Where did all the sitcoms go? | The Indicator

Streaming economics, not audience taste alone, helped hollow out the classic sitcom. Mike Schur argues that the old network model rewarded long-running, 22-episode comedies that could later make money in syndication, while streaming now favors shorter seasons that are easier to sell to subscribers but harder to amortize. Fewer episodes mean higher per-episode costs, and the old aftermarkets that once made sitcoms lucrative have weakened.

Schur also says sitcoms suffer from an international sales problem. Broad, serialized crime or drama formats travel more easily overseas than culturally specific comedy, so streamers have a built-in incentive to fund more police procedurals and fewer hangout comedies. On top of that, comedy often needs time to find its rhythm, but the streaming system pushes shows to prove themselves quickly.

The episode ends with Schur describing how he adapts. His new Peacock show, Dig, keeps some familiar workplace-comedy elements but adds a central mystery and cliffhangers so it can survive in a market that now measures completion rates and minutes watched. The result is a changed version of comedy, built for a different business model.