2011-The Rebirth of the Sitcom?

    Less than 10 yeas ago, scripted TV was on the decline and several critics proclaimed sitcoms were knocking on death's door. Reality TV had descended onto our televisions and viewers became obsessed with lives other than their own.

'Arrested Development' was cancelled in
 2006 after 3 short season (FOX)

    However, reality TV isn't the sole reason why sitcoms had declined. Much of it had to do with writing and plot. As some may remember, the shows coming out at this time had neither. 'Cavemen' anyone? Writers were in a scramble to compete with reality television and continued to produce, poorly written, un-funny comedies. This may be the reason why the cult favorite 'Arrested Development' ended too soon.   The show broke out just as soon as reality shows, such as 'Survivor' and 'American Idol' were taking over the airwaves. Since it's demise, I have always argued that 'Arrested Development' was ahead of it's time, lost in the sea of singing competitions and bad humor. I'm willing to bet that if 'Arrested Development' had been debuted this fall season, it would have been largely successful due to it's brilliant writing (is it obvious I've been a fan since the beginning?).

    Comedy writers and fans rejoice! Today, sitcoms are dominating the ratings. Emmy favorite 'Modern Family' is up 25 percent, 'How I Met Your Mother' is up 19 percent, even in it's seventh season, and 'The Big Bang Theory' is up 10 percent. The new sitcoms that debuted this season have become wildly successful, with Fox's 'New Girl' being the first sitcom in 20 years to win it's first three nights in adults 18-49.

    Some may say that sitcoms have been re-born due to the dying economy but I'm not convinced that's the only reason. Clever writing, relatable actors, and intriguing plot are integral for the success of a sitcom and the shows popular today have all three elements. Thinking about this television season, of the shows that have been cancelled, most, have been dramas ('Playboy Club', 'Charlie's Angels') and the dramas that have remained have gotten low viewership ('Prime Suspect').

    CBS News Contributor, Mo Rocca, argues "It's cadavers and Kardashian's. We've had enough of them." Sitcoms may be back for now, but it's only a matter of time before we're mourning the death of another TV genre. Any thoughts?