, 12:20 AM	#5
noveel Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 13, 2005 Posts: 534	In the old days, there would be enough olds watching kid friendly shows on the OTA networks. Now today if an OTA was to schedule a kid friendly show like Full House, kids might watch but adults wouldn't if there was another TV and 300 other channels available.

05-28-2013, 12:54 AM	#9
tiredmike59 Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 05, 2010 Location: OUTLAW STATE {MO} Posts: 1,868	The Amish might watch them...that is if they ever get around to getting television sets.