ABC has a sitcom problem. It could just be a coincidence, but three out of the four new comedies the network had planned to introduce at the outset of the fall season have hit some sort of snag.
As a result, none of the three premiered at all. (The fourth comedy was “Help Me Help You,” starring Ted Danson, which did premiere Sept. 26.) The shows are “The Knights of Prosperity,” the one produced by David Letterman’s company and formerly titled “Let’s Rob . . .
Mick Jagger”; “Big Day,” about a young couple’s wedding day; and “Notes from the Underbelly,” about a young married couple about to have their first child.
ABC is giving various reasons for delaying them, including scheduling and promotion difficulties.
Before the season started, the one-hour “Ugly Betty” was moved to the 8-9 p.m. Thursday hour where “Big Day” and “Notes” were formerly scheduled, leaving the two comedies out in the cold.
As for “Knights,” ABC said it is delaying its debut until early next year so it can better focus its promotion efforts in support of the show.
These reasons sound legitimate enough, but there could be another reason behind ABC’s decision. And that is: All three shows are pretty lousy, and they would have stuck out like sore thumbs amidst the better-thanaverage dramas ABC was also introducing.
When I first viewed a tape of the “Big Day” pilot last summer, I wrote in my notes that it was the worst show I had seen so far of all the new network shows.
“Inspired” by the real-time approach pioneered by “24,” this sitcom tells the story of this couple’s wedding day one half-hour at a time.
The gimmick can’t mask the fact that the show is an all-tootypical insult comedy whose characters are more loathsome than lovable. “Big Day” is tentatively scheduled to premiere Nov. 28.
Speaking of notes, my notes last summer for “Notes from the Underbelly” included this statement:
“This is terrible – please cancel this.” Another “comedy” which relies heavily on nasty insults, “Notes” has been given no premiere date yet.
The pilot for “Knights” was actually one of the best of all the new shows, thanks in part to Jagger, who filmed scenes for the episode, but has not agreed yet to participate in subsequent episodes.
That could be why the second episode of ‘”Knights,” which was also provided to critics, seemed so inferior to the first. It was like they were two different TV shows.
Maybe the delay in the three shows’ premieres will enable their producers to improve them.
My advice: Don’t hold your breath.