Monday, June 4, 2012

Where have all the “Family Friendly” sitcoms gone?

Most of us watch T.V. and likewise have probably wondered from time to time, where have all the “family friendly” sitcoms gone? In an article from MSU.edu titled "Honey! I’m Home!" Sitcom Evolution Since the 1950’s, the author states “Sitcoms have evolved in response to lifestyle trends." Do our lifestyles trends show that the nuclear family and their social interactions no longer exists and therefore these situational comedies are no longer needed?

Shows like “The Big Bang Theory”, “The Office”, “30- Rock” and “Two and a Half Men” can’t really be compared to the more innocent and lighthearted show that could be watched by the entire family. In the past, we watched shows like “Who’s the Boss”, “The Wonder Years”, “The Cosby Show”, “Family Ties”, "Home Improvement”, “Roseanne”, and “Reba” that didn’t really embarrass you, or cause constant awkward explanations to your children, or to rest your figure on the Previous Channel button waiting for an inappropriate scene or comment. Is this new format the one we are stuck with simply based on lifestyle trends or will there ever be another “I Love Lucy?” 


2 comments:

  1. I could not agree more! We have three boys and trying to find something to watch that we all enjoy is nearly impossible! My husband and I are huge fans of the "Big Bang Theory" and although they have scientific terms for everything, it's still not appropriate for kids! We grew up with "Home Improvement" and "Boy Meets World", and the humor was funny enough that parents could enjoy it with material that was not only appropriate for kids but something they could learn from. I think that part of the problem is that there are now so many kid's channels, such as Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and more, so networks don't think they have to offer kid friendly programming at all. And sadly, so many parents are okay with their kids watching their TV is their rooms, while they watch what they want to in another room. The problem is really in what the family unit has dwindled down to, and networks know that.

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  2. Wonderfully stated! Though I am only 26 and many of those wholesome family shows I watch like "The Wonder Years", "The Brady Bunch" and "I Love Lucy" were before my time, they were great enough to keep showing years later. As a mom of three who does not watch television my children do not see anything other than Nick JR and animal planet. Between the excessive adult humor across just about every show, negative output of life and meaningless "reality" shows, finding something for the family to watch can be nearly impossible. If there is not already there should be a channel made that only runs the goodhearted, wholesome family shows our grandparents and parents watched before we were born, the shows we learned from that we are comfortable letting our children watch.

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