Sitcoms That Primetime Forgot
A Forgotten Sitcom Intro Mixtape
I’d like to talk to you about two related topics: Failures and introductions.
On Failure:
More so than in any other entertainment medium, television is about failure. Yes, there are plenty of legendary bombs in the worlds of film, music, theater, and video games; but failure is inherently baked into how television works. With limited hours in a schedule, networks have always had to cancel low performing shows to make room for new series. Even now in the streaming age of supposedly infinite content, it’s more likely that even a popular show will get the axe in three seasons or less.
On Introductions:
For as long as I’ve been cognizant of television, I’ve always loved a good opening credits sequence. It’s another thing that makes the medium unique, a show-before-the-show that sets the tone for what’s to come. Unfortunately, as networks try to fit in more commercials, episodes have gotten shorter, and the first thing to get cut is usually the opening sequence. Nowadays, we’re likely to get only a quick five second title card. Even on streaming, if a show has a full intro, they’ll still offer you the option to skip it. In this house, we never skip the intro.
This is all to say, please allow me to introduce you to Sitcoms That Primetime Forgot, my first large-scale found footage project in over three years. It’s a celebrat…well, that’s too strong a word…an acknowledgement of television’s also-rans.
Sitcoms That Primetime Forgot is two hours of some of the past 50 years’ most infamous, bizarre, and just plain stupid sitcom failures. It’s an alternate history of television where the most famous name is billed fourth, comedies about clergy are a good idea, and UPN is king.
So, join me on a tour of TV Land’s bad neighborhood on Sunday, October 13th, 5PM Pacific/8PM Eastern at twitch.tv/mrmichaeldarling. There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission…