Why no more first run syndicated sitcoms

[chris12]

I was wondering why we don't see anymore sitcoms produced for first run syndication anymore when in the 80s there seemed to be tons of them whether it be canceled primetime shows like Charles In Charge, It's A Living or totally new shows like Small Wonder and Out Of This World.

 

[Braves2005]

Perhaps because the lady with the GT Express would probably draw higher ratings now than they would showing good comedy shows.

The main reason is pure and simple. INFOMERCIALS, REALITY SHOWS AND TALK SHOWS!! And that is why you don't even see reruns of Charles In Charge, Out Of This World, Small Wonder, It's A Living in syndication anymore because they are too out of date for some reason or another.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Wouldn't another factor also be the birth of Fox, UPN, the WB, and the CW and the growth of first run shows on cable? First run syndicated dramas also pretty much ended because of the same reasons.

 

[Andy Coleman]

I can remember those shows during the 1980's . Small Wonder was my favorite. The local station here in Dothan,always had It's a living on Saturday and Mama's family on Sunday. Hee Haw was aired at 6 pm on Saaturday's. And after Twin Peaks on Saturday night at 10 you got Crazy Like AFOX and Riptide .Shows that was cool and fun to watch not anymore.

 

[jsu5381m]

Wasn't Mama's Family a first run syndicated sitcom?

 

[KML0224]

It spent time on NBC for a few years, as far as I can tell.

 

[azumanga]

Same thing with "Webster" -- after a few years on ABC, it had one more season in first-run syndication, along with the repeats of the ABC shows.

 

[mleach]

It spent time on NBC for a few years, as far as I can tell.

Mama's Family..only the first season was on NBC ( 1984-1985 ). The show went into syndication in 1986 and stayed that way until 1990 when the illness of Joe Hamilton forced the syndicated Mama's Family to end. Had Hamilton not been so sick I believe that show would have lasted a few more years since it was very popular right up to the end. Hamilton was dying of cancer during the last years years of the syndicated Mama and he died only a year after that show ended. In the bio "The Adventures of Miss Fireball (?)" that Vicki Lawrence had out in the late 90s she talks about this and Joe's condition while he was producing the syndicated Mama's Family and it was not pretty.

I have heard the story that really the only reason why Mama's Family ended its run on NBC was mainly due to the bitter divorce between Joe Hamilton and Carol Burnett which was the reason why Carol never did appear on the syndicated Mama's Family and I am pretty sure that divorce was the reason why Harvey Korman didn't do the syndicated show either since he and Carol were the best of firends.