Is Network Comedy dead? CBS Cancelled Comedies with No New Pickups
If you’re a comedy writer (even if you’re a drama writer) I’m sure you’ve heard CBS just axed three of their comedies - including comedy veteran Chuck Lorre’s, B Positive and United States of Al - but didn’t pick up any of their four comedy pilots.
Which means CBS’ Thursday night comedy block will scale back to a single hour, some incredible comedy writers are out of a job, and a lot of people have a lot of questions about the future of network comedy.
Comedy has always been near and dear to my heart (my first gig in entertainment was as a stand-up comic, and later a comedy development executive at CBS). So, before every comedy writer reading this post has a panic attack, I thought we should break it all down:
1. Network Comedy isn’t dead
These cancellations are not a reflection of some sort of ‘failure of comedy’, or even sitcoms! Ghosts and Young Sheldon are still going strong at CBS. ABC renewed three sitcoms in addition to Abbott Elementary (which is an audience and critic darling). The Connors is still hanging in. Even Call me Kat on Fox is getting decent numbers. Not all sitcoms fail, and networks are still investing in comedy. That being said —
2. Times are changing
It’s no secret that the struggle to maintain viewership for broadcast TV and cable networks is getting more and more intense. They’re not only competing with streamers for attention, they’re also competing with things like YouTube and even TikTok! So companies like ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX have to be choosier about their slate than ever before. Which means the days of those networks taking a chance on a comedy that has a lot of potential, but is just ‘pretty good’ out of the gate, are behind us.
3. Television trends ebb and flow
Television programming is like a pendulum - trends constantly swing back and forth. They always have and they always will. For example, the TV comedy was declared dead in the early 80s - then Cheers came along - which turned into one of the most popular series in history. I believe comedy programming will always come back. All it takes is ONE truly funny sitcom that resonates with audiences to change the direction of that pendulum.
4. What does this mean for comedy writers?
The good news for writers is that even though network television is having a tough time right now there are many other outlets beside the (former) Big Four to take your projects out to. So, keep doing what you do best. Keep creating truly funny stories that show off your fresh, unique voice. People will always want a good laugh. We NEED to laugh - so even though getting a show green lit might get more competitive… comedy will never die.
What do you think of CBS not picking up any new comedy projects? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!