'The Mindy Project' canceled: What's left for network TV comedy?
Fox has reportedly the Mindy Kaling sitcom 鈥淭he Mindy Project,鈥� which concluded its third season this past March.
The show was created, written by, and starred Kaling as Mindy Lahiri, an OB/GYN living in New York and looking for love. The most recent season found her pregnant with her boyfriend Danny (Chris Messina). The show co-starred Ike Barinholtz, Ed Weeks, Xosha Roquemore, and Rhea Pearlman.
鈥淢indy鈥� had struggled in the ratings 鈥� according to the , the ratings for the season three finale, which aired this past March, were a series low for adults 18 to 49 for the show.聽
However, the show might not be finished. According to , the streaming service Hulu is in 鈥渟erious talks鈥� with those behind the show for more than one new season.
If 鈥淢indy鈥� does make the jump to Hulu, it would be the newest critically acclaimed but low-rated comedy to come to a streaming service. 鈥淐ommunity,鈥� which aired on NBC for five seasons and received good reviews but often had low ratings, went over to Yahoo Streaming after NBC ended the show. 鈥淐ommunity鈥� debuted new episodes on Yahoo this past March.
Meanwhile, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock co-created the NBC sitcom 鈥�30 Rock,鈥� which was also well-reviewed but had ratings difficulties (and aired for part of its run alongside 鈥淐ommunity鈥�). Fey and Carlock are also behind the show 鈥淯nbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,鈥� which was supposed to air on NBC before the network passed on it. 鈥淜immy鈥� went to Netflix and became a hit 鈥� at least in the pop culture sense of the word in that it was well-reviewed and it seems to be popular. Netflix and other streaming services are well-known for not releasing a lot of information about viewership.
The trouble is, will network TV have many critically-acclaimed comedies left? We of course don鈥檛 know what the fall 2015 TV season will bring, and a new classic could debut in September. But a comedy of the sort that鈥檚 beloved by reviewers is scarce on the low-number channels right now. The ABC show 鈥淢odern Family鈥� is doing fine 鈥撀� writer Joshua Alston noted that 鈥渋t isn鈥檛 as consistent as it once was鈥� and 鈥渋t doesn鈥檛 feel as fresh as it once did,鈥� but that every season has had 鈥渁 half-dozen phenomenal episodes.鈥� However, as far back as 2013, writer Jim Pagels was writing about 鈥渢he decline of 鈥楳odern Family鈥欌�� and calling a new episode 鈥渁 new rerun鈥� because of what Pagels calls repetitious plots.
鈥淭he Big Bang Theory鈥� on CBS is always winning in the ratings. However, it can get mixed reviews. writer Jesse Schedeen wrote of the newest season premiere, 鈥淚t seems we're due for the same slow, plodding story progression as usual with Big Bang Theory. I have to wonder if the three-season renewal was really the healthiest thing for this show.鈥� Meanwhile, writer Kimberly Potts wrote of one of the newest episodes, 鈥淟ike many an episode in this eighth season, [it] was hit-or-miss.鈥澛�
聽There are some bright spots. The ABC show 鈥淏lack-ish,鈥� which debuted this year, got mixed reviews for its pilot, with critic Mary McNamara calling it 鈥渕ore admirable in its intent than its execution鈥� the humor goes broad鈥� [but it鈥檚] potentially great.鈥� However, called the most recent episode 鈥渉ilarious鈥� really funny from beginning to end.鈥澛�
Fox's "New Girl" has had its ups and downs but a fairly strong recent season.
Meanwhile, writer Neil Genzlinger called Allison Janney and Anna Faris, the stars of CBS鈥檚 鈥淢om鈥� 鈥渁s funny as any duo on TV."聽And Fox鈥檚 comedy 鈥淏rooklyn Nine-Nine,鈥� which is airing its second season, has gotten some positive reviews 鈥撀犅爓riter Allie Pape called the most recent installment 鈥渘otably funny," though Pape added that she believed "it鈥檚 really getting to the point where I feel like the show鈥檚 writing team is petrified of making any changes at all to the plot status quo," while writer Alan Sepinwall called another recent episode "nice and satisfying."
