Welcome to a new Wildcard Wednesday! This week, I’m sharing results from last month’s survey, where I asked readers to vote on whether I should move into the 2010s on Sitcom Tuesdays, and if so, which shows I should cover. I want to thank everyone who participated. It’s always fun to get more intel about what you like. And now I have some answers in return!
The first thing I asked was the most important: “Where should Sitcom Tuesdays go after Community and Modern Family?” 53% of you said I should continue into the 2010s, 8% said I should stay in the 2000s longer, and 38% said I should go back to the 20th century. This was a key question, for I know most of my readership here prefers classic (pre-2000) sitcoms. So, the fact that a majority indeed thinks I should continue into the 2010s is instructive. However, it wasn’t an overwhelming majority who voted for that — barely over half. For that reason, I think a compromise is most ideal: while I am announcing that, yes, I will be moving on to sitcoms that premiered in the early 2010s, I will only be covering a few.
In addition to the already-confirmed Community and Modern Family (which, like Parks And Rec and Big Bang, are more from the 2010s than they are from the 2000s), I specifically sought opinions on 21 shows that premiered between 2009 and 2016. Participants were allowed to pick up to ten that they most wanted to see me cover. Now, because there were so many options, no title got over 50% of the vote. But a few came close. Here they are, in order of popularity.
- MOM (48%)
- VEEP (47%)
- SCHITT’S CREEK (47%)
- THE MIDDLE (45%)
- BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (37%)
- THE GOOD PLACE (37%)
- HOT IN CLEVELAND (35%)
- SUPERSTORE (32%)
- NEW GIRL (30%)
- UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT (28%)
- GRACE AND FRANKIE (28%)
- MIKE & MOLLY (27%)
- BLACK-ISH (27%)
- THE CARMICHAEL SHOW (22%)
- THE GOLDBERGS (20%)
- BROAD CITY (18%)
- FRESH OFF THE BOAT (18%)
- HAPPY ENDINGS (13%)
- RAISING HOPE (12%)
- COUGAR TOWN (8%)
- THE MINDY PROJECT (7%)
Also, several wrote in Silicon Valley, which I then regretted not including above. I wonder where it would have ranked. If you’re a fan and would like to see me discuss it here, let me know. In the meantime, let me also say that I may change my mind at any time and opt to publicly study — or not study — anything. I am merely using these results to inform my immediate goals.
But let’s dive in. Knowing that I don’t intend to be in the 2010s too long, my first instinct is to pass for now on everything on the bottom half of this list. (The only lower-ranking show you can expect to see here is The Carmichael Show, which I consider one of the best multi-cams of the 2010s decade. It’s prime Wildcard Wednesday fodder.) Additionally, I am going to further restrict myself by temporarily tabling the one show that premiered post-2015, The Good Place, and the one that technically isn’t American, Schitt’s Creek. Both were popular options, so I’m not excluding them definitively. Just for now. Similarly, I’m exempting Hot In Cleveland, which I don’t think is a must-include if I’m only covering a few. So, what does that leave? The following…
MOM (48%)
VEEP (47%)
THE MIDDLE (45%)
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE (37%)
SUPERSTORE (32%)
NEW GIRL (30%)
UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT (28%)
GRACE AND FRANKIE (28%)
Right now, I am planning on the top four. Next year, I will more formally consider Superstore, New Girl, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Grace And Frankie, along with some others. I’ll probably survey you all again for more directional guidance. But, for the time being, that means you have a headline — after the forthcoming Community and Modern Family, expect:
MOM
VEEP
THE MIDDLE
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE
And then maybe a few others?
Oh, and as for the rest of the survey, none of the write-in results were particularly interesting, M*A*S*H remains your most-requested sitcom. Maybe I’ll get to it one day. Also, there were many requests for shows I’ve already covered here in some form, along with a few heavily featured in my book. Those include: Happy Days, Petticoat Junction, I Love Lucy, Dobie Gillis, NewsRadio, The Danny Thomas Show, The Joey Bishop Show, Will & Grace, The Phil Silvers Show, Up All Night, Roseanne, Friends, That ’70s Show, The Bob Cummings Show, Ozzie & Harriet, and the original Goldbergs. I have no current plans to revisit any of those here on Sitcom Tuesdays.
Lastly, I asked participants to rank their favorite decades for sitcoms from best to worst. The results were: 1970s, 1990s, 1960s, 1980s, 2000s, 1950s, 2010s, and 2020s (so far). It was the same as last year, with one change: the 1980s was able to once again overtake the 2000s. Personally, I mostly agree, but I would have indeed ranked the transitional 2000s over the high-and-low 1980s, and while I too would leave the 2010s and 2020s at the bottom of the list for now, I look forward to cultivating even more of an appreciation upon formal study. Frankly, I imagine the 2010s could surpass the 1950s (and maybe even, for me, the 1980s). We’ll see…
But that’s the survey. Thanks again to everyone who participated! And stay tuned soon for the start of my look at Community, which will commence in March, following the completion of my rerun series on the 2000-2001 season. Are you enjoying it? I am!
Come back next week for another Wildcard! And stay tuned Tuesday for more sitcom fun!