While I’ve written dozens of stories for Adweek’s site since last fall, I hadn’t yet written anything for the actual magazine — until today. I made my Adweek print debut in the best and biggest possible way: with a pair of cover stories tied to Thursday’s Two and a Half Men series finale.

In addition to my Jon Cryer Q&A, I also spoke with a dozen network presidents, comedy showrunners and sitcom stars for this deep dive into the not-so-funny state of broadcast comedy as two more long-running sitcoms prepare to say farewell. As I wrote,

With CBS’ How I Met Your Mother closing shop last year, Two and a Half Men wrapping this week, and Parks and Recreation—NBC’s top-rated sitcom in adults 18-49, airing its series finale on Feb. 24—broadcast comedy is in a state of transition. While formidable comedy blocks remain on Sunday night on Fox (The Simpsons, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy), Thursday on CBS (Big Bang, Mom, Men) and Wednesday on ABC (The Middle, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, Black-ish), sitcom ratings are down across the board, and this season is littered with failures: ABC’s Manhattan Love Story and Selfie, NBC’s A to Z and Bad Judge, Fox’s Mulaney, and CBS’ The McCarthys and The Millers (the latter last year’s top-rated sitcom in 18-49 but canceled this season after just four episodes).

The news seems grim, but no one is ready to pull the plug on network comedies:

Despite all the struggles, in conversations with network executives, showrunners, stars and media buyers, a surprising consensus emerges: There is still plenty of fight left in the sitcom. Comedy might not be the dominant broadcast force it was a decade ago, but it is still an essential part of the TV landscape and everyone remains optimistic that the next hit could happen as early as, well, this week.

This was such a fascinating and fun story to report and piece together, thanks to invaluable insights from network presidents like CBS’s Nina Tassler and Fox’s Dana Walden, comedy executive producers like Mike Schur (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation), Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project), Stephen Falk (You’re the Worst), Robert Garlock (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and Chris Miller (The Last Man on Earth) and sitcom stars like Cryer, Kaling and Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly).

Almost all of them arrived at the same conclusion: it’s only a matter of when, not if, the next hit sitcom is created.

Hollywood remains solidly confident that TV’s next great comedy is just around the corner. “Television’s a very cyclical business,” points out Walden, noting that when she started at 20th Century Fox Television in 1992, the powers that be had decided dramas were done. Then, the studio developed The X-Files for Fox and Steven Bochco created NYPD Blue for ABC, and they were suddenly hot again. “You can’t ever rule out a genre of storytelling,” says Walden. “There’s going to be another breakthrough comedy, and then we’re going to say, ‘Oh, comedy is back!'”

In addition to following the link and reading the whole story, make sure you pick up this week’s issue!

The Not-So-Funny State of TV Comedy

The post The Not-So-Funny State of TV Comedy appeared first on TV & Not TV.

(David Bloomer/SHOWTIME)

Comeback of the Year: Homeland

Just when I thought I was out, Claire Danes and showrunner Alex Gansa pulled me back in! After two frustrating seasons in which the show often seemed even more off the rails than Carrie Mathison without her meds, the drama returned to form in its second half by out 24-ing 24 itself (which Homeland‘s creators made their bones on). And most of the show’s missteps — hundreds of them! — will be forgiven if Sunday’s finale is anywhere as engaging as the last several episodes have been.

(Gilles Mingasson/ABC)

Gone Too Soon: Trophy Wife, Enlisted, The Bridge 

While some low-rated wonders like You’re the Worst and Hannibal eked out renewals, this trio of terrific shows proved to be better than audiences deserved. Viewers who have been decrying the death of the TV comedy obviously weren’t watching Trophy Wife and Enlisted (and shame on ABC and Fox for treating them so shoddily). As for The Bridge, I understand why John Landgraf canceled it, even as I mourn the fact that the show had finally found itself in Season 2. Meanwhile, upstart outlets desperate for eyeballs — I’m looking at you, Amazon, Hulu and Yahoo Screen — have no excuse for passing on these discarded gems as they search for avid viewers.

(ABC)

Scene of the Year: Viola Davis takes off her wig in How to Get Away With Murder

At times early in the ABC freshman drama’s run, it seemed as if producers had forgotten that it had cast the Oscar-nominated powerhouse as Annalise Keating. But they sure remembered in episode four, which closed as Davis removed her makeup, and then her wig, and faced her husband, stripped physically and emotionally bare. It was a stunning revelation, and one that I hope is only the first of many How to Get Away With Murder moments in which Davis leaves us breathless.

