TV Land Promises ‘Reinvention’ in 2015 with Single-Camera Comedies

[HauntedThunderman94]

At TV Land it’s goodbye Betty White, hello Hillary Duff when it comes to original comedy series.

TV Land prexy Larry Jones promised reporters at the Television Critics Assn. press tour Saturday that the cabler will unveil “a whole new TV Land” this year.

“There’ll be a big reinvention for us between now and next year’s TCA with a new slate of compelling comedies that all have a completely different feel than anything you’ve ever seen on TV Land before,” Jones said.

Jones promised that the new slate of single-camera shows will be “a little less traditional and a little less edgy.” The new fleet launches March 31 with “Younger,” starring Sutton Foster as a woman who masquerades as a twentysomething after she falls for a younger man. Duff and Debi Mazar and Miriam Shor also star in the series from “Sex and the City” and “Melrose Place” creator Darren Star.

TV Land’s move is a response to the fact that the channel 40-something target audience is now closer to the Gen-X generation than the baby boomer crowd. Those viewers are looking for a new breed of comedies, Jones said.

He noted that the makeover was initiated after they realized that boomers had aged out of TV Land’s target demo and that Gen-X viewers had different expectations. And they were also inspired by the boom in edgy and intense cable dramas.

“In the last three years there have been so many (dramas) that everybody is talking about. We thought about how to apply the basic ideas that you see in great dramas to comedies to make them a little more compelling,” Jones said. “We want to push the humor level farther and be sure to make them funny.”

Three other shows on deck for 2015 are “Impastor,” about a man who takes on the identity of a dead man who happens to be a gay minister; “Teachers,” a look at the lives of elementary school teachers; and “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” starring the veteran comic in a “Louie”-esque autobiographical vehicle.

The push marks an increase in investment in original shows. In the 2013-14 frame TV Land produced 72 original scripted half-hour episodes in total; in 2014-15 the tally will rise to 92. There’s also plans for an on-air brand makeover to help signal the stylistic change, Jones said.

Although the new entrants are all single-cam series, Jones said the cabler is not ruling out new multi cams that have the new tonal approach.

“I really believe there is a way to make a really compelling multicamera show,” he said. TV Land is still committed to its existing multicam series “The Soul Man” and “The Exes.”

“Hot in Cleveland,” the ensembler anchored by White that paved the way for TV Land’s entry into original series, will wrap up in June. Jones promises to give the show a worthy send-off.

“The plan is to package the last six episodes and amp up the (finale) in a big way,” he said.

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/tv-l...es-1201399863/

[tlc38tlc38]

No news about the classics? TVLand is wasteLAND.

All the originals are garbage except for "HIC" and even it has been worn out.

[Mr. Television]

Well in that case, I won't be watching anymore TV Land.

[dakert]

TVLand Blows

[Mace Dolex]

So what age range is the Gen-x now? Those that were teens in the 90's and are now thirtysomething?

[comedyfreak]

Single cam comedies STINK!!!!

[Yong Fang]

TV Land was (and is, I guess, been out of the USA for 14 years) a network that played reruns of classic comedy TV programming. Isn't there still a market for that or has online streams and Hulu taken over?

i am not going to pretend how a TV series works, but I would think first that a show is shopped to one of the networks, then the premium channels like AMC perhaps. If none of them wants it, then it might be picked up by one of the minor cable channels. TV Land is a minor cable channel. So is TBS, despite the success and wealth of that network. Basically if the Big Four passes on a show, it more than likely will be crap, especially for sitcoms.

TV Land needs to show programming from the 1960's-1990's. Better yet, have a network for each decade. Problem is that the business model isn't making the money anymore.

[Adamantium]

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

Single cam comedies STINK!!!!

I think it's a case by case basis. Some single camera comedies are hilarious and some suck. Funny is funny. You don't need a studio audience to be funny, although for some actors I suppose you do. For example, I imagine Robin Williams fed off the audience reactions during Mork & Mindy as did Jackie Gleason on The Honeymooners but the actors on Community and Scrubs give great performances with no audience. If the scripts are good and the actors are good the show will be good. It doesn't mean it will be high rated of course but it can still be a good show without winning the awards and getting the high ratings.

All that said, I'm not excited about TV Land's plan for more sitcoms just because I don't see why they have to make original programming at all. Stick to the reruns. Have an identity that's your own. Instead, they're trying to be like all the other cable channels out there that make original programming.

[JSP]

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

Single cam comedies STINK!!!!

I think the videotaped in front of a studio audience sitcom needs to make a comeback.

Everything is filmed these days. I think film is overrated.

[James28]

^^Videotape is outdated and obsolete. No sitcom will ever use videotape again.

[Tubehead]

I hadn't watch TV land ever since they did the reality show like high school reunion Original programing on sitcoms and when they added every one loves Raymond and took off I love Lucy and Sanford and son. I hadn't watched nick at nite in years every since they got ride of home improvement family matters and family ties what really did me in when they added friends and how I met your mother . I did watch hanging with Mr. cooper when they show it for few months I seen full house and fresh prince of bel air to death don't watch them any more way too sick of them I don't think friends or how I met your mother should be on nick at nite.

[jehobden]

At least Me-TV & Antenna TV have picked up some of TV Land's slack. TV Land's original sitcoms are about as sleazy as anything else on the networks & other cable channels, and these announced shows look as bad as any of the previous sitcoms. I much preferred the days of TV Land's classic tv shows & Retromercials.

[factsoflife]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

So what age range is the Gen-x now? Those that were teens in the 90's and are now thirtysomething?

No, they would just barely miss they cut-off for Gen-X. Gen-X is those who are now in their early-to-mid 40's and were in their teens in the late 80's and early 1990's.

I am 34 and I am not considered a part of Gen-X, I just missed the cut-off and am technically considered part of Gen-Y or a millennial.

[comedyfreak]

Originally Posted by Adamantium

I think it's a case by case basis. Some single camera comedies are hilarious and some suck. Funny is funny. You don't need a studio audience to be funny, although for some actors I suppose you do. For example, I imagine Robin Williams fed off the audience reactions during Mork & Mindy as did Jackie Gleason on The Honeymooners but the actors on Community and Scrubs give great performances with no audience. If the scripts are good and the actors are good the show will be good. It doesn't mean it will be high rated of course but it can still be a good show without winning the awards and getting the high ratings.

All that said, I'm not excited about TV Land's plan for more sitcoms just because I don't see why they have to make original programming at all. Stick to the reruns. Have an identity that's your own. Instead, they're trying to be like all the other cable channels out there that make original programming.

The only single cam comedies I like are The Middle, The Goldbergs, Black-ish, and Modern Family.

[Tubehead]

if you like Middle, The Goldbergs, Black-ish, and Modern Family I highly recommend the big bang theory last man standing and girl meets worlds aka spin off form boy meets world if you like black ish I highly recommend everybody hates Chris. .

for classic I recommend
home improvement more funnier then last man standing
saved by the bell
the Jefferson's
family ties
family matters
step by step
Sanford and son
the wonder years
boy meets world