It’s time to think about HBO as a destination for sitcoms
It’s the David Zaslav version of the gourmet cheeseburger. The Warner Bros Discovery CEO today has likened the current HBO weekly release drop as being reminiscent of NBC’s Must See TV in the 90-00s.
“We do it very similar to when I was at NBC with must-see TV, whether it’s Sunday night or Thursday night or Monday night, it becomes a cultural happening. … That’s part of a philosophy at this company of great storytelling with a shared experience.”
I get the analogy, even if likening HBO to broadcast network TV is completely counter to everything the HBO brand has been about since the 90s.
As an aside to non-US readers of the ABW newsletter, Must See TV was a promotional slogan used by NBC to promote its shows. It was first used by NBC 1993-2006 with a second run at it starting in 2017. Presumably Zaslav is talking about the first run of it.
Let’s take Zaslav’s line of thinking a bit further though and stick with the analogy. The reason why the analogy kind-of works is that NBC in the 90s and early 00s was the home to some really great, top-end TV dramas like ER, The West Wing, Law & Order, and Homicide: Life on The Street. I also want to bundle Freaks & Geeks in here.
But, if you properly look at the 90s-00s NBC drama output, it’s mostly a bunch of lower-tier, mid shows like Providence, Third Watch, Profiler, and SeaQuest DSV.
What NBC was actually really great at during the Must Watch TV era was sitcoms. Seinfeld, Friends, Newsradio, Wings, Frasier, Scrubs, and The Office are the big, obvious titles. But even the lower tier, mid sitcoms of the era were decent enough with shows like Veronica’s Closet, Just Shoot Me, The Naked Truth, Suddenly Susan, etc.
If David Zaslav is thinking about that weekly TV experience and wanting to get to NBC-level enthusiasm and success around programming, maybe it’s time to think about HBO as a destination for sitcoms.
(And when I’m using the phrase sitcom, please note that I am using it in the sense of a proper multi-cam comedy with a studio audience).
Through HBO’s development team, Max has had a critical and audience smash hit with The Pitt, which is broadly NBC’s ER constructed through a streaming-friendly, HBO mindset. And it fits in alongside those HBO dramas exceptionally well.
Why not see if the same can be applied to the sitcom form?
Load up streamer Max (which I am convinced will be rebranded as HBO within the next 18 months) and you will find sitcoms sitting there aligned already - Friends, The Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls, Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly. But, you’ll note that most of those are pretty average, not great shows (even if they are very watchable).
And it’s not like HBO haven’t had sitcoms before. Lucky Louie is probably the cleanest example.
It has had several sketch comedy shows filmed in front of audiences. And then there’s single camera comedies that are a staple of HBO.
There aren’t any great sitcoms around these days. As a format, the sitcom really died off in the early 00s as single camera comedies like The Office and Parks & Recreation were where the quality comedy writing went, leaving shows like Friends and Frasier to finish up their runs.
I’d love to see a funny new sitcom on TV once more. And HBO could be the place to make that happen if Zaslav is serious about wanting some of that Must See TV energy.
News Desk
RIP James Foley - he died at age 71 from brain cancer. While known more as a film director for movies like Glengarry Glen Ross, he also had an extensive TV filmography with shows like Billions, Twin Peaks, and the US House of Cards. Read: The Wrap
NBC has renewed Law & Order (for season 25) and Law & Order: SVU (for season 27) - neither are surprises, with viewership increasing for both on Peacock and each fairly economical. Law & Order is expected to see some reduction in cast salary (with actors given reduced episode counts). The two shows will have 1,096 episodes at the end of this season. Read: THR
Max will become more assertive around password sharing later this year. Read: Deadline
The second Grand Theft Auto VI trailer has blown past 475 million views since it debuted on Tuesday. If even a quarter of those views represent a sale… Read: THR
One of the priests in Rome for the Conclave was Father Robert Sirico, the older brother of The Sopranos actor Tony Sirico. Read: NY Post
Conclave webcam
This reference might be too niche. Is it even a joke?
Trailer Park
Stick debuts on Apple TV+ June 4.
In “Stick,” Owen Wilson stars as Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After the collapse of his marriage and getting fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store, Pryce hedges his bets, and future, entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom named Santi (Peter Dager). “Stick” is a heartfelt, feel-good comedy about a found family and their relationships set within the world of golf as it has never been shown before.
Adults debuts May 28 on Hulu (US) and Disney+ internationally.
FX's Adults is an ensemble comedy series about a group of twenty-somethings in New York trying to be good people, despite being neither "good" nor "people" yet. Samir, Billie, Paul Baker, Issa and Anton share their meals, anxieties and, occasionally, toothbrushes. Over the eight-episode season, the housemates tackle capital-R Responsibility to varying degrees of success.
Ginny & Georgia is back for season 3 June 5 on Netflix.
The Old Guard 2 debuts on Netflix (finally) July 2.
Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of immortal warriors are back, with a renewed sense of purpose in their mission to protect the world. With Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) still in exile after his betrayal, and Quynh (Veronica Ngô) out for revenge after escaping her underwater prison, Andy grapples with her newfound mortality as a mysterious threat emerges that could jeopardize everything she's worked towards for thousands of years. Andy, Nile (KiKi Layne), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli) and James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) enlist the help of Tuah (Henry Golding), an old friend who may provide the key to unlocking the mystery behind immortal existence. Directed by Victoria Mahoney, and also starring Uma Thurman, The Old Guard 2 is an emotional, adrenaline-pumping sequel, based on the world created by Greg Rucka and illustrator Leandro Fernandez.
Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie debuts in cinemas Sept 26.
The Survivors debuts on Netflix June 6.
15 years ago, the loss of three young people tore this sleepy seaside town apart. Now, the mysterious death of a young woman dredges up the past.
Kings of Jo’Burg debuts on Netflix June 13.
Barracuda Queens debuts on Netflix June 5.
That’s the newsletter for today.
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