Two oddball comedies are back on TV after a long hiatus. Do they still work?
Two new comedies are coming back to tv this summer, but what’s the deal with the return of the pair who have come to define the “comedy brand”?
First, there is the big news. The comedy revival at AMC is not just one of the biggest programs on TV, it is the biggest program for the network. AMC has done something no other network has ever done, not even the CW. The network added a third comedy-drama, The Walking Dead, but it will have a difficult time competing with AMC’s comedy lineup or the return of Breaking Bad. Instead, Breaking Bad returns to the number one position with a ratings lead, and The Walking Dead’s ratings will also be at issue.
The news comes via Variety, which has learned that both shows will be rebroadcast for the first time in three years. The season premiere of the Walking Dead is currently being screened on AMC, but the season premiere of The Crazy Ones is being shown in August.
Both of the new series are now at their first season. The Walking Dead’s season premiere came last year, the Crazy Ones’ season premiere came in 2011.
In both cases, the news is not just good. It’s historic. This is, at long last, the first time that two new series are coming to television at the same time. But the key difference is that the new series did not come from the same producers. The two shows each belong to different production companies; the new series to AMC, the new series to AMC/Touchstone Television.
And yet, they both share the same showrunner. The Crazy Ones, with Ryan Murphy, are now a pair in the same program from the same company. The Walking Dead will have the same crew again on their new show in the fall.
There is a third difference, however. The Walking