(ABC)

Most Welcome Revival: Twin Peaks

It’s happening, again! I’ve been disheartened by Hollywood’s efforts to turn every movie into a TV show next year, but one reboot announcement warmed my heart: Twin Peaks, which Showtime will resurrect in 2016 as a limited series. With David Lynch and Mark Frost returning to the fold for the entire run, and bringing back many of the original characters (Coop!), I’m already jonesing for some damn good coffee and a heavenly slice of cherry pie.

(Danny Feld/The CW)

Sweetest Surprise: Jane the Virgin

When I first heard the premise for Jane the Virgin, I thought I’d stumbled upon an Onion article. A virgin is artificially inseminated — by accident? Ugh, pass. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, the show has been a little slice of perfection each week. It still feels like it could all fall apart at any moment, but what a delightful ride it’s been.

(Erica Parise/FOX)

The Anti-Moonlighting: The Mindy Project

Most shows succumb to the Moonlighting curse and start spiraling when they finally pair up their big couple (cough, New Girl, cough, Suburgatory). But The Mindy Project, which had captivated me even as it churned through plot and supporting characters, finally found its footing this season as it turned Mindy Lahari (Mindy Kaling) and Danny Castellano (Chris Messina) into a committed couple. Their wacky, wonderful relationship has brought out the best in each other, and the show.

(Smarf)

Best Credits Sequence: Too Many Cooks

Please, as if this Adult Swim masterpiece had any real competition. I apologize for putting this into your head again, but…it takes a lot to make a stew!

(Disney XD)

Kids Show of the Year: Phineas and Ferb Star Wars 

I’ve been forced to watch a lot of nauseatingly awful kids shows over the past several years, which is why I keep steering my children back toward Phineas and Ferb, which is equally as entertaining for parents as small fry. But the always-inventive show outdid itself with last summer’s crossover, Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars, which paid homage to the original Star Wars with an ingeniously-crafted parallel story. Bring on Phineas and Ferb: Empire Strikes Back! Okay, greenlight it first, then bring it on!

(Patrick Harbron/FX)

Network of the Year: FX

This boils down to one question: if I were stranded on a deserted island, and could only bring along one network’s lineup of 2014 programs, which one would it be? Of course I would go for the network that airs four of my top 10 shows of the year (The Americans, Fargo, You’re the Worst and Louie), along with The Bridge (RIP), Archer, Justified (which had its first off-year – but like pizza, even bad Justified is pretty terrific), American Horror Story and The Strain. Hell, I even stuck with Sons of Anarchy to the bitter, bloody end as well. FX, you’re peerless.

(Diyah Pera /The CW)

Best Comic Book Series: The Flash

It grabbed me from its fully-formed pilot and hasn’t let go: The Flash is the perfect comic TV show. It’s joyous and bubbly instead of broody (enough moping around, everyone else! Lighten the hell up!), with vividly-drawn supporting characters and villains who pop. I hope the oodles of superhero shows in development for next season are all watching The Flash — and taking copious notes. Go go, Grant Gustin!

Come back on Friday, when I’ll bring my week-long look at the Best (and Worst) of 2014 to a close with something … a little different.

The post The TV VIPs of 2014 appeared first on TV & Not TV.

With the new TV season about to kick off, I looked at 16 returning second-year series, and predicted which ones will surge in Season 2, and which will slump. As I wrote at The Daily Beast,

A show’s second season is often its make-or-break year. After a season’s worth of growing pains and tweaking under its belt, will the series make the leap and fully realize its potential, as Scandal and New Girl gloriously did last year, or will it hit the dreaded sophomore slump and watch that initial promise implode, as was the case with Revenge, Up All Night, and Smash?

Maybe I’ll check back at the end of the season and how my predictions held up.

Sophomore TV Shows: Which Will Surge and Which Will Slump?

The post Sophomore TV Shows: Which Will Surge and Which Will Slump? appeared first on TV & Not TV.

Well, I’ve never done this before! Today, I did my first quick-turnaround piece for The Daily Beast, as I reacted to today’s Emmy nominations. I focused on the Good (House of Cards, Top of the Lake, Louis CK), the Sad (Tatiana Maslany, The Americans) and the Ugly (The Good Wife). As I wrote about The Good Wife’s snub,

The broadcast networks’ last great hope for Emmy drama recognition fell even further out of favor with voters, as it was unable to claw its way back into the Outstanding Drama category, where it was shut out last year as well. Adding insult to injury, Juilanna Margulies, who won Lead Actress just two years ago, wasn’t nominated either.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to do an Emmy reaction piece, and can only hope that The Americans and Tatiana Maslany make it onto next year’s ballot instead…

Emmy Nomination Surprises and Snubs: House of Cards, Orphan Black and More

The post Emmy Nomination Surprises and Snubs: ‘House of Cards,’ ‘Orphan Black’ and More appeared first on TV & Not TV.