Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
This was posted on deadline and made me laugh (and sadly agree with most of what he says)
Have a confusing title Come up with an unwieldy title that perhaps comes from the realm of psychology, so that the title of your show is almost instantly forgettable. For example, if you were to call the show Welcome Matt, an audience could immediately understand the concept: this must be a character named Matt and he must either be a welcoming person or stepped on. If you call a show Arrested Development it's confusing and sufficiently disorientating to guarantee that a wide audience never discovers the fruits of your labor. Audiences love fast cars and exciting vehicles So see if you can put in some heavy machinery like a stair-car, that isn't easily associated with speed or sex appeal. Try to do too much for a 20-minute programme If in your particular medium an audience is used to a simple plotline or maybe one or two stories, see if you can get eight in there, and find a way that they somehow intertwine. Also, it's important that you have a lot of anxiety when they don't intertwine, sufficient to deprive yourself of sleep so that you are miserable during the production of the show – but then upon completion of the show, you're guaranteed to be miserable, because nobody will watch it. Add a sprinkle of incest They'll never admit it, but viewers love sex. In fact, they love any sort of titillation, with the exception of incest. So focus on that. First impressions are everything So if you can screw that up, you're made. With Arrested Development, we tried showing the deep disdain that connects a family. We wanted to hold up a mirror to American society. And, just as predicted, America looked away. Don't be afraid to give characters the same names Audiences tend to run from confusion. So a show, for instance, where one character is named George Michael, one character is named Michael, one character is named George and one character is named George Oscar (and perhaps another character is named Oscar), will be the kind of show you can almost guarantee people won't develop a fondness for. Make easy jokes about minority groups Whether they be Mexicans, Jews or homosexuals, any group can be dismissed with a few stereotypical cracks. At least, that's what we tried to do. And given their "lack of coming to the party", it seems we succeeded! Squander iconic guest stars As an example, Liza Minnelli has famously appealed to the homosexual audience. Note: it's very important to alienate the homosexual audience first, or they might "come to the party". Don't bother with a laughter track Audiences don't always know "when to laugh". By omitting a laugh track you can almost guarantee they'll never find out. Audiences like nicely dressed characters. They also enjoy nudity Split the difference by putting your character in a pair of cut-offs and call him a Never-Nude. Advanced: feel free to dip him in a vat of blue paint. That's a real turn-off. Make a show for British sensibilities And then show it in America. |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Very timely.
I love Arrested Development, but it's time to let it go already. |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Well he also just had another show cancelled.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by JTH182
(Post 10640652)
I love Arrested Development, but it's time to let it go already.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
If he only recently wrote this, then it comes off as a little pathetic. I mean, Arrested Development was a great show and it's a shame it was canceled, but since then he has had two other shows that were, in my opinion, deservedly canceled.
Sit Down, Shut Up was just awful; it got a little better toward the end, but that was just because the beginning episodes were so bad that they'd make anything that came later look good. Running Wilde was, likewise, pretty bad. I gave it a shot, but found it terribly unfunny. With Arrested Development I blame FOX and the viewers; with Sit Down, Shut Up and Running Wilde, which are conspicuously absent from his "guide," I blame him. |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
The second to last line is pretty telling. This dude's head seems pretty far up his own ass.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
According to the post at deadline the piece was published by the Guardian as a tie-in with the UK premiere of AD.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by Dragon Tattoo
(Post 10640681)
The second to last line is pretty telling. This dude's head seems pretty far up his own ass.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Why is everyone taking a humor piece seriously?
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by rfduncan
(Post 10640705)
I have to agree. That paired with saying a show needs a laugh track. What about 30 Rock, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Raising Hope, My Name is Earl... shall I continue? This is just garbage. Written years too late to jive with contemporary television's landscape if it ought to have been written at all.
That said, he has a point about laugh tracks. Outside of Modern Family, non-laugh track shows have pitiful overall viewership. Two and a Half Men - 14.5m Mike and Molly - 13m Big Bang Theory - 12.9m How I Met Your Mother - 9.5m ...According to Jim made it how many seasons? Modern Family - 13m The Middle - 8.8m The Office - 6.9m Raising Hope - 6.78m Parks and Recreation - 5.1m 30 Rock - 4.6m Community - 3.8m |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
The show lasted three seasons. That's more than most sitcoms.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
The cynicism is strong in this one.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by kstublen
(Post 10640677)
If he only recently wrote this, then it comes off as a little pathetic. I mean, Arrested Development was a great show and it's a shame it was canceled, but since then he has had two other shows that were, in my opinion, deservedly canceled.
