For my final project, I would like to look into how low budget cable comedy shows are produced, and how they can come to be more critically acclaimed than their more expensive counterparts. This topic is not meant to prove that low budget shows are always better than well funded programs; it is more to explore how the successful programs have captured critical attention without hiring superstar actors or having highly elaborate production. The issues I will be looking at in this research have to do with creative practices, the American television system, and economic conditions in production. While I will be touching on all three of these themes, the argument will be narrowly focused on low budget cable comedy shows. Specifically, I will be looking into It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Louie, two shows on FX that have operated on very small budgets to create very unique and entertaining programs. These two shows have been able to operate without much input from the network, which has entrusted its creators with writing, directing, and acting in their own works. They started out producing the shows with very limited budgets and still produce relatively cheap episodes despite their widespread popularity and, perhaps most importantly, they have contributed to the change of the comedy genre on TV. The main questions I am trying to answer in this project is how these shows were produced in their earliest forms before they became known hits (i.e. when they were operating with the least budgets), how the creators of the programs managed to wield significant creative control over their work, and how these shows have innovated comedy on television. I believe that looking at these shows will illustrate possible paths for success for other types of shows as the comedy genre continues to develop.
It would be interesting if you looked at the difference in how FX handled both of those shows because Louis C.K is a well known comedian so I could see them giving him creative control. However, the creators of Always Sunny were completely unknown before the show.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really interesting topic. It would be really cool to see if shows which are successful on low budgets typically go about business in the same way. I think it would be really interesting if the creators used different methods in developing their popularity.
ReplyDeleteThis relates to my topic as well, money and profit are so important these days. If a small budget show is a huge success so much money is made. When looking back at shows over the summer, I think that more and more low-budget shows were coming out. You still see the big summer shows, but in smaller numbers. Maybe you could find the change in numbers, comparing low budget shows with high cost production shows. Very interesting!!!
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ReplyDeleteThis topic is very intriguing. Its interesting to see these low-budget shows become successful. I feel as though most people tend to only start to watch a show if it has a television star in it. It will be interesting to see "its always sunny in philadelphia's" career path too success.
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