Sitcom Scorecard - November 30, 2020-January 7, 2021

Welcome back to the Sitcom Scorecard after several weeks with little to talk about over the holidays.  Since last fall's slow, abysmal start, four more sitcoms entered into the arena.  FOX utilized what they anticipated as Football Inflation (and was tackled by low interest) to usher in new entries Call Me Kat and The Great North, as well as the final season debut of Last Man Standing.  The results?  Call Me Kat demonstrated a modest, sturdy start, The Great North is questionable, and Last Man Standing perhaps resigned at the proper time after 9 great seasons.  Call Me Kat earned a Likely Renewal prediction as it matches what competitor Mom received, and has great potential to take 2nd and 3rd in its timeslot after Grey's Anatomy returns.  

NBC, giving the impression they are eyeing shuttering up Must-See-TV, used the 8pm block to showcase two episodes of new entry The Mayor, which performed in-line with tired former heavy hitters Superstore and Brooklyn 99.  Mr. Mayor so far is forecasted as a Likely Renewal on merit of NBC appears to have beat its curse of failed freshman comedies.  More performance will need to be leveraged especially as March onward can be brutal on scripted shows.  Next week  shall see more returning sitcoms as well as ABC unleashing Call Your Mother, and the reporting resumes as usual.

A stray thought: many sitcoms have the world "Call" in the title.  What is next?  "Your Call Girl?" "Call The Ratings Dead?"

The January debuts are exciting, as not only there is something to watch again.  But the 2020-21 television season will not match or create a record-low sitcom count.  With 20 sitcoms in circulation (and another 7 anticipated), the season will dodge the dismal 1972-73 television season which only featured 20 sitcoms (read about that HERE).  The 70's were known for being dismal and dull, with NBC in freefall and CBS' Tiffany standard began to tarnish despite holding the winning sitcoms.  Another period of time less favorable for sitcoms was the 2000's as Reality TV invaded like a weed.  2009-10 withered down to 23 entries, another low bar thankfully this season will clear.