Network Comedy

"The English language cannot fully capture the depth and complexity of my thoughts, so I'm incorporating Emoji into my speech to better express myself. Winky-face." — Gina, "Brooklyn Nine Nine"

Last night the winner of the Golden Globe for TV's best comedy had its season finale. If you didn't know that award-winning show was "Brooklyn Nine Nine," or that the show wrapped up its season last night, in March, then you're probably not alone.

The state of network sitcoms is kinda bleak. There are those that love "The Big Bang Theory," which is why it's one of the highest rated shows on TV, but I'm not among them. And even if you do love that show, you have to admit that network comedies — once a staple of the weekly schedule — are scuffling.

There was a time when NBC gave up three to four nights a week for sitcoms. "Friends," "Frasier," and "Seinfeld" were all among the highest rated shows on TV. Now, aside from "The Big Bang Theory," it's impossible to find a sitcom that dominates in the ratings. Even the lauded "Modern Family" doesn't consistently win its time slot. And all this comes after two seasons when comedies have been ordered and thrown on the air in increasing numbers.

The problem is nothing has stuck. Even people who had enjoyed success in the past haven't been able to pull shows along. Michael J. Fox and Sean Hayes launched new comedies on NBC this fall. Both have already been cancelled. Robin Williams returned to TV in a sitcom from David E. Kelley. When it wasn't picked up during the mass renewals this month, conventional wisdom suggests the show will be one and done at the end of the season.

For my taste, the best network comedies are on FOX. "New Girl" was a diamond in the rough three seasons ago, and though it's been inconsistent this season, it's still shiny. "The Mindy Project" was the best new comedy last season, and "Brooklyn Nine Nine" was the best new comedy this season. Despite critical acclaim and awards, neither show has generated much in terms of ratings. The fact FOX renewed all three shows, though, gives us hope.

But it's beginning to look like network sitcoms might not rebound. NBC has had four comedies on Thursday nights for my whole life, yet with such limited ratings the network is looking at the possibility of blowing up the night. CBS expanded to two hours of comedies on Thursdays this season, and now they're giving that night over the NFL in the fall. And CBS is one of the few networks to enjoy any kind of decent comedy ratings.

Though "Modern Family" is a critical success that has a solid core of fans, ABC hasn't been able to enjoy any success with the comedies around it. And it failed to strike gold with similar family-centric comedies — notably "The Goldbergs" — that it launched this season.

With the announcement of new shows, pick ups, and fall schedules coming in May, it remains to be seen how many current sitcoms survive, and whether networks will keep throwing new ones out there. Either way, the audience doesn't seem that interested in finding them.