I complained that the Hollywood Reporter‘s comedy roundtable was men-only, but it turned out that that that was just the first part of a two-part series, and part two is a roundtable for women in TV comedy.
I complained that the Hollywood Reporter‘s comedy roundtable was men-only, but it turned out that that that was just the first part of a two-part series, and part two is a roundtable for women in TV comedy.
However, the lineup in this second roundtable still emphasizes the fact that there are not enough good comic roles for women on TV. Of the actresses gathered to talk about comedy, two are not actually on comedies (Jane Lynch on Glee and Felicity Huffman on Desperate Housewives are funny, but they’re being funny on one-hour dramas that pretend to be comedies for Emmy purposes). One, Wanda Sykes, was on a show that just got canceled. Two shows, actually, since her talk show got canceled too. But Old Christine was canceled in part because, as a comedy about women, it didn’t fit into the network’s very male-heavy comedy lineup. Then you’ve got Sofia Vergara, who is on a comedy but isn’t funny. Well, okay, that’s just my opinion. That leaves Courteney Cox and Patricia Heaton, who are both genuinely funny and genuine stars, though their shows are not doing as well as the more guy-centred Modern Family.
I know, it’s not as bad as it sounds, because there are some women who have their own comedy shows (albeit not high-rated ones) but THR couldn’t get — namely, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. (Or “Foehler” for short.) Still, it’s not a time of great opportunities for funny women on TV.