What's Considered a Successful Sitcom Run?

What makes a television sitcom truly successful you may wonder? Well, within the television industry there are many different factors believed necessary for a sitcom to be a victory, one of the biggest being luck.

By industry standards, a television sitcom isn’t considered successful until after it has run over 100 episodes. Considering that there are on average 22 episodes per season for a show, the show needs to run for four and a half seasons before it’s a success story.

Aside from luck, one of the most important factors that must be present to have a successful television sitcom is a strong, solid director. The director is responsible for the way that the program’s made. They hire the cast and crew, and make sure that filming is running on schedule. Without a strong director to keep everyone on track and ensure the quality of the show, it’s very hard to have a successful sitcom that’ll last the ages.

Additionally, a good story line is a must have for any show to become successful. There must be a story line that can hold the attention of the audience. There needs to be a back story that also runs through different episodes that keeps the audience engaged, and wondering what’ll happen on the next episode.

Along with the story-line there needs to be characters that the audience can relate and connect with. If the audience cannot connect with the characters on some level, then they’re less likely to watch the show. Throughout the series there needs to be continuous character growth and development that also enhances the show, as well as the character. How will a character handle things both on a physical level and on a mental level?

Having great characters is important, but having the right cast to portray those characters is just as important. If the wrong actor or actress is cast for the part, it can throw off the dynamics of the show and the chemistry between the characters. Chemistry occurs when you bring two characters together and they change in some fundamental way as a result of their relationship. Just as in real life, chemistry is vital between your characters.

As you can see, luck will only get you so far, and with the right combination of story-line, cast, characters, and a director to hold it all together, you can have a successful sitcom program that the viewers will love for many years to come.