Is The Conners, Last Man Standing, or Young Sheldon out to reclaim comedy title?

The news has started to reverberate throughout the internet that The Big Bang Theory is ending this year. It’s a sad bit of news to digest, given that this show has been a comedy titan and is beloved by so many people. It also does raise an interesting question about the future of network TV comedy — can there ever be a show with these sort of consistent ratings ever again? It’s something worth addressing further, and that is why in this article we’ve come up with a list of three different shows that could claim the comedy crown, or at least try to, over the past couple of years.

Take a look at three potential contenders before, and if you missed it, check out our video below for more of our take on The Big Bang Theory ending. You can also subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube for more updates and discussions. (It may go without saying, but we’re thinking about these contenders mostly from a ratings standpoint.)

The Conners – The obvious heir apparent to take over the title of TV’s #1 comedy. After all, Roseanne had the title for its revival earlier this year, and the ratings for the premiere are sure to be massive. The big question here is what happens after the drama fades and the series settles into normalcy. Roseanne was boosted by a conservative audience who were eagerly looking for entertainment options, but now the largest conservative voice of the show is gone. What happens here?

Last Man Standing – While we don’t think that Last Man Standing is as political a show as it’s made out to be, the fact that it features a conservative main character has certainly dominated headlines the past year-plus since the original cancellation. The internet perception is that it could become the show of choice for many Roseanne viewers, but you also have to remember that it is airing on Friday nights — hardly a huge night for ratings. While we do think it will premiere on Fox to better ratings than it had at times on ABC, it’s a tall order to suggest that the show is going to become the #1 comedy on a night when so many people are doing other things. We’re actually more surprised that Fox isn’t putting the show on a different night with higher ratings potential. It’s going to be a solid hit, much in the way that it’s always been.

Young Sheldon – Probably the safest choice. It’s not going to deliver the same ratings as The Big Bang Theory, but it’s the most stable of these three shows since it’s already been on for a year and it doesn’t have the same sort of flash-in-the-pan appeal of The Conners or a tougher timeslot like Last Man Standing. 

What do you think is going to be the biggest comedy series on TV without The Big Bang Theory? Share in the comments!

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