Audience Demand

Question 1 is praised as a show that engages its audience by portraying important, serious issues in a disarmingly comedic, entertaining way. Popularity of such issues, like politics, have skyrocketed–the U.S. Presidential Election was the “most talked about topic” in 2016 according to Facebook, and the second biggest trend on Twitter, surpassed only by “Rio2016.” 

In recent years, LGBTQ, political, and family themes have become extremely popular and even coveted within the entertainment industry. Highly acclaimed and commercially successful shows on Broadway and television indicate a current, strong audience demand for these themes in the form of both drama and comedy:

• Dear Evan Hansen (6 Tony Award wins including Best Musical, 2017)
• Hamilton (11 Tony Award wins including Best Musical, 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 2016)
• Kinky Boots (6 Tony Award wins including Best Musical, 2013)
• Fun Home (5 Tony Award wins including Best Musical, 2015)
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (4 Tony Award wins including Best Revival, 2014)
• All the Way (2 Tony Award wins including Best Play, 2014)
• The Daily Show (23 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2001-2016)
• Modern Family (21 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2010-2016)
• Veep (10 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2012-2016)
• The Colbert Report (9 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2004-2015)
• Transparent (8 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2015-2016)
• Homeland (8 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2012-2016)
• House of Cards (6 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2013-2016)
• The Good Wife (5 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2010-2016)
• Orange Is the New Black (4 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2014-2016)
• Scandal (2 Primetime Emmy Award wins, 2013-2016)
• The Newsroom (1 Primetime Emmy Award win, 2013-2015)