What do I mean by that?
On several occasions someone bursts upon the music scene and wins sixteen Grammys and two years later is completely forgotten. Norah Jones, anybody? The Emmy competition for Best Comedy is now very similar. Shows are now really “the flavor of the month.”
Remember all the hype about GIRLS? And then FLEABAG? The zeitgeist has moved on.
Now partly this is because these series are not long lasting. They make 20 episodes not 200. Also because they’re on cable or streaming platforms and don’t have the overall exposure that a broadcast network can provide.
But I also think today’s sitcoms tends to be so of the moment that when the zeitgeist moves on they’re left by the side of the road. That’s not a knock on them. It’s the current trend. But it may come with a price of standing the test of time.
For much of the 1970’s the nominees and winners were ALL IN THE FAMILY, MASH, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, SANFORD & SON, TAXI, and BARNEY MILLER. All are beloved shows today.
In the 1980’s the shows that battled each other year after year were CHEERS, GOLDEN GIRLS, THE COSBY SHOW, FAMILY TIES, and THE WONDER YEARS. Pretty good for 40 years ago.
The 1990’s featured these shows that duked it out yearly: SEINFELD, CHEERS, MURPHY BROWN, THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW, HOME IMPROVEMENT, FRASIER, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, and FRIENDS. MURPHY BROWN suffered from topical references but was still enough of a "thing" that CBS chose to reboot it.
MODERN FAMILY dominated the ‘00s and teens but competition was LOUIE, MASTER OF NONE, GLOW, THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL, RUSSIAN DOLL (why that’s a comedy I don’t know) among others. There were stand outs like VEEP, and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM but again, how many of them will mean anything in another ten years? Or three? Some don’t mean anything already.
Obviously, when making a sitcom you don’t spend a lot of time wondering what audiences will be watching in fifty years, But it seems there are fewer of them now, and one factor in a great sitcom is its ability to leave a mark. I guess what I’m saying is will somebody please create the next FRIENDS?
from By Ken Levine
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