Sit Down, Shut Up was just awful; it got a little better toward the end, but that was just because the beginning episodes were so bad that they'd make anything that came later look good. Running Wilde was, likewise, pretty bad. I gave it a shot, but found it terribly unfunny. With Arrested Development I blame FOX and the viewers; with Sit Down, Shut Up and Running Wilde, which are conspicuously absent from his "guide," I blame him. |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
I kind of liked Sit Down Shut Up after the initial rough batch of episodes :shrug:
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
/\ I grew to like it, too. If they ever put them on DVD, I would buy them.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by Drop
(Post 10640723)
Why is everyone taking a humor piece seriously?
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by rfduncan
(Post 10640705)
I have to agree. That paired with saying a show needs a laugh track. What about 30 Rock, The Office, Parks and Recreation, Raising Hope, My Name is Earl... shall I continue? This is just garbage. Written years too late to jive with contemporary television's landscape if it ought to have been written at all.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Which would be well and good, if the article was written when Arrested Development was canceled. But if it was written, as it seems, relatively recently, then the laugh track thing really holds no water since shows without laugh tracks are becoming the norm for non-CBS shows and haven't been canceled.
Not to mention FOX had Malcolm In The Middle, which didn't have a laugh track and lasted 7 seasons, and was on before and during Arrested Development's run. Titus was also on around the same time and didn't have a laugh track, but it was filmed in front of a live studio audience; it lasted 3 seasons and would have continued into a 4th had the producers not tried to interfere. Also, there was The Bernie Mac Show, which was on before and during Arrested Development's run, with no laugh track. I'm sure there were others as well. So yeah, not having a laugh track wasn't even a nail in the coffin back then either. |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by kstublen
(Post 10640677)
With Arrested Development I blame FOX and the viewers
Anyway, while AD is probably my favorite show of all time, I think an AD movie is a terrible idea. They managed to capture lightning in a bottle for the 2 1/2 seasons it was on (the "Mr. F" storyline notwithstanding) and I think the chance of them striking that same chemistry is slim at best. Just let the show live with the legacy it's earned, rather than risk tarnishing it with a sub-par movie. |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by kstublen
(Post 10641101)
Which would be well and good, if the article was written when Arrested Development was canceled. But if it was written, as it seems, relatively recently, then the laugh track thing really holds no water since shows without laugh tracks are becoming the norm for non-CBS shows and haven't been canceled.
Not to mention FOX had Malcolm In The Middle, which didn't have a laugh track and lasted 7 seasons, and was on before and during Arrested Development's run. Titus was also on around the same time and didn't have a laugh track, but it was filmed in front of a live studio audience; it lasted 3 seasons and would have continued into a 4th had the producers not tried to interfere. Also, there was The Bernie Mac Show, which was on before and during Arrested Development's run, with no laugh track. I'm sure there were others as well. So yeah, not having a laugh track wasn't even a nail in the coffin back then either. |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by arminius
(Post 10641175)
What happened there? I remember thinking the show was pretty good and then, poof, it was gone.
On a Sirius Radio Interview on Raw Dog 104, Christopher said the show got canceled due to an argument with executives.[citation needed] They wanted to split up Titus and Erin because the show Dharma & Greg had done similar. Upon Christopher's refusal, on-air promotion ceased and the show was soon canceled.[citation needed] Revival As of May 2010, Christopher Titus was reportedly in negotiations with the Fox network to start up a new series again, billed as a sequel of sorts to his first sitcom (and based on the comedy specials The 5th Annual End of the World Tour and Love is Evol). The series was confirmed to eventually be revived and will pick up eight years later with Titus divorced from Erin, Titus' father dead, and Titus dealing with his new normal girlfriend and her perfect family |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
This does come off without the explanation that it's part of marketing for the UK debut of AD like it is bitter and that it ignores his glaring failures. When it has been pointed out, however, that this is really just marketing, it loses all of that edge and comes off as mildly funny.
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Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Originally Posted by RichC2
(Post 10641195)
Cancellation
On a Sirius Radio Interview on Raw Dog 104, Christopher said the show got canceled due to an argument with executives.[citation needed] They wanted to split up Titus and Erin because the show Dharma & Greg had done similar. Upon Christopher's refusal, on-air promotion ceased and the show was soon canceled.[citation needed] Revival As of May 2010, Christopher Titus was reportedly in negotiations with the Fox network to start up a new series again, billed as a sequel of sorts to his first sitcom (and based on the comedy specials The 5th Annual End of the World Tour and Love is Evol). The series was confirmed to eventually be revived and will pick up eight years later with Titus divorced from Erin, Titus' father dead, and Titus dealing with his new normal girlfriend and her perfect family |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Make a show for British sensibilities And then show it in America. |
Re: Mitch Hurwitz's Guide To Getting A Sitcom Cancelled
Right, Mitch. American fans are obviously too stupid to get your absolute genius. Only the Brits understand real comedy. I so hate that mentality, and pretty much guarantees that I will not bother to watch anything he produces, since I'm not smart enough for the material.
By the way, I thought Arrested Development was horribly unfunny. And it had nothing to do with the title. |
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