Today, it’s a guest blog from Bill Jacobs, who recently had the pleasure of experiencing some back problems:
If one good thing came out of a recent week writhing in pain and laying on my back, it was that I got to catch some pretty good television along the way. And I’m glad to report that there is, once again, hope for scripted comedy. This is on the heels of a nice comeback last year with scripted dramas such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost." Reality TV isn’t dead (though the "Martha Stewart" version of "The Apprentice" is getting thrashed and already had a time-slot shift), but scripted TV is clearly on the road back.
Two comedies that have had promising openings – and are very funny – are NBC’s "My Name Is Earl" and "Everybody Hates Chris" on UPN. With the demise of touchstone shows like "Friends," "Seinfeld," and "Everybody Loves Raymond" (OK, I never liked this one but many people obviously did), there’s a real void for good sitcoms on network TV. These two shows just might be the biggest breakouts of the new TV season. "Earl" was the top rated comedy in its first week, and "Chris" was the highest rated UPN comedy ever, besting the second-season debut of "Joey" on NBC.
Who knows if this is a "tide turning" moment where comedy makes a triumphant return, but these shows appear very promising. If you’re still running any television, you might want to shift a few dollars toward these two shows. And if you’re just a television viewer looking for some laughs (whether you’re in pain or not), you might be pleasantly surprised by what you see when you flip these shows on.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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