The Aging Demo

A new comedy aired on ABC last week called "Notes from the Underbelly", which follows 30-something couples and singles in the throes of "mommy mania." The show is hilarious- perhaps only because I'm in its target audience, but that in and of itself makes the show significant.

The coveted 18-34 demographic for advertisers is becoming more segmented, splitting virtually in half as saavy advertisers seek to grab increasingly younger audiences (e.g. "tweeners") worth billions in discretionary consumer spending. At the other end of the demographic lies the aging Gen Xers like myself (at age 35). More and more we are seeing content targeted to the upper end of the 18-34's, like "Notes from the Underbelly", which gets its material from new parent concepts such as maternity underwear and becoming minivan people.

Expect to see more shows like it. "Notes from the Underbelly" is a homerun for Disney-owned ABC, which has shown in the past it can score well with this demographic (e.g. the critically acclaimed Once and Again, Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives), doing so this time with a true family comedy. If you have kids or expect to have kids one day, check it out on Wednesdays at 7:30c on ABC.