Those shows weren't Shakespeare or Chekhov, but at least the characters knew who they were. The joke was rarely on them. It depends on whom you talk to. In the lightning-fast world of television development, everyone passes the buck. The writers blame advertisers, market research and, by inference, network executives who, they say, kowtow too easily.
Older viewers are too stuck in their buying habits, or so goes the traditional wisdom.
The success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has convinced advertisers that women 12 to 34 are an underexploited market. Networks apparently believe the best strategy to attract them is to create young female characters who are appealingly adrift. Trawling for boys An even more prized demographic is men 18 to 34, not only because they have lots of buying power but because they are particularly elusive. They channel-surf excessively and are less loyal than women to specific shows. Which is why more networks than ever seem to be trawling for boys.