The return of Night Court should be what the cool kids call, "An obvious sign" that comedies are still welcome in Nielsen homes. I work front-desk in a motel where a TV in the lobby keeps me company, and for the past year or so the biggest complaint about network TV I get from guests is the lack of sitcoms. To my non-industry, casual viewer eyes it seems like even when one of the networks floats a new sitcom, they go out of their way to kill it ASAP. Usually by scheduling them on nights, and or at times guaranteed to get low ratings. Or worse, the show starts to take off, and the network moves the air-time each week.
They never do this with their reality shows and game/contest shows.
On the one hand, this was a delightful way to spend ten minutes.
On the other hand, isn't the whole reason that studios stopped making comedies because they don't play well in foreign markets, which are a much bigger source of total revenue than the US box office?
If you're making movies for a global audience, comedies (except for the animated ones that don't feel as culturally specific once they've been dubbed) are a much less profitable genre than action, fantasy, etc.
I don't think the decline of film comedies is a cultural thing so much as a business decision.
Not always true. Friends, Cheers, Seinfeld -- these all did really well in foreign markets. And not just anglophone ones, either. And the Disney Channel had several of the most-watched television shows on earth -- "Good Luck, Charlie," etc. and these were popular and untranslated old school sitcoms.
The return of Night Court should be what the cool kids call, "An obvious sign" that comedies are still welcome in Nielsen homes. I work front-desk in a motel where a TV in the lobby keeps me company, and for the past year or so the biggest complaint about network TV I get from guests is the lack of sitcoms. To my non-industry, casual viewer eyes it seems like even when one of the networks floats a new sitcom, they go out of their way to kill it ASAP. Usually by scheduling them on nights, and or at times guaranteed to get low ratings. Or worse, the show starts to take off, and the network moves the air-time each week.
They never do this with their reality shows and game/contest shows.
Interesting observation. I used to work front desk in motels, but the guests never complained about the TV.
Come to think of it, 'Night Auditor' might be a good comedy show! Lots of weird stuff happens on that shift.
On the one hand, this was a delightful way to spend ten minutes.
On the other hand, isn't the whole reason that studios stopped making comedies because they don't play well in foreign markets, which are a much bigger source of total revenue than the US box office?
If you're making movies for a global audience, comedies (except for the animated ones that don't feel as culturally specific once they've been dubbed) are a much less profitable genre than action, fantasy, etc.
I don't think the decline of film comedies is a cultural thing so much as a business decision.
Not always true. Friends, Cheers, Seinfeld -- these all did really well in foreign markets. And not just anglophone ones, either. And the Disney Channel had several of the most-watched television shows on earth -- "Good Luck, Charlie," etc. and these were popular and untranslated old school sitcoms.