Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Peacock shows its colors

I love how NBC’s new streaming service, Peacock, plans to launch today with a focus on COMEDY. 

 

When you consider that the highest rated streaming shows are FRIENDS and THE OFFICE, and other top performers are KING OF QUEENS and TWO AND A HALF MEN, if you have a lot of comedy in your library why not take advantage? 

 

And NBC does.

 

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, PARKS & REC, 30 ROCK, CHEERS, SAVED BY THE BELL, COMMUNITY, THE BIG BANG THEORY, SHAMELESS, SCHITT’S CREEK, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, SUPERSTORE, KIMMY SCHMIDT, BOJACK HORSEMAN, WILL & GRACE, MOM, BROAD CITY, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, SEINFELD, THE GOLDBERGS, MODERN FAMILY. 

 

Using those as anchors, the network is also commissioning new comedies including projects from Tina Fey and Mike Schur. 

 

Comedy works. 

 

Especially now in a pandemic.   I bet for all the shows offered on HBO Max, their best performer is FRIENDS.   As excellent as series like THE HANDMAID’S TALE are, you can’t build a brand around them. 

 

APPLE + launched with glossy new shows with big names attached.   And for all that high visibility the reaction has been meh.   None of their shows really took off.  

 

And more people are going to watch Steve Carell on THE OFFICE on Peacock than THE MORNING SHOW on Apple. 

 

Comedy works. 

 

Netflix just canceled a bunch of original shows.  I’m hearing no buzz from anybody.  They also lost the rights to CHEERS on July 1st.   I’m hearing an outcry over that – even though you can still find CHEERS on Hulu, CBS All-Access, and I understand Peacock will offer it too.

 

The bottom line:  There has always been and still remains a healthy appetite for comedy.   On the one hand I applaud Peacock for recognizing that; on the other – doesn’t it just seem obvious? 

 

Good luck with today’s launch. 

 

22 comments :

Michael said...

Even if I wanted to try out PEACOCK or HBO MAX, I can't because the only way I can watch streaming services on my TV is via my Roku, which hasn't come to agreement with either of them. Not excited enough about either to go out and buy something like Apple TV. It will be interesting how long the battle between Roku and them will last and which side will give in to the other's demands.

Baylink said...

And Michael confirms a point I've had in my head for some years: Roku, and, to some extent, any TV manufacturer with their own tuner platform, *is a cable company*, with all the disadvantages of traditional cable, and none of the advantages: you can't videotape things. At all.

The MythTV DVR people were yelling about that for 15 years, among other people, and nobody listened. Everybody remember the "Analog Hole"?

Joseph Scarbrough said...

BROOKLYN 99, PARKS & RECREATIONS, 30 ROCK, COMMUNITY, and UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT are comedies?

SHAMELESS is practically porn.

bmfc1 said...

I think that people are more likely to try a show that's a half-hour than an hour. Peacock added 3 original shows today and while none are supposed to be very good I am more likely to test the half-hour show with David Schwimmer than the two hour-long dramas. When the 3rd season of AP Bio premiers on Peacock instead of NBC in September I bet that it finds a new audience as it's 30 minutes.

VP81955 said...

"Mom" now on Peacock, too (in addition to several Chuck Lorre stablemates)? It's already on FXX, CMT, Paramount Network, Nick at Nite and local syndication. You can't escape Christy, Bonnie and their AA pals.

Steve B. said...

Unfortunately Ken, many of those shows you mentioned, like Mom, Seinfeld, Bojack, etc. are NOT on Peacock. In fact, Seinfeld just signed a major deal to stream on Netflix exclusively starting in 2021.

Elf said...

For those lamenting the lack of apps on Roku, etc., it's not hard to run an HDMI cable from a laptop or phone to a TV. Most laptops have HDMI ports already and I can get a USB-C to HDMI adapter for my Galaxy Note 9 for $14 on Amazon. Make sure to get the type with a female HDMI port so you can use your own HDMI cable of any length to reach the TV.

Cowboy Surfer said...

