One of the key questions that always seems to pop up in pretty much every discipline is whether the modern lives up to the classic.
A fun sitcom is always easy to pick up and can be a great way to wind down. But it’s been a debate as to whether there are any quality modern sitcoms, or if they’re all just fruitless attempts to match their predecessors.
Now for anybody who isn’t familiar as to what distinguishes a sitcom, it is defined as a series that takes place in a recurring setting, has an episodic structure (i.e. conflicts are resolved within an episode) and maintains a light-hearted tone. Another qualification for a sitcom is a laugh track – though this isn’t present in all sitcoms, any series with a laugh track is automatically considered a sitcom.
I am defining a modern sitcom as one that premiered in the last fifteen years. Therefore, more established sitcoms would include:
Whereas modern sitcoms would be:
My stance on this debate is that modern sitcoms can be just as good as the classics, but they aren’t given the chance to develop and be put on the same pedestal. Statistics show that the 1990s had a greater number of sitcoms (12.1%), with this gradually declining to 6.8% in the 2000s, 5% in 2010s and 1.7% in 2020s.
"...they’re no longer investing and only seeking to make profit."
This is because series are more likely to be cancelled due to the streaming era. Netflix, Disney, Apple TV – they all green lighted as many shows as possible to make their mark on the industry by attracting audiences with so much fresh content. But then Covid hit and filming became difficult and expensive during the pandemic, and these organisations couldn’t afford to invest in so many shows. Now post-pandemic, they’re no longer investing and only seeking to make profit. So, if a series isn’t immediately doing well, it gets dropped.
Abbott Elementary is a great example of a modern sitcom, and it is so brilliant because it is provided with proper investment. Audiences appreciate when characters can grow and the series can experiment and find its footing, because it makes it that more satisfying when it shifts from just another sitcom to somebody’s favourite.
"...can’t hold up to their high standards, deteriorate in quality, and eventually give a weak conclusion to the show..."
Additionally, this method of dropping shows when they’re not quickly indicating success and profit isn’t reliable. Majority of shows that start strongly can’t hold up to their high standards, deteriorate in quality, and eventually give a weak conclusion to the show (I’m talking about you Stranger Things!).
Overall, my take is that the industry should go back to allowing flops and flaws – it’s unrealistic to expect new media to be instantly amazing and if we keep dropping all the potential we have, we’ll be left with no contemporary television.