I've started to notice that a handful of TV shows these days don't measure up to what I want. It's not nostalgia, thinking yesterday's TV was better than the current. I want a show to settle into, just for the comfort and enjoyment of familiarity. I haven't tried out a ton of new shows, but the ones I have, haven't lived up to what I'm looking for.
For decades, sitcoms have been about a group of people just living life. It's got a basic premise and location. Today, show creators are more about having a catchy introduction to get you interested. The Good Place, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bless This Mess, and Last Man on Earth, You, Me and the Apocalypse all have a gripping premise. But the storyline that draws you in expires after the first couple of episodes. Even in Last Man on Earth, the first episode ends with a second person on earth. These shows would make a better movie. They are short stories, not novels.
They have a specific scenario. The advertising makes it seem like it'll be exploring how these characters will handle the situation. They do. The scenario ends in the first couple of episodes. To keep the viewer engaged, they build on the story, but it doesn't stay true to the original concept.
Whether past producers first came up with the cast and set them in a certain location or came up with the location first, that's how TV producers should create modern shows if they want to keep viewership, at least in my view.
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