As we approach the announcements of new fall schedules this May, we are reminded that viewers need guidance more than ever before. There is always the temptation to spread the wealth as the volume of programming increases. But there is a danger in damaging what is already working.
In 1982, TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT, a sitcom starring Ted Knight, was the #6 show in television, largely due to following the #4 show, THREE'S COMPANY on Tuesday nights at 9. The bawdy comedy had over 22 million viewers! Much like now, the network sitcom was struggling in 1982. A number of ABC sitcoms had either ended (BARNEY MILLER) or were unexpectedly cancelled (MORK & MINDY, TAXI, BOSOM BUDDIES) leaving Thursday nights wide open. It made a lot of sense that fall to move TOO CLOSE to Thursdays at 9 to anchor a night of new comedies. Its competition that fall was NBC's CHEERS, which was occasionally the lowest-rated show of the week. CHEERS was moved to 9:30 temporarily and went on for eleven seasons. TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT was cancelled by ABC in 1983 after three seasons. CBS's strong action series, MAGNUM, P.I. and SIMON & SIMON put an end to the ABC sitcom block very quickly. Matter of fact, ABC didn't have a hit Thursday series after this until GREY'S ANATOMY was moved there in 2006. TOO CLOSE did return a few years later in first-run syndication for three more years, ensuring enough episodes for syndication. Would it have thrived on ABC had it moved back to Tuesdays as the network did with LAVERNE & SHIRLEY in 1980? We'll never know.
It wasn't enough to move a hit show to help another night. As the CBS shows proved (and GREY'S), anticipating the successful genre of the day is more important when re-locating viewer favorites. In 1982, action shows were on the rise.
Another case study would be KING OF THE HILL, which in 1998, was the #15 show with over 16 million viewers. This animated comedy was launched on Sundays at 8:30 after THE SIMPSONS and was probably the most successful show ever to follow THE SIMPSONS. In 1998, you guessed it, KOTH was moved in its third season to Tuesdays at 8 to anchor a new comedy night for Fox. It failed against mega-hit HOME IMPROVEMENT and growing drama hit, JAG. However, KOTH returned to Sundays where it went on for a total of thirteen seasons and 259 episodes. Sometimes it's important to nurture a hit show instead of chasing new hits.
We are currently in an era where the 30-minute sitcom hit is a rare thing. YOUNG SHELDON has worked out well this season, and obviously BIG BANG THEORY has grown into a mega-hit that may be a dinosaur. Will we ever see a 12-season 24-episode-a-year comedy again? It's still difficult to "transplant" shows to nights where a network doesn't have a stranglehold on a comedy block. BLACK-ISH is no longer protected having moved to Tuesday nights from Wednesdays following MODERN FAMILY. And Fox scrambles with newer shows on Tuesdays and hopes that SIMPSONS and FAMILY GUY on Sundays will still bring viewers to something new like GHOSTED and LA TO VEGAS.
Finding series is still important in today's streaming age. Even if you are a loyal subscriber to a channel or service, there isn't always a clean map of what that programmer provides. As helpful as "if you like this, you may like this" suggestions are, there really isn't a master-list of everything a streaming provider offers.
And now, like on linear television, you may not have time to find a show in time to help its survival.
At least one streaming comedy series has had producers ask that fans make sure they binge a number of episodes as soon as possible so that the show gets another season. Those shows are in danger. It's looking like streaming isn't as ratings-proof as we had thought, which is a shame when it appeared like there was a haven for quality shows while they find their footing. Shows like the critically-praised ONE DAY AT A TIME need viewer support.
Counter-programming isn't enough when a programmer thinks a comedy might be the way to fight off a hit drama. At times, it may doom a show. Viewers don't always follow a favorite show (whether it be linear scheduling or in the streaming wilderness). The show needs to be in familiar territory and disassociated away from hits on the rise that could be counter-programming . It wasn't until MAGNUM and JAG were older hits that new comedies on other networks were able to challenge them. The 1982 comedy scare didn't get turned around until 1984. We see in recent years that revival shows like WILL & GRACE and ROSEANNE are not coincidentally placed on the nights for where they were best known. This is not only to help the show-- but to also boost that night.
In the streaming world, it may be increasingly important that comedies need to be paired with known hits for consumer awareness. For example, Netflix has FULLER HOUSE so they've made a four-camera sitcom work, and those fans need to become more aware of ONE DAY AT A TIME. Networks have long marketed their shows a block in advertising. Maybe it's time to have "high tides raise all ships."
