TV comedy vet Michael Schur (“Parks and Recreation,” “The Good Place”) is worried about the state of the sitcom. As he prepares to launch his latest series, Peacock’s “Dig,” he’s concerned about the industry’s focus on “completion rates.”
\n\n“That’s part of this new kind of ‘tech bro’ ethos that has seeped into our business,” he told the audience at Variety’s annual Night in the Writers’ Room: Awards Season Edition. “It doesn’t matter how many people sample the show. It matters how many people end up watching the whole thing.”
\n\nBut in comedy, he pointed out, audiences often take time to bond with characters and understand what kind of people they are before they get in a groove and find them funny. Shows like “Cheers,” “Seinfeld” and “The Office” weren’t out-of-the-box hits; it took time for the writers and actors to find their show’s sweet spot — and gel as the megahits they became.
\n\n“I just wish that we were still in the world where you could fail in comedy for a while and because the failure is the R&D,” he said. “In the old system, you had a couple months to fail, and now you don’t. Because if people tune…
Original source: https://variety.com/v/tv/