[Commentary] ABN Presents...
Photo by Paul Einerhand on Unsplash
It's weird to think that one day people will feel nostalgic for the 2020s. It seems impossible but I know they will. Generation Z will go from quirky teenagers to heads of networks. They'll be the ones deciding what content to produce. Again, these are things I know logically but can't grasp pragmatically.
When will the last sitcom air? Will we eventually get sick of the format? I think so. I'd say people today are already sick of sitcoms. Yet networks produce a surprisngly large number of failed sitcoms based on the same premises repeatedly in an attempt to stay culturally relevant.
At some point I believe AI will begin to play a role in the writing process. It's already playing a role in visual effects, with deepfakes being used to create CG actors.
I believe it will be a change that writers will protest. IATSE has recently voted for a strike to protest current conditions and changes in the industry.
Yet could it be beneficial for them to lose? Writing sitcoms for a network won't be the best use of their talent. We shouldn't believe that TV represents the end of history. We will continue to create new forms of media and new ways to tell stories. After all, TV is still only two-dimensional.