Topic: Sitcoms

Casting a Sitcom Is No Joke

Assembling a cast for a TV sitcom is like staffing a fast-growing company.READ»

NBC's Not-So-Subliminal Green Messages Revealed

Anyone who watches 30 Rock, The Office, Community, or any other number of NBC shows has probably figured out that the network is trying to slip positive messages about sustainability into its programming. And in fact, NBC Universal ...READ»

Who Ever Said Comedy Had To Be Fun?

For Rob Burnett, president and CEO of David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, comedy is serious business. But long hours and nagging self-doubt are the price you pay to make people laugh -- and to build a company that does distinctive work in an industry where distinctive work is in short supply. Just in time for May sweeps, here's an all-access look at the creative process.READ»

Phineas and Ferb Take the Boys' Market by Storm

"Phineas and Ferb" is the hippest, nerdiest, unlikeliest hit on TV -- and now Disney hopes it can be a SpongeBob-like cash cow.READ»

Laugh Synergy: 30 Rock's Best GE Jokes

When you're as big as GE, it's impossible not to be hurt in a downturn. But the company had good news on its 2008 highlight list too: the three-year-old Ecomagination division saw revenues rise 21% to $17 billion; investment in clean ...READ»

Atom.com Creates Campy Comedy Web Series

Explosive late-night comedy -- and a shot at TV.READ»

Why You Want the Complete Series DVD Box Set of The Larry Sanders Show

Before 30 Rock, The Office (Gervais or Carell), Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, or any other sitcom of the past 15 years that's actually been funny, there was The Larry Sanders Show. Garry Shandling's seminal ...READ»

Online "Will and Grace" Sell Apartments

Product placement in TV and movies has become common practice. The placement may be casual, as when a character drinks a diet Coke while bemoaning their lackluster sex life, or it may be blatant, as when an entire storyline revolves ...READ»

Can NBC Brand Itself as the Green Network?

Would you watch a TV network just because it is somehow "greener" than the others? NBC Universal is betting on it. The company claims that polls show that its reputation as a green network is recognized among 82% of ...READ»

Final Word

NBC Universal's Beth Comstock on the what-I-want-when-I-want-it viewer--and frickin' impatience.READ»

UPN: Unbelievably Paltry Newness

UPN, which I like to think of America's Sixth Favorite Network, announced its new fall schedule today, introducing three new series. Were any humans harmed in the production of these shows? None, I suspect, but the test audiences. ...READ»

CBS: CSI Balloons -- Sheesh!

So my colleague, Michael Prospero, seems to have gotten in on the act here with my fall TV preview obsession. That's fine. Hell has already been paid here at FC Now headquarters in, yes, New York, crime show capital of the world. ...READ»

Extreme Corporate Narrative Makeover: Why Your Company Needs a New Bedtime Story

You hear the word "narrative" a lot these days. That's because we're looking for personal relationships--dialogue, shared experience, a bedtime story. READ»

• Graham Button's blog Like it or Not
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Entrepreneurship: "Obama Girl" Aims To Win Hearts & Minds

According to The Hollywood Reporter (and who doesn't love a post that begins like that?), the creator of the viral-video site BarelyPolitical.com has accepted an offer for the purchase of his site by a bigger video startup. ...READ»

The Web's Best Branded Videos Sell and Entertain

The Web's best branded entertainment entertains -- even when the sell isn't subtle.READ»

Got God?

Thanks to Digg.com, I stumbled upon the new online sitcom God, Inc. Best described as The Office in heaven, the comedy revolves around the various departments that work for God, like Population Control and Miracles. The show brings ...READ»

Laughing Through the Recession? Yes, Plz

What's the state of the funny business? Despite what you might read, it's quite good.READ»

Lisa Kudrow Heals Boredom With Web Therapy

The actress puts herself on the couch to talk about her successful Web series and its impending leap to TV.READ»

A Field Guide to Boss Management

1. Old Yeller Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has been known to let out a full-throated growl. If you match a screamer decibel for decibel, you're toast. Zen calm trumps noise and will stop the shouting. 2. The Blowhard On the TV ...READ»

• Your Boss is a Monkey

Jack Donaghy vs. Kabletown: The Case for Innovation

The fictional battle between the 30 Rock character and a multimedia conglomerate gets Stuart Karten thinking about some real-world complacent companies.READ»

• Stuart Karten's Dear Stuart blog
• Browse blogs by other Expert Designers

Fast Feed: @TracyMorgan?

Twitter's good. It'd be great if Tracy Morgan, who already speaks in Tweets, joined. Twacy.org founder Hugh Dornbush wants to petition the 30 Rock star to do just that. He's also using the hilarious concept to virally promote his mobile celebrity stalking app, omgicu. Here's Hugh...READ»

Blackout Beginning for TBS: Could they have responded on the Web or via Mobile Devices?

Fans across the nation (especially Red Sox Nation), many whom had just sat through Turner Broadcasting System’s (TBS) pregame for Game 6 of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) American League Championship Series (ALCS), prepared for ...READ»

Felicia Day and The Guild's Path to Level 80 Digital Success

The Guild may not be on network television, but with millions of downloads and a third season starting, Felicia Day is proving that a geek community is better than broadcast.READ»