Friday, July 14, 2017
Fri-Yay: Single Camera vs Multi-Camera; TNT's Claws Gets Second Season
by Vincent
In last week's column, I highlighted the resurgence of the multi-camera sitcom, spearheaded by several excellent shows such as The Carmichael Show, One Day at a Time and Mom. This week, I'll be using those shows to get into the long-lasting debate between sitcom fans: which is superior, multi-camera sitcoms with a laugh track or single-camera sitcoms shot "movie-style" such as The Office, Modern Family and Parks and Recreation?
Truthfully, each form has its strengths and weaknesses. At its very best, both form has produced some of the greatest television of all-time - from Cheers or The Mary Tyler Moore Show for multi-camera sitcoms to 30 Rock and Arrested Development for single-camera sitcoms, and those are just a few of the many excellent examples of each form. Multi-camera sitcoms gained a reputation for being sillier and more lightweight, but although that's true of many more recent multi-camera sitcoms such as Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, the form at its best can be starkly serious - it's hard to top the level of gut-punch when the audience laughter went silent on a show such as All in the Family or Roseanne. And while single-camera sitcoms gained a reputation for being more "niche" and "sophisticated," they can be just as silly and playful as the multi-camera sitcom, as shows like Modern Family and New Girl can attest. Additionally, it's somewhat unfair to blame multi-camera sitcoms for having "cues to laugh," making them somehow less intelligent - after all, isn't the bouncy score of a show like 30 Rock or the "stare at the camera" cues of The Office just as much of a joke signal as audience laughter?
So, truthfully? There's not one kind of sitcom that truly stands out as superior, and the "multi-camera vs. single camera debate" strikes me as somewhat silly. While single-camera went through a long period of reigning as where a viewer could generally find the best comedy on television, multi-camera sitcoms are making a great comeback - and, of course, the shows that started the very genre of "sitcom" are multi-camera. So the moral of the story is: don't worry about whether or not there's audience laughter in your sitcoms or not. Just worry about whether or not it's funny.
Turner's TNT has renewed its new original drama series Claws for a second season. From Warner Horizon Scripted Television, Claws follows the rise of five diverse and treacherous manicurists working at the Nail Artisan of Manatee County, where a lot more is going on besides silk wraps and pedicures. The series stars Niecy Nash, Carrie Preston, Judy Reyes, Karrueche Tran, Jenn Lyon, Jack Kesy, Kevin Rankin, Jason Antoon with Harold Perrineau and Dean Norris. New episodes of Claws premiere across TNT platforms Sundays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), with the season finale set for Aug. 13. The second season is slated to launch in 2018.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight
Monday, January 18
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Motorycycle" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Malcolm surprises Calvin and Tina when he brings home a new motorcycle, while Dave and Gemma aim to rev up their social life with a spontaneous trip to Las Vegas.
Bob Hearts Abishola - "The Wrong Adebambo" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Abishola’s husband, Tayo (Dayo Ade) makes a surprise visit from Nigeria to Detroit, Bob sees this as a perfect opportunity for Abishola to ask for a divorce, but Abishola is surprised when past feelings for her husband come up.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 18)
Monday, January 18
- James Spader (The Office) - Watch James on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Anthony Atamanuik (The President Show) - Anthony appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show/Newhart/Bob) - Bob is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
- Max Greenfield (The Neighborhood/New Girl/Modern Men) - Max talks about The Neighborhood on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
- Meagan Good (Mr. Robinson/Raising Dad/Cousin Skeeter) and Meagan Holder (Born Again Virgin) - Meagan and Meagan talk about If Not, When? on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
- Kristen Bell (The Good Place) - Kristen will be on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Ali Wentworth (Nightcap) - Ali has some advice for a mother-daughter duo, just like in her podcast, Go Ask Ali on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
New on DVD/Blu-ray (September-January)
09/01 - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - Season 14
09/01 - What We Do in the Shadows - The Complete Second Season
09/01 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray)
09/15 - Mom - The Complete Seventh Season
09/15 - South Side - Season 1
09/22 - Brockmire - The Complete Second Season
09/22 - Brockmire - The Complete Third Season
09/22 - Brockmire - The Complete Fourth Season
09/22 - Man with a Plan - Season Three
09/29 - The Bob Newhart Show - The Complete Series (2020 Release)
10/13 - The Jetsons - The Complete Series (Diamond Collection)
10/13 - Our Cartoon President - Season Two
10/23 - Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em - The Complete Collection
10/27 - The Flintstones - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
10/27 - Head of the Class - The Complete Second Season (WBShop.com)
11/10 - Letterkenny - Seasons 5 & 6
11/10 - The Office - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/10 - Schitt's Creek - The Complete Collection
11/17 - Carol's Second Act - The Complete Series
11/17 - Robbie - Season 1
11/24 - Corporate - Season 1
11/26 - Man with a Plan - Season Four
12/01 - The Neighborhood - Season Two
12/15 - Avenue 5 - The Complete First Season
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