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Multicamera sitcoms hit a milestone last month when two freshmen, NBC’s Whitney and ABC’s Last Man Standing, were renewed for a second season. It marked the first time a freshman multicamera comedy on a broadcast network other than CBS has made it to Season 2 in five years, since ‘Til Death was awarded a second season on Fox in 2007. Overall, three freshman multicamera comedies, including CBS breakout 2 Broke Girls, went to a second the season, the most in a decade. But despite that major achievement, multicamera comedies lost ground as the single-camera/multicamera divide between CBS and the rest of the broadcast networks deepened this upfront.
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ABC, NBC and Fox ordered a combined 14 new comedy series this year, the same as last year, but the number of multicamera comedies dropped by more than half. Of the 14, 5 or 36% were multicamera last year. This time, the number has fallen to two, or 14% — ABC’s Malibu Country and NBC’s Guys With Kids. Fox will have no multicamera series on the air next season, while ABC and NBC will have two each, Malibu Country and Last Man Standing (ABC) and Whitney and Guys With Kids (NBC). In a sign of the hard time the multicamera format has had outside CBS, when ABC recently decided to re-pilot CBS’ Rebel Wilson comedy pilot Super Fun Night, it opted to convert it from multi- to single camera.
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It has been a similar rough sledding for single-camera comedy at CBS. After flirting with the idea of launching its first single-camera comedy series in four years, since the 2008 Worst Week, the eye network eventually passed on its Nick Stoller single-camera pilot, keeping its comedy lineup 100% multicamera. CBS enters next season with eight multicamera comedy series on the air, twice the other broadcast networks combined.
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I wonder what the numbers are for the number of multicamera comedies vs. single camera on cable?
Disney/Nickelodeon/Disney XD/USA/ABC Family, TV Land, etc. all have multicamera comedies. So overall is the trend growing or not?
i think you mean TBS, not USA. USA doesn’t play any multi-cam sitcoms.
Multi-cam comedies CRUSH single-cams in the ratings on the broadcast nets. CBS has got the biggest monsters in the game.
Except for Modern Family, I can’t think of a monster single-cam hit. New Girl is great and all, but it’s not How I Met Your Mother or 2 Broke Girls big.
I think single-cam is an inside baseball, LA thing. The heartland (me included) still wants laugh tracks. And the ratings prove it.
I could be wrong, please educate me.
The ratings prove that the masses want to watch whatever sitcoms CBS throws at then. If being a multi-cam was the key to success, why do multicams on the other networks go unwatched?
Because multi-cams on the other networks suck? CBS has had some bad multi-cam hits, but most of their hits have been among their better shows (RAYMOND, HIMYM, BIG BANG THEORY) and most of their worst multi-cams have failed (ROB, HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN, #%!$ MY DAD SAYS). The public may not have the greatest taste, but it doesn’t have the worst taste either, and I think if the other networks would come up with a really first-rate multi-cam, it would be a hit. At least they should come up with a first rate show and prove me wrong…
You are absolutely correct.
And CBS has the highest rated comedies….
It’s as simple as this. Start developing sitcoms that are actually good like Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Seinfeld. Maybe use video tape for shows instead of film which adds a more live studio audience feel to the show. I don’t know why they don’t video tape shows anymore. Fresh Prince, Boy Meets World, Hangin With Mr. Cooper, Blossom, Cosby Show, and A Different World are all examples of shows that used the video tape format which is more believable when they say it’s a live studio audience. It won’t give off a laugh track feel.
I hate facing the fact over and over that America needs to be told when to laugh. The ratings prove that, and it drives me crazy. There are a lot of single cam comedies that are smart, funny TV, and so few people watch them because they are too stupid to “get it”.
A studio audience is not there to tell you when to laugh, it’s there to tell the actors and writers if they’re funny and create the atmosphere of a theatre performance. People who don’t know that, ironically, are proving they’re less sophisticated than the mass audience they claim to despise.
It’s been several years since I last watched a multi-cam comedy. I doubt I ever will again either which is why I don’t watch CBS comedies. The laugh tracks are quite annoying & distract from the shows IMO. I’ll check out some of the new single cam comedies on the other nets next fall.
I’ve never understood the networks’ single-cam fetish. What is that shining single-cam example of a true hit (not just a critical darling, I’m talking Two And A Half Men hit) in the last 15 years before Modern Family? Malcom In The Middle maybe?
Execs are saying — still saying — over and over again in every development cycle — make me the next “Friends.”
Um, have you heard of The Office? What, not a hit? 7 Seasons going on 8? And being syndicated by more than three high profile networks?
Not to mention 30 Rock, Park’s and Recreation, and other hilarious single camera shows that found success with NBC’s Thursday night comedy line up, last fall.
Multi-camera is a fine method, but frankly has been over used to bring about trite, unoriginal comedy that although familiar, has been losing to single camera shows because of its boring and predictable nature, and frankly, lack of appeal to the younger demographics.
The single-camera is refreshing, smart, original, and really reaches out to the sense of humor of the younger audience members.