This fall, there are only six new sitcoms premiering on broadcast, a record low. NBC doesn’t even have one, and only one network, ABC, has more than one. But media people seem to agree that in this case, less is more. Four of the new comedies actually look quite promising, while only two (ABC’s “Cavemen” and “Carpoolers”) are considered duds. Last year media people gave only NBC’s “30 Rock” and Fox’s “’Til Death” such high marks. It may be that, in limiting the number of comedies on the schedule, the networks are actually finding some better shows. Media people have universally praised Fox’s “Back to You,” starring “Frasier’s” Kelsey Grammer and “Everybody Loves Raymond’s” Patricia Heaton, as well as CW’s “Aliens in America,” about a Muslim exchange student. ABC’s “Samantha Who,” about amnesia victim Christina Applegate, and CBS’s “Big Bang Theory” have also gotten decent buzz because of their strong lead performances. With Fox premiering the season’s first new sitcom tomorrow, Jordan Breslow, director of national broadcast research at MediaCom, and Tracie Chinetti, senior buyer/planner at Blitz Media in Boston, talk to Media Life about this year’s comedies and the state of the sitcom in general on broadcast.

What are the two most promising sitcoms this season?
 
JB: Obviously, the first thing to note is there are very few on the schedule, and NBC has none, which is a first. Among the other networks, there are less than a handful.

The one I’m most excited about is “Back to You” on Fox. How do you go wrong with multi-Emmy winners [in stars Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer]?

It did look like the wrong network, however, people might not be used to it on Fox. So it may have trouble finding viewers. But of all the sitcoms I’ve seen, that’s the one that seems the most promising.
 
Also, “Samantha Who” on ABC looks kind of neat, and “Big Bang Theory” on CBS has some promise.
 
TC: “Back to You” and “Samantha Who.”
 

What are the two least promising?
 
JB: That’s sort of a no-brainer, it starts and ends with “Cavemen.” I can’t believe that’s even a show. The one thing I couldn’t understand is people know the caveman form the Geico commercials, but they got totally different actors for the show. Why did they do that?

Would you say their quality is higher or lower than the sitcoms introduced last fall?
 
TC: Nothing matches up to the quality of “30 Rock,” but generally, I would say they are about the same.

 JB: Overall, it seems like the comedies on the schedule are a higher quality. Only the strong seem to survive for the returning shows. “30 Rock” could have been canceled, although the Emmy win will probably help it a little. I think if you look overall, there’s a pretty good pool to choose from. But there’s just fewer hours.

Do they share any commonalities (theme, set-up, production values)?
 
JB: For a couple of seasons, the trend had been moving away from the live audience and to that single camera, which is what NBC has on its Thursday lineup. “Samantha Who” on ABC is the same sort of thing, and “Cavemen” and “Carpoolers” also.

CBS, on the other hand, and the CW, and even the one on Fox, have more of the typical three- or four-camera shot with a live audience. “My Name is Earl” did okay and then everyone wanted to be that show, they wanted to be like that and “The Office.” I think you’re seeing a nice mix now, it’s about 50-50.
 

What is the key to a successful sitcom?
 
TC: Good writing, compelling characters, relatable situations -- you can't just stick a star on the screen and hope for the best.

JB: If I knew that, I’d be very rich. We’re having trouble finding them. I think the networks are going with established stars in some cases, and in others it’s trying to fit the show within a lineup. CW was trying something quirky, but it still might fit.

CBS has been pretty much dominant with their comedies on Monday, and basically they’ll throw in one or two in the lineup that fits in, although they’re going a little younger with “Big Bang Theory.” It’s a little different, but still quirky fun.

It’s hard to find a commonality on all the networks. In terms of what’s considered a success, there are different grades of success. Is it critical? Or is it a ratings success?
 

Do you think we'll start to see more of them after a down cycle this year?
 
TC: I hope so, but I'm afraid it will be a slow change.

JB: I think it probably depends on the success of these shows. Some look as if they will succeed, others look like they won’t. Once “Caveman” and “Carpoolers” are canceled, they’ll throw in “Supernanny” or something else there.  I think ABC is having trouble finding sitcoms.

Whereas on some of the other networks, CBS has no room outside of Monday, although maybe once “Kid Nation” is canceled they’ll bring sitcoms back to Wednesdays. There’s room for them, but what happens depends to some extent on what happens with the reality boom we’re in right now.
 

What lessons can the networks learn from last year's sitcom failures?
 
JB: In some cases, you look at what they produced and think maybe they did learn.

But then “Carpoolers” and “Cavemen” show up and you think, “what are they doing?” They cannot be just throwing things on for the sake of having a comedy. I think maybe the “Cavemen” thing is sort of an experiment, maybe they have some sort of deal with Geico. The sad fact is that people are going to watch the pilot, and ratings will be okay because they want to see what a train wreck it is.