fishwrangler t1_j8idrqq wrote on February 14, 2023 at 3:17 PM

Reply to comment by drunkwasabeherder in Why Is the ‘Night Court’ Revival Such a Massive Hit? by LynnK0919

The first season (two really) of the original was touch and go too. I just recently rewatched it with my daughter.

Finding the right costars to make that chemistry can take time. Markie Post didn’t join as a regular cast member until the 3rd season.

Give it some time.

FotographicFrenchFry t1_j8ityus wrote on February 14, 2023 at 5:04 PM

Ensemble shows always take time to get good. The first season is always going to be rough because ensemble shows rely on the friendships of the characters.

Production of the first season, the actors are (usually) meeting for the first time, or getting to know their characters relationships with the other characters. The actors themselves still need to get to know each other behind the scenes.

That's why second and third seasons are usually when ensemble shows (think the various Star Treks) start to hit their stride. The characters' chemistry on screen and their friendships finally start to mirror the real friendships made behind the scenes.

For example: Riker and Troi in TNG had all this established backstory and an implied previous relationship, but the first two seasons, it felt like they barely knew each other when they interacted. But as the time went, and friendships built, their on-screen chemistry matched an implied genuine friendship off-screen. Same thing with Picard and Dr. Crusher.

ascagnel____ t1_j8j2rsj wrote on February 14, 2023 at 6:00 PM

> Ensemble shows always take time to get good. The first season is always going to be rough because ensemble shows rely on the friendships of the characters.

Sitcoms in general need 10-15 episodes to "find" their characters. Smaller show orders often translate that to a full season today, which is one of the big reasons I think the format has waned.

FotographicFrenchFry t1_j8j4nkk wrote on February 14, 2023 at 6:12 PM

This is true. Longer show orders just also generally meant a longer time for the cast and crew to be around each other. When it takes 5 or 6 months to record 22-26 episodes instead of 2 and a half or 3 months to film 10-15 as you pointed out, it just limits the building of those relationships.

Going back to my Star Trek reference (because I'm an obsessive), the movies were always better when they had to use a smaller budget in more creative ways.

I think now that shows have become more expensive to produce, the money gets pooled up to pay actors instead of using them to extend episode orders.

Much of my POV in this is also coming from watching That 90s Show recently, which I thought had a decent first season. And much of what I've mentioned (at least in the case of this show) can be chalked up, in-universe, to the fact that it was Leah's first summer there. So much like the actors themselves, the character is just getting to know a lot of these other people for the first time.

I'm sure that Season 2, with an "extended" order of 16 episodes, is going to be even better, because the friendships were already starting to form. When we hit their "next summer", I guarantee that the show will take off even more.

ascagnel____ t1_j8jfr7m wrote on February 14, 2023 at 7:24 PM

"How I Met Your Father" is in the same state. HIMYM was a hit, but it's first handful of episodes are pretty uneven, although it hits stride a little early, with "Okay Awesome" (S01E05); HIMYF didn't really nail its characters until episode 8 or 9 of its first season (totally normal for a sitcom, but a near-death-knell for a 10-episde first season).