Wither Squiggy?

Came across an interesting quote in the LA Times obituary of the late great Eddie Albert. Apparently the star of “Green Acres” had long refused to appear on television because he considered the medium “geared to mediocrity”. Kind of interesting coming from someone who starred in a show that today gets written off as the quintessence of mediocrity. The hokey, anachronistic, high-concept premise (“You are my wife/Goodbye, city life!”), the corn pone setting, the talking pig (well, he didn’t exactly “talk” so much as, oh never mind), the usual assortment of wacky neighbors...

I have to admit, though, I never quite saw it that way. I was but a mere lad in short pants when the show first ran on CBS and part of the fun for me was that it always seemed to be working on some other level that I was certain I was too young to comprehend. Watching it now, it’s pretty clear that “Green Acres” isn’t high art. But at the same time, if it’s going to get stuck with the label of Crap TV, then it’s head and shoulders above whatever the contemporary version of Crap TV is. “Green Acres” was often surreal and occasionally inspired -- words that rarely come to mind when toggling through the charred, barren wasteland that is my TiVo screen.

So what’s happened to network comedy? I throw the question out there to whomever’s reading -- how has it come to this? Has the sitcom form just reached the end of its natural evolutionary path? (A disclaimer -- I’m a television comedy writer, so I’m sure I bear more than my share of the blame.) Personally, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned to my wife and said, “Thank god for ‘The Daily Show’ because at least I know I don’t hate everything.” Which isn’t to say there isn’t some good comedy being broadcast on the networks. I’m sure we can all pick one or... well, one or so shows that are holding to a higher standard. But I think it’s safe to say it’s slim pickin’ these days and the pickin’ is only getting slimmer.

I’d especially like to hear what fellow HuffPo blogger Seth Greenland thinks. Seth recently published “The Bones,” an insightful, hilarious attack on the Industry and those who make it such a joyful, dreamy and collegial place to work. How ‘bout it, Seth? Is the sitcom dead? And if it is, should we care?