Ever since the creation of television, each generation has had its own sitcom. ‘Cheers’ delighted Baby Boomers, ‘Friends’ grew alongside Gen X, and ‘New Girl’ and ‘The Office’ charmed Millennials. Each of these shows has appealed to audiences of their era, allowing three generations to see themselves in the awkward interactions, unstable income, and rocky relationships; helping them find comfort in their favourite characters by knowing they arenât alone in their struggle to fill the preconceived notion of a âgrown upâ. Â
The sitcom shortage
While Gen Z is lucky that we were able to grow up in the ever-growing world of technology, smartphones, and accessibility, we never had the same comfort of a sitcom to grow up with as previous generations did. It was no struggle to source this familiar comfort through watching and re-watching episodes of ‘Modern Family’ or ‘How I Met Your Mother’, but at a certain point, the need for relatability grew to a point that rerun episodes couldnât fill. Thus began the long lasting sitcom drought. Feeble attempts at approachable shows for the new generation were created and disliked. This was largely due to the fact that they were created by middle-aged writers and actors who couldnât connect with Gen Z or understand what it meant to be a teenager in the current age. Then came the new generation of television: made for Gen Z, by Gen Z. Seemingly a miracle, this new addition has only happened in the last year or so, and in my opinion, was cemented with the creation of FXâs ‘Adults’.Â
The Allure of âAdultsâ
This show is everything a sitcom should be. It’s raunchy, relatable, and absolutely hilarious. Following a group of five roommates in Queens, New York, the show pulls back the curtain and reveals the behind the scenes of what itâs like to be a young adult in the current world. From failed job interviews and messy dating histories, to embarrassing digital footprints and disastrous dinner party attempts, ‘Adults‘ adapts the classic storyline of your friends being your found family in your early 20s, and breathes new life into it. A huge part of that fresh feel is the impeccable work of the actors, and their ability to make their audience identify with their characters. Whether you see yourself in Anton, played by Owen Thiele, a compulsive charmer (dubbed a âfriendslutâ) with avoidant attachment issues, or Issa (Amita Rao), the outspoken, confident dance teacher who is unfailingly committed to her friends, the improvisation, comedic timing, and genuine connection in this show is enough to make anyone feel seen and comforted in their own chaos.Â
The âAdultsâ AffectÂ
Similar to ‘Adults’, Prime Videoâs ‘Overcompensating‘ disrupted the traditional teen media, and gave young audiences something to obsess over. Set at an American college, Benito Skinner plays Benny, a closeted gay over-thinker who is terrified of being discovered. In attempts to conceal his true feelings, he jumps through the endless hoops of frat bros and hetero-normative standards, just to find himself as confused and lost as ever, until he meets Carmen (Wally Baram). While she is also wrestling with the task of âfinding herselfâ, the two form a messy, turbulent, and unbreakable friendship. The show is an easy, comforting watch, but still leaves a profound impact on the viewer, and just like ‘Adults’, the relatable awkward interactions and unfortunate incidents of the characters make any college student or twenty-something feel immediately seen and understood.Â
The New Generation of Sitcom TV
While nothing will ever live up to the comfort of old sitcoms, the new generation of TV is taking the pre-baked formulas they created and turning them into something new, by integrating the complexities and challenges of gender performativity, queer identity, and societal expectations. The blending of serious topics with the playful dialogue and subplots shows the real spirit of Gen Z: while we might be lost, we are making the most of our quest to find who we really are.Â