Get me BJ AND THE BEAR and I sprint to the Peacock...

Elf said...

@VP81955 I don't see "Mom" on Peacock. I do see other Lorre shows such as 2.5 Men and King of Queens though.

Eric said...

Comedy works...when done right. Too bad you never figured out that second part.

Jahn Ghalt said...

I'm thankful for Hulu - that CHEERS and FRAISER is available there.

Inspired by a reference to one of the better Mad Men episodes, I found last night that Netflix dropped or "lost" MAD MEN. Prime has it - for a fee - good thing that I've got all seven seasons on one of more disks.

Not conventionally funny - it has plenty of irony in the actual ironic sense (not as a misuse to mean "notable" or "remarkable") - thus worth a laugh now and again.

John said...

Hey Ken, quick question. (You may have answered this before and I missed it.) I wonder if you're still making any residuals from Cheers, and will those increase now that it's streaming on Peacock?

blinky said...

Apple TV+ is so mediocre because of the residual effect from Steve Job's "I know what you want better than you do" philosophy. That worked when they were inventing computers and phones, but it sucks when doing pure creative work like comedy. I bet they are way worse than the suits at the networks.

Marv said...

Trouble with Peacock is its impossible to navigate. One of the worst interfaces I’ve seen. I press channels and all I get are sports. I’m not a sports guy. Id like to find the comedy shows but search only work if you know what you’re searching for. They’ve got to make these things more intuitive.

Dana Gabbard said...

The current season of Mom is also on CBS All Access. Probably the sharpest written and at times surprisingly heartfelt show on the legacy networks.

Kendall Rivers said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kendall Rivers said...

Yes, comedy works. Especially escapist comedies that don't depress you and have nothing to do with any agenda or current disaster going on which is why nostalgic stations that carry oldies but goodies like METV thrive as well at times we need to laugh most. I know it's not Friday but FQ: What i think was so great about both Cheers and Frasier is how diverse they are in humor and in characters. Both shows had sophisticated intellectuals and working class regular joes and justdownright quirky characters. Mixing those types of humor and still being accessible to everyone is something i haven't seen since. Do you think a sitcom especially on network will ever be as smart and diverse as those two?

Anonymous said...

I think NBC and you have the right idea about how people need to get away from things rather than dark brooding things served to them, as well as admonishing, disapproving messages from hypocritical millionaires.

But--what we are seeing is exactly why the smart people are sticking with home video. The streaming services are like preschoolers saying "That's my series!" That's my movie!" and grabbing them right and left, or removing them completely.

A post from "blinky" above said it right -- "Give the people what WE want." But it wasn't just Steve Jobs.

Unknown said...

" still remains a healthy appetite for comedy. " Except when it comes to Oscars. When was the last time a comedy won best picture?

Scottmc said...

I just watched the Becker episode titled ‘The Usual Suspects’. I noticed that you wrote and directed the episode. It’s rare to see a ‘written and directed’ credit on a situation comedy. It was a great episode. I enjoyed the ‘Wings’ reference. But there was one moment that made me laugh out loud because it caught me by surprise. A cliche in situation comedies is when there are two people in a scene; one person goes into a brief monologue and then the camera cuts to the second person’s reaction. Sometimes the second character suddenly is gone, or falls asleep. But the bit in the diner when Becker complains about the person at the next table was an example of great writing and directing. I never would have guessed it was an infant. Perfect.

RJ said...

I also like the late night shows. Great to see Carson along with Fallon and Myers. There's probably rights issues, but it'd be great to get early Letterman and Conan.

LauraM said...

Could not agree more Ken - I'm in Australia where Netflix has just lost the rights to Full House, which was giving me much 90's family-friendly comedic relief during a difficult year. I regularly tune in to Cheers, King of Queens, Raymond, The Goldbergs, Mike & Molly, even The Brady Bunch via our cable service for this same reason: now more than ever we are craving comedy and nostalgia, and these shows all offer it. I'm so sick of Handmaid's Tale and all of these depressing, dystopian shows that only make me feel worse.