In what has to have been one of the biggest stories of the year, sitcoms continued to watch their ranks close and we had less-and-less hits. Outside of ABC, only two traditional sitcoms (Last Man on Earth and The Odd Couple) got renewed for another season, and we saw long-time series like Two and a Half Men and Parks and Recreation adios from the schedule. This isn't just a problem for the networks, but for TV stations like TV Land, TBS, and dozens of other cable channels that rely on syndicated network sitcoms to be hits. Even shows that seem on-track to hit the mandatory 100 episodes (like New Girl and 2 Broke Girls) aren't the hits they were years ago and may not hold onto audiences long-term in the way that Friends and Seinfeld have. It's gotten so bad that NBC, once they home of Must See TV and the quintessential sitcom factory, will only have one-hour of sitcoms next season.
2. ABC Goes Cable
The cable model has been emulated in some quarters, though it hasn't quite been something the major networks want to emulate because they don't have the constant movies of HBO/Netflix or the persistent reruns of something like USA. However, ABC has embraced the shortened season, with series like Secrets and Lies, American Crime, and Agent Carter all getting second seasons after short runs that may have been one-and-done sorts of situations. This is something that has created buzz on networks like HBO and Showtime, and is probably something we'll see more of because you get more content without as much risk. Then again, it's not a guaranteed success: Gracepoint was critically-acclaimed on FOX and had a slew of buzz before it completely tanked.
If you look at the biggest critical and/or ratings hits of the year, racial diversity was a crucial attribute of the cast. Arguably the year's two biggest zeitgeist hits (Empire and How to Get Away with Murder) hired Oscar-nominated actresses as the center of their shows, and got HUGE ratings that will probably result in Emmy nominations for both Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis. This sort of diversity sets apart the cast in a way that few other shows do (can you tell apart the sitcoms on CBS that aren't Big Bang?). Similarly shows like Jane the Virgin and Black-ish delivered strong enough ratings and buzz to return to their networks lineups. About the only prestige-drama that didn't take starring a black Oscar nominee was oddly Octavia Spencer and Red Band Society. If I were a network, though, I'd be trying to get she or Lupita Nyong'o on one of my channels, as Empire and How to Get Away with Murder are both proof that television, unlike the movies, seems to be more inviting of non-traditional leading stars.
4. A Hit is a Hit is a Hit
Debra Messing's The Mysteries of Laura was mocked since the show was announced. We had yet another cop procedural starring a former TV headliner, and the critics were jumping over themselves for a chance to insult the series. Despite this fact, the show gained solid ratings and though pundits consistently tried to write its obituary, NBC didn't really care as long as the numbers stayed good, and they did. Mysteries was the only new show on the network to get renewed. The same could be said for CBS with Tea Leoni's Madam Secretary, a show that underwhelmed the critics but brought in strong ratings, and resulted in an easy pickup for a series that most figured would get lost on the schedule.
5. FOX is on Life Support
They smartly put American Idol to bed, even though in FOX's lineup it probably still made sense, ratings-wise. The Mindy Project, a critically-applauded but viewer-challenged series got bumped off the schedule. In fact the network despite the occasional bright spots (obviously Empire, as well as Gotham and Last Man on Earth) saw a bunch of high-profile series like Mulaney, Red Band Society, and The Following all flame out this season, and even a show like New Girl continues to be more renewed out of a need for a long-running sitcom than anything else. The network needs to either pull an NBC and embrace its identity whole-heartedly (going entirely to a drama lineup with only a couple exceptions) or find a way to make a live-action sitcom a hit again.
Those were my lessons-how about you? Where do you see broadcast primetime going, and what are you happy/sad about getting renewed or cancelled? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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