American TV shuns comedy

NBC will have no new comedy series on its autumn schedule for the first time in almost 30 years.

And their decision not to risk seeking new hits is being echoed at other networks. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the five networks together plan to buy as few as five new half-hour comedies.

Instead, NBC will be relying on established hits next season, ordering a massive 30-episode run of The Office and 28 episodes of My Name Is Earl. A normal season would normally run to 22 episodes.

The network is also being cautious about comedy in the so-called ‘midseason’, where potential new shows can be tested. A remake of Channel 4’s The IT Crowd, is reportedly the only sitcom to be commissioned, where it will run for a modest six episodes.

But networks have been increasingly reluctant to pick up any sort of new comedy, because of the financial risks involved and the fear that the traditional dominance of the sitcom is dead.

However, Bill Lawrence, creator of Scrubs which has been given a seventh, and final, series by NBC, said: ‘I worry about this becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy with the networks thinking that the only thing to do is to put less and less comedies on the air. I hope other comedies get picked up and have a good shot.’

The American situation is in contrast to Britain, where the BBC and ITV are both investing heavily in trying to find more mainstream comedy hits.

>> New York Times opinion piece on the future of sitcoms

Published: 14 May 2007