keep the audience laughing

given the lackluster ratings of comedies--only 2 in the top 20 season-to-date, it would appear the category is in decline. personally, the only primetime sitcoms i watch are 'my name is earl' and 'everybody hates chris'

however, an analysis of viewing trends reveals otherwise. people are watching sitcoms, just not necessarily the new sitcoms.

Not so. The average household is tuning in 4.84 hours worth of sitcoms each week this season, according to a report by ad buyers Magna Global. During the 1993-94 season, it was 3.78 hours.
Twelve seasons ago, more than half of that comedy viewing (56 percent) came in prime-time on the big broadcast networks. Startlingly, this year only 13 percent of this season's sitcom-watching fits that category.
Where are they going? Nick at Nite delivers a prime-time lineup with "Roseanne" and "The Cosby Show." TBS is all comedy, with "Seinfeld," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Friends" and "Sex and the City." Many of those same comedies are sold in syndication, often competing strongly with Jay Leno and David Letterman late at night.

the solution, as always, would be to make better shows