CBS’ The Millers and NBC’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are two of the latest fatalities in broadcast comedies, after one was canceled just as it started its second season, and the other moved to Netflix before it could make its NBC debut.

Broadcasters are turning their backs on comedies this season in large numbers, partly reflecting the television audience at large. As viewers invest more in hour-long dramas, networks are seeing a huge drop in ratings for new comedies - almost half of this season’s debuts have been canceled, with at least two left in contention. And even more are getting dropped before they see the light of day - NBC gave Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to Netflix and canceled Mission Control, both before they were able to premiere.

Some broadcast executives worry about their new comedies not catching on, with one going so far as to call it “a state of emergency.” Some attribute the lack of a new comedy hit since the 2009 debut of Modern Family to an “innate lack of urgency” that has worked wonders for its drama counterparts like Scandal and The Walking Dead. That lack of FOMO in comedy, according to one exec, is also hurting DVR and VOD numbers: “Viewers aren’t setting their DVRs or searching comedies out on VOD the way that they do for their drama counterparts, [so] you don’t see the same bump,” said Sam Armando of media buying firm SMGx.

So what does this mean for next season? Some networks are looking at a return to the multicamera format, proven to be both cost-effective and more favorable for syndication deals. Viewers will also most likely see more family comedies (like Black-ish and Modern Family) and fewer romantic comedies, which were among the first shows to get canned this year (Manhattan Love Story, Selfie).

Read more at The Hollywood Reporter.

Brief Take: Though the past few TV seasons have been good to hour-long dramas, comedies are seeing a chunk of their ratings fall away. Whether it’s because of format, flimsy star vehicles or just too much good TV to choose from, viewers don’t feel compelled to tune in. That’s something network development executives and producers need to change and quick.

[Image courtesy of CBS]

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