21 sitcoms are new registered in the broadcast networks, indicating the genre is now niche viewing. The newly added "Broadcast Season Rank" column shows where the series ranks in the Season To Date report, showing only The Simpsons (a show inflated by NFL) is the only sitcom which cracked the top 20. And only an additional 5 entries cracked the top 50. There is still plenty of time and room for sitcoms on broadcast network's schedule, with CBS delivering the strongest products from their Monday night block, plus the tentpoles from Thursday night. ABC's lineup is in tatters with behind the scenes turmoil plaguing an aged Goldbergs, The Conners shedding ground with each passing season and only Abbott Elementary showing promise from the newer entries.
FOX still holds its modest yet solid Sunday animated entries, and shall try Call Me Kat and Pivoting next week. NBC is working on attempting to rebuild its brand after losing longstanding hits Superstore and Brooklyn 99. Out of their 5 entries, sophomore Young Rock stands out as solid, in 60th Place among the 145 shows for this data range. The remainder of shows have left a lot to be desired. Sophomore Mr. Mayor's December preview episodes only mustered 92nd Place, and rebounding freshman American Auto inched up to a 95th Place tie. Freshman Grand Crew disappointed in 98th Place despite being nestled next to ultra-strong This is Us, and sophomore Kenan sank to abysmal ratings on Monday evenings now in 106th.
Outside of Kenan and American Auto, NBC may have to discard 2-3 of these entries as there appears to be limited interest. NBC and CBS in recent seasons have placed great emphasis on updating their brands, impressive for CBS as they relied heavily on crass brands of Chuck Lorre for an eternity. NBC creatively holds quality shows of diverse interest, and even abandoned stubbornly trying to schedule them on Thursdays to recapture the Must-See-TV heyday from 1984-2006. And still, viewership is ultra-low, even for 2022 standards. Among the 4 underperformers, American Auto seems to have demonstrated some interest, bouncing up to 0.39 while lead-out Grand Crew dropped to 0.30 despite leading out to This Is Us' impressive 1.05. If NBC opts to spare one freshman comedy, it will likely be American Auto, leaving it "Leans Renewal" in this table.
Speaking of "Leans" classifications, The Goldbergs dropped to Leans Cancellation in wake of Jeff Garlin's scandalous exit. It seemed to be the death knell for the series, which lost its other leading male when George Segal passed in early 2021. However, the ratings continue strong, well above an ailing The Conners. Solid performances may earn an upgrade as the season continues on
