Time Is Not On Your Side, Sitcom
I was driving yesterday and listening to this radio countdown of top songs from 1986. As part of some 80’s trivia the DJ was talking about new shows that aired this week in 1986. I can’t really remember which ones she mentioned, except the Oprah Winfrey Show, which surprised me a little, cause, wow, 20 years, huh? I had no idea.
Anyway, that’s not the point. She went on to say the reason we remember so many of the shows she listed is that they were actually on the air for a while. Meaning even if they weren’t too good, they lasted a bit, unlike today where shows air for a couple of eps and then get yanked if they aren’t doing well.
The DJ went on to say that both Cheers and Seinfeld were last in ratings after their first year. A whole year and still they were saved from the axe. Thankfully, cause what would we have lost out on if they have been cancelled? Cheers was on the air for eleven years and Seinfeld for nine. Plus, of course, many years of repeats.
All this makes me wonder why it was that way back then, as opposed to the way it is now. I mean, face it, 20+ years ago we had like 3 stations competing for the top rating, now there’s literally hundreds of stations you can watch, all pulling for your attention. It seems like shows should get more time to prove themselves against so much competition now. But maybe it’s all about time being money and they don’t want to waste their time with a show that doesn’t immediately grab people’s attention, thereby making them money.
Possibly, people were more patient back in the day. We seem to have such short attention spans nowadays, it’s like we’re all ADD.
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