In recent years, streaming and the creation of shorter seasons seems to have pushed sitcoms out. However, the sitcom may have finally found a Gen Z audience with shows like “Adults” and “I Love LA.”
Sitcoms have been a television staple since the twentieth century, made big with early classics such as “I Love Lucy.” It seems in more recent years, however, new sitcoms have not been able to hold their own next to classics such as “The Office,” “Friends,” and so on. In an interview with Fox News, “The Office” star Rainn Wilson said the show could not be made in today’s day and age because of the harsh political satire. This statement has been proven wrong, however, when you look at the success the politically incorrect, cynical sitcom “Adults” has found across the internet.
FX’s “Adults” is a comedy sitcom series about a friend group of twenty-somethings in New York trying to be good, functioning people, despite having little experience being people yet. The show is currently on its second season. According to Vogue, “Adults, like Friends and Girls before it, is a glorious celebration of those years when you still have no real responsibilities, the last chapter of freedom before you sign mortgage or marriage contracts and start filling your brain with thoughts about what garbage to put out on what day. And for us viewers who are firmly outside of the Gen-Z bracket, it’s a chance to relive those gloriously aimless days and remember who we used to be.”
Historically, sitcoms were at their peak in the 1980s and 1990s, with shows such as “M.A.S.H” and “Cheers” gaining over 105 million viewers and 93 million viewers respectively on their season finales according to sites such as Yardbraker and Statsignificant. In a time before streaming, cable television was king. People had to sit down at the same time at night once a week to watch their favorite sitcom. NBC called this “Must see TV” whilst ABC called it “TGIF”– a night where some of the best sitcoms of all time were put on back to back.
When asked by Statsignificant why people rewatch something, the number one answer was it being funny, with over 50.7% of people saying that as their first reason. It is easy to find yourself engrossed in a good sitcom because of this feeling of escapism comedy gives us. People need breaks from their hard, real lives and these shows are often the perfect 30-minute distraction. From “New Girl” to “Shameless,” there seems to be a sitcom for everybody.
