Put Away Those Balloons

I would love to see a revival of the sitcom, for both personal entertainment and job opportunities. However, I fear Nancy Franklin, in her review of My Name Is Earl and Everybody Hates Chris in this week's New Yorker, is a bit premature. She writes:

“Earl” is the most popular new comedy of the season, and “Chris” is seen as a potential crossover hit—meaning that it would be UPN’s first black-oriented show to draw a significant number of white viewers. Apparently, the sitcom, which had been strangled by the kudzulike growth of reality shows, has been reborn.

Trouble is, neither of these two "hits" are cracking the top 20. Compare this to 1984. In the previous year, there had been no sitcoms in the top ten, but soon, The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers and Golden Girls, among others, would be at or near the top. Now that's a real trend.

If there is a new trend, it's the hourlong drama edging out reality with Desperate Housewives, CSI and Lost ruling the roost. Meanwhile, the only sitcom regularly in the top twenty--but not the top ten--is Two And A Half Men.

When you got three or four sitcoms up in the ether, call me. Otherwise, it's just mindless trendmongering.