Are one-camera sitcoms on the way out?

[JustaViewer]

Why or why not?
I just cannot get into them.

[merlinjones]

Most of my favorite shows are single camera (Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Donna Reed, The Munsters, Green Acres, Andy Griffith, Gilligan's Island, Brady Bunch, Addams Family, Batman, Lost in Space, Star Trek, My Favorite Martian, Gidget, Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Wonder Woman, Wild Wild West, Monkees, Partridge Family, Here Come the Brides, HR Pufnstuf, etc.)

3 camera shows I like: Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, I Love Lucy, All in the Family, Dick Van Dyke, Maude, The Jeffersons, Seinfeld, Happy Days, The Judy Garland Show...

[tenter]

Was nowadays single camera sitcoms more popular? I recalled ABC: like Goldbergs, Schooled, Bless This Mess, etc... seems to be doing and less on multi camera shows.. Except United We Fall is now this time multicamera sitcom

[SledgeBarone]

Originally Posted by merlinjones

Most of my favorite shows are single camera (Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Donna Reed, The Munsters, Green Acres, Andy Griffith, Gilligan's Island, Brady Bunch, Addams Family, Batman, Lost in Space, Star Trek, My Favorite Martian, Gidget, Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Wonder Woman, Wild Wild West, Monkees, Partridge Family, Here Come the Brides, HR Pufnstuf, etc.)

3 camera shows I like: Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, I Love Lucy, All in the Family, Dick Van Dyke, Maude, The Jeffersons, Seinfeld, Happy Days, The Judy Garland Show...

That's an interesting list of single-camera+laugh track comedies from (mostly) the 1960s. Single-camera vs. multi-camera affects the producers, writers, actors, etc. more, but for viewers I think the bigger difference is laugh track vs. no laugh track. I guess the style in the 1970s-90s married multi-camera with laugh tracks, and these days single-camera comedies don't bother with laugh tracks, so probably a lot of people think multi-camera == laugh track, single-camera == no laugh track. With the coronavirus preventing large gatherings right now, look at the lengths the various sports leagues are going through to simulate the presence of an audience visually and aurally; it makes a psychological difference to the viewers/listeners to know that something of gravitas is happening.

Ken Levine, a writer who had great success with MASH (single-camera), Cheers (multi-camera), and other comedies, defends multi-camera sitcoms a lot on his web site, says single-camera shows involve a lot less hassle for the creators, which I guess stacks the deck against multi-cams:

All that said, if I were developing for a network (and again, I am not) I would definitely pitch a single-camera show. Why? Networks are more receptive, I’d have a better chance of selling it, and here’s the main reason: There would be less interference. With multi-camera shows every day there is a runthrough; the notes are endless. On the night the show is shot there are notes every second on everything from camera angles to performances to set dressing. With a single-camera show at some point you go to Simi Valley and it’s 3 AM and you just film it. That’s for me.

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2017/0...-comedies.html

[Coffeecup]

I wouldn't know a one camera vs multi camera by watching the show. Never paid attention. More interested in the show versus how it made. Unless the announcer says Filmed in front of live audience, how would one know?? Why would I care??