ARTICLE: Sitcoms maneuver/change to find audiences

[Frank W. Baker]

excerpt from The Wall Street Journal:  

"For new TV shows in a crowded race to build an audience, sitcoms have a unique handicap: many of them need time to find their stride. For producers, a comedy''s first season is a public trial-and-error process of finding rhythm and chemistry in the cast, while adding nuance to the overly broad characters they often deploy to help viewers get their bearings in early episodes. There is as much pressure as ever to deliver ratings, and quickly."