A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

THEN AGAIN, THERE'S ALWAYS TWO AND A HALF MEN: One of the underlying themes in this week's EW is this--"what happened to the live action sitcom?" Since Friends and Sex and the City left the air, has there really been a live action sitcom in half-hour format that's become buzz-worthy with both critical and commercial success? The closest we come is Everybody Loves Raymond, which I've never really "gotten." Yeah, it's amusing, yes, the timing and casting is impressive, but generally, eh. There've been a couple critical favorites that haven't crossed over (Arrested Development, The Office), and there are a few sitcoms that generate solid ratings even though I can't think of anyone who actually watches them (According to Jim, The King of Queens, Stacked). At the same time the half-hour comedy's been going down the tubes, what's interesting is the rise of the hour-long comedy with dramatic elements. Gilmore Girls and Desperate Housewives both fall into this category, and I'd expect more shows to follow suit. So, a couple of questions for discussion: 1. What's wrong with the American sitcom? 2. How do you fix it?