Michael J. Weithorn on The Evolution of TV Comedy, Possible All in the Family Reboot [Exclusive Interview]

It seems a lot of the shows that make us nostalgic for a different time are getting a reboot. We live now in a different era of television, and the way we watch has changed the type of content that’s being produced.

I spoke with Michael J. Weithorn, creator of The King of Queens and the recently canceled comedy, Weird Loners, and asked him to share his thoughts on the way comedy has evolved. Weithorn has been in the business for years, having also produced and written for shows including Family Ties and Cheers.

Weithorn specifically compared the style of current sitcoms to that of All in the Family, which originally aired in 1971. He also spoke of possible plans for a reboot of the classic sitcom, stating that he’s been in early conversations with Sony, who owns the rights to all of Norman Lear’s shows.

“They’ve been talking about doing a reboot of All in the Family, probably for Netflix. I’ve been talking to them about that, and one of the questions I’ve been asking myself – if you think about it, All in the Family was, by design, not just a multi-camera sitcom, but really a very different style than exists today. Multi-cams today have a lot of sets and a lot of scenes. Sometimes they do exteriors. Whereas, All in the Family was like, every week was a play. It was essentially one set with very long scenes, and very dialogue driven. It was really like theater brought to television.”

Because of the changed styles, Weithorn wonders whether or not something like this would work today, particularly in trying to sell to a young audience.

“You kind of have to sell any show to a younger audience these days, especially on Netflix. Because people who remember All in the Family don’t know what Netflix is, basically [laughs]. I wonder, will it seem very odd and bizarre? Because Norman really wants to recreate that style in any new version that might be done. And I really wonder, would a young audience even understand that sort of theatrical presentation, and be able to access it?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cERbiT6OXuE

One of the most notable ways comedy has evolved, Weithorn explained, is that the pacing has changed.

“If you look at older shows, one of the first things you notice is the pacing is much slower. Now I think the expectation of younger viewers is for things to move very quickly. One of the things in doing Weird Loners and working with Jake Kasdan (New Girl) in the editing room is just how tight things are edited, and how much that’s the style. Just when I’d think things are playing at a nice pace, he’d say, ‘no I think we need to take a lot of air out of this scene.’ And I think that’s a big part of how comedies have changed.”

Of course, it’s also pretty obvious that standards have changed in terms of what is allowed on network television. Watch and old episode of a show like I Love Lucy, and you’ll notice that married couples don’t even share a bed. Now, sexual content is often a part of the humor.

Whether or not that’s a good thing is debatable. For Weithorn, it’s all about the presentation. “There’s much more sexual content. Which I think is fine, if it’s done with wit,” Weithorn said. But he also spoke to shows that rely simply on the language.

“As a writer, I get sort of offended at the idea that just because the word ‘vagina’ or ‘chlamydia’ is in a line of dialogue, that doesn’t make it a joke yet. You haven’t finished your work as a writer in trying to make a joke just by putting the word “vagina” in a line of dialogue, but they seem to feel that they have [laughs]. So it’s changed in the sense that being bawdy and sort of crass is sometimes is acceptable. But also, it’s changed in good ways.”

Weithorn also talked specifically about Paul Feig’s Other Space, which just launched on Yahoo Screen in April, describing the comedy as “very sort of snarky in a very contemporary feeling way.” He described the show’s pace and ability to capture the way people in their 20s and 30s communicate, and how much he respected that kind of writing. “It’s very, very good. I really think they did a great job with it.”

“I think like anything, it’s a double edged sword,” Weithorn went on to explain. “You know, sometimes you get really good new, and different, fresh kinds of comedy out of changing styles. And sometimes by losing certain obligations to be witty, or smart, or clever, because you’re just being outrageous – I think that’s generally not a good thing.”

We’re looking at a long list of new comedies arriving to our screens next season. FOX will be offering The Grinder (Rob Lowe) and Grandfathered (John Stamos), while ABC will be bringing back The Muppets. Mark-Paul Gosselaar will also be returning to our screens for NBC’s People are Talking, and TBS is planning for major changes and a lot of new programming under Kevin Reilly this year.

What comedies are you most excited to see next season? And would you be interesting in watching a reboot of All in the Family? Sound off in the comments below!