Good news for “Samantha,” bad news for the industry

ABC yesterday picked up “Samantha Who?” for the remainder of the season. It’s so far the most successful new show of the season, though that’ll likely change once it loses its “Dancing with the Stars” lead-in.

Still: A new sitcom not only a top-20 show but the most-watched new show of the season? And here, everyone was telling us that sitcoms are dead.

Of course, all this is moot if there’s a writers strike. Though Variety reports that it won’t begin tomorrow, as originally feared, but next week. The trade notes that extending the deadline a) puts a sword of Damocles over producers during any negotiations that proceed after today, b) makes the writers look like nominally reasonable folks by delaying the inevitable, and c) gives them time to finish up all those last-minute projects.

See you on the picket line!