Bring back sitcoms, says Jamie Lee Curtis

If you thought the classic sitcom was finished, Jamie Lee Curtis reckons it's high time we bring the laughs back to mainstream telly. With Newlyweds set to hit NBC later this year, Curtis isn't just starring in it — she's also taken an executive producer seat, so she's talking with a bit of skin in the game.

Sitcoms for the people

Curtis appeared with the Newlyweds crew on a Los Angeles panel and didn't mince words about why we need network comedy right now. She laid it out pretty simply: so much in the world is difficult, people just want something cheerful on the box for a change. And she thinks sitcoms have always nailed that, letting viewers unwind at home with a dose of laughs and maybe a few feels. Here's what she told the LA crowd as NBC gears up to drop Newlyweds this autumn:

There's just nothing going on that isn't hard. People want to have a good time — they want to have a good time in the comfort of their own home, and they want to turn on a network show and have laughs and have feelings. And if that isn't what sitcoms can do well, then I'm not sure what they do.

Most of us know comedy's a rare treat on the big networks these days, drowned out by reality shows and crime procedurals. The cost of endless streaming subscriptions, cable providers, and all the rest just piles on. Curtis pointed out that for loads of viewers, especially lately, money is a real issue, and paying for escapism isn't always on the cards.

What's interesting is this isn't a bandwagon for her — Curtis has been itching to get back into sitcoms for yonks. If you remember Anything But Love from 1989 (Richard Lewis and Curtis, if you need a memory jog), you'll know it wasn't her first rodeo. She's apparently kept on at her agents about finding another sitcom gig for years, calling it her favourite sort of job in the business.

Curtis takes the reins

This time round, Curtis isn't just in front of the camera. She's also running a fair bit of the show backstage. As she explained during the panel, she's not shy about her new boss status — and she has a colourful way of phrasing it. Here's what she had to say about the shift:

I'm 68 years old; I have wanted to be a boss my whole life. I've been waiting my whole life, literally, to be able to manifest ideas and bring what I love about what I do into the workplace I do it in. I've been doing it not as a boss for a long, long time, and now I'm a boss, and I love it.