Beech Tree News Network

No Laughing Matter: 

The decline of sitcoms on American television is something that isn’t talked about very much.  There are always ebbs and flows, of course. However, it seems as though networks are leaning more towards dramas and reality television.  Monday nights have two comedies on CBS (The Neighborhood and Poppa’s House), Tuesday, NBC has St. Denis Medical and Night Court.  Wednesday, ABC has Abbott Elementary as their LCS (last comedy standing).  Thursday, CBS has the Young Sheldon spinoff George and Mandy’s First Marriage as well as Ghosts.  Friday, NBC has Happy’s Place and Lopez vs Lopez.  That’s 9 comedies on a week of television on all three original major networks.  Once upon a time, comedies ruled network television.  You could blame streaming but the comedies that are on tv are available to stream the next day.  If those are cancelled, there’s nothing.  What is the underlying issue?

The main reason sitcoms are less popular is the decline of cable television.  Sitcoms require time to develop and find their audience.  However, shows do not always get the chance to evolve since streaming services often cancel sitcoms or other genres in the making.  Sitcoms don’t even crack the top ten in Neilson ratings these days.  The television landscape has undergone seismic shifts in recent years, with traditional sitcoms facing a notable decline.  This downturn isn’t merely a shift in view preferences but signifies a broader transformation in how humor is consumed and appreciated.

The Golden Age of television, which is generally considered to have taken place between 1948 and 1959, was a time when sitcoms and other genres of television programming flourished.  During this period, television became a central part of American family life.  Some of the sitcoms that emerged during this time include I Love Lucy, The Lone Ranger, The Honeymooners, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Leave it to Beaver, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and The Jack Benny Program.  Some say the Golden Age of television was characterized by a focus on good writing and a variety of programming.  The television industry was also moving to Los Angeles, which led to more Hollywood influence.  

There’s a study from YouTube TV that named the ‘80’s and ‘90’s the best decades for television, with Friends being named the best show.  TV shows today just don’t hold a candle to the “real” golden age of television-the ‘80’s and ‘90’s.  I’ll agree with that assessment.  The reason I agree might be because I grew up in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s.  Just look at this line-up from ABC on Tuesday night: Full House at 7, Roseanne at 7:30, Home Improvement at 8, Grace Under Fire at 8:30.  In comparison, NBC had Wings, News Radio, Frasier and the John Larroquette Show(John played Dan Fielding a decade earlier in NBC’s Night Court-the original).  Wednesday, ABC had Roseanne, Ellen and Grace Under Fire.  Keep in mind, this was decades before the star of each show got found out for doing various misdeeds that we all know about.  

NBC had Thursday on lock with Cheers in the ‘80’s and Friends in the ‘90’s to 2004.  Friday, ABC had their T.G.I.F. block with Boy Meets World, Step By Step, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper (which are all on Hulu, by the way).  If you miss all these golden age television shows, they’re all streaming.  Well, all except maybe for The Cosby Show( for obvious reasons).  That’s all for this week.  I’ve yet to record a vlog for the week so here is my link from last week in case you missed it.  https://youtu.be/w3XIS630J8Q?si=FA7bEl6Wde919P8i