WHY WASN'T BECKER MENTIONED IN CLASS?!

I just need to know that. A 3 hour discussion on sitcoms and no one even gave that show a mention. I guess this is the conundrum faced by anyone entering tertiary education as a middle aged student.

After talking about the paradigm of situation comedy last week, I started to think a little about one point in particular- the structure of sitcoms, and how it is adapted to commercial television in regards to advertisement breaks. Under normal circumstances, a half hour slot for a sitcom will allow for 2 commercial breaks, roughly 4-6 minutes each, and the template (for lack of a better phrase) used to shape each episode accounts for this, in the same way the 3 act structure is a defining form of narrative film.

This is the way it is. Because that’s the way that commercial television works. Without ads, we're without commercial television.

The point that I’m (slowly) making is that I don’t think I know a single person under the age of 30 who actually watches television anymore. Sure, they’ll turn it on if they’re home, and sure, they’ll leave it on if something they like is on- But less and less people are saying “oh shit I need to get home in time for Parks and Recreation!”*

The fact is that people are working longer hours. They’re getting married and starting families at an older age. In 2013 work is the centre of everyone’s universe, now more so than ever. And while most still have favourite TV shows, they don’t actually watch TV anymore, because they just don’t have the time. What they do have however, is unlimited broadband at a monthly cost of less than a case of beer. So rather than tuning in once a week to watch The Big Bang Theory, people are smashing through 24 weeks worth of illegally downloaded programs in 12 hours whilst powering through bottles of Gatorade on the couch on a hung-over Sunday- and they’re doing it all without commercial breaks.





Love it or hate it, when you think "sitcom", Seinfeld comes to mind



So if the “template” used for sitcoms and commercial television really is crafted to accommodate for commercial breaks, shouldn’t that structure eventually shift, given that our viewing habits are changing, and ultimately making commercial breaks redundant? Will commercial television eventually wind up feeling cinematic?

I’m curious about that last question. Because last week I watched The Shawshank Redemption with the director’s commentary, and I most certainly did not hear Frank Darabont say anything like “and at this scene, we thought the audience might need a break for a minute- maybe to piss, or grab a bevvy, or just to unwind from the film for a little, so we just threw in a 5 minute nonsensical scene…”

When you combine this with the fact that it is becoming increasingly common to watch TV shows on a laptop in bed and in the dark (This is starting to drag on a little so I’ll let you all draw the parallel between the cinema experience and the bed + laptop experience), surely there has to be at least some discussion in the industry that the structure of commercial TV shows is in need of serious reform.

Viewing habits are changing fast, and it’s almost as if everyone else has made the step forward, we’re all just waiting for the networks to catch up.

*You also never hear anyone say this because Parks and Recreation is about as enjoyable as Hep C.