Current sitcom climate Page 2

Quote: Aaron @ 9th December 2019, 1:15 AM

I dearly, dearly love Frankie - but in no possible way could you call him an actor. He was himself. In everything.

I'd be very surprised if he used catchphrases in real life.

Quote: Aaron @ 8th December 2019, 4:33 PM

What about Mrs. Brown's Boys and Miranda?

I was thinking more in terms of popular shows that were also critically acclaimed. Shows like Only Fools and One Foot, which pleased both critics and the lumpen masses. I wouldn't put Mrs Brown's Boys in that category, and I think Miranda is very, very borderline, and I'm not sure time has treated it particularly well.

Quote: Aaron @ 8th December 2019, 1:43 PM

They're definitely not cheap, but perhaps they are more financially efficient in the short term.

However, let's not forget that these kinds of shows always existed in the previous decades when there were dozens of sitcoms airing, too.

Come Dancing. New Faces. The Generation Game. All sorts in exactly that light entertainment vein.

No, they're clearly not cheap, but they are very low risk, compared to a scripted sitcom. Sitcoms also have an incredibly critical and hostile reception compared to those shows. You only have to look at the palpable glee on forums like this when a sitcom is merely average, and people descend to rip it to shreds. It's like the coliseum, in which people vie to pile as much hate upon a sitcom as possible.

And you're right, those light entertainment shows have existed for decades, but I think the interactivity of modern life, and the 24 hour news cycle to fill with celebrity nonsense, has meant they've become the dominant popular TV format.