sitcom success-ish
Sep. 22nd, 2010 02:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johncomic[mostly yoinked from a conversation I had with Sharon]:
One of the keys to sitcom success [in this case “success” = “we like it”] is that your hero must not be annoying. One of your main characters can be annoying, and many of the greatest and most popular characters in sitcoms are annoying, but it's usually clear that they aren't The Hero of the show.
In Corner Gas, Nancy Robertson was annoying but she wasn't The Hero, so that was fine. In Hiccups, she's annoying and she's The Hero, which is part of the reason why that show isn't working as well. Neil Patrick Harris is the most annoying character on How I Met Your Mother, but he's not The Hero even though he may be your hero. Regardless of who you like best on Big Bang Theory, Leonard is The Hero and Sheldon, The Annoying One, is not. The Annoying One is not The Hero. Mess with that formula at your peril.
Before you say Seinfeld, I must point out that, despite its long run, high ratings, and universal acclaim, Seinfeld does not meet our definition of success. [Sure it's a subjective system, so what!]
An aside: part of the miracle of Corner Gas is this: it actually had several Annoying Ones, and all of them were lovable too. Ponder that for awhile and you will realize how extremely rare an achievement that is.
One of the keys to sitcom success [in this case “success” = “we like it”] is that your hero must not be annoying. One of your main characters can be annoying, and many of the greatest and most popular characters in sitcoms are annoying, but it's usually clear that they aren't The Hero of the show.
In Corner Gas, Nancy Robertson was annoying but she wasn't The Hero, so that was fine. In Hiccups, she's annoying and she's The Hero, which is part of the reason why that show isn't working as well. Neil Patrick Harris is the most annoying character on How I Met Your Mother, but he's not The Hero even though he may be your hero. Regardless of who you like best on Big Bang Theory, Leonard is The Hero and Sheldon, The Annoying One, is not. The Annoying One is not The Hero. Mess with that formula at your peril.
Before you say Seinfeld, I must point out that, despite its long run, high ratings, and universal acclaim, Seinfeld does not meet our definition of success. [Sure it's a subjective system, so what!]
An aside: part of the miracle of Corner Gas is this: it actually had several Annoying Ones, and all of them were lovable too. Ponder that for awhile and you will realize how extremely rare an achievement that is.
