Lisa Kudrow has spoken candidly about the current state of television comedy.
Speaking to Interview Magazine, the Friends alum claimed modern sitcoms can lag behind when it comes to bold humour.
Kudrow said that new TV comedies are “afraid of making jokes that might make people uncomfortable.”
“I wish they would evolve,” he said.
Kudrow, best known for playing Phoebe Buffy on Friends, said, “30 Rock and Seinfeld and Friends were really fun and really well-written. But I’m not attracted to new sitcoms that are multi-camera in front of an audience because I’m not buying it.”
He added, “I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve watched a lot of single-camera sitcoms – I think we need to be able to tell jokes. I think we’re too afraid to make jokes that might make people uncomfortable.”
Kudrow also noted that their viewing preferences have shifted toward single-camera formats, which often offer more natural and believable storytelling than traditional sitcoms filmed in front of a live audience.
“Those are the jokes that are like, ‘I can’t believe you just said that,’ comedy is about surprises. You need things you didn’t see coming.”
Lisa Kudrow is returning to television with the final season of The Comeback, which premiered in March after first debuting in 2005.
