Chemistry
I’ve been preaching the importance of “casting” and “positioning” the characters on your show since 1984.
Back then, I’d never heard anyone else talk about that. Today, practically every consultant recognizes the importance of “character” to any team show. (“Character” also applies to any radio program, by the way.)
During the past several years, a number of people have sought to apply principles of the TV sitcom model to radio.
While the two forms have a lot in common, there are some important differences you should be aware of.
1. In a sitcom, first the characters are defined, then the actors are cast. In a morning show, typically characters grow out of the individual performers.
2. The key to success in a sitcom is the quality of the writing. The key to success in a morning show is the chemistry among the team members.
Most successful sitcoms could have succeeded with completely different cast members. As hard as it may be to imagine anyone other than Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker, any number of good actors could have succeeded with that role.
Even for shows built around a specific performer (Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld, etc.), the supporting roles could have been cast to equal success using different actors. (I know: You can’t believe anyone else could be Kramer.)
Look at it this way: Mork & Mindy might well have failed with a different Mork, but probably it still would have been a hit with a different Mindy.
A sitcom succeeds first because of the writing and then because of the casting.
In a morning show, chemistry is everything. Even with a one-person show, it succeeds or fails due to the chemistry of the host and the audience.
There are plenty of successful sitcoms in which the actors dislike each other. (Perhaps the most famous example is Fred & Ethel on I Love Lucy. In real life William Frawley and Vivian Vance were said to have hated each other.)
With a good script and good direction, good comedy actors can appear to create on-screen sparks that don’t exist in real life. But radio teammates who don’t have (and are unable to develop) a good working rhythm are doomed to failure.
On the other hand, great chemistry can make stars of radio people who never would reach such heights as solo performers.
