Multicamera comedy primed for comeback

September 14, 2009 NBC, which has the only established block of single-camera comedies among the broadcast networks, is said to be focused on diversifying its comedy offerings by buying primarily multicamera projects. The recession certainly is playing a role in the networks' increased appetite for multicamera comedies, which on average cost about $300,000 an episode less than filmed half-hours. "The stories in multicamera comedies are simpler, and people watch them for the jokes, while single-camera shows are harder to join 17 minutes into it," one network executive said.

Subscribe to the Hollywood Reporter and see the entertainment industry from its best angle: the inside looking out. Complete access to real-time news and exclusive analysis that goes behind the scenes from film to television, home video to digital media.

   Subscribe now.