Television comedies have been on the air for decades, and throughout this time many different shows have come and gone. Due to the dominance of these shows, comedies are one of the biggest draws on television. There are many different types of comedies, each with their own unique characteristics and features that differentiate them from others and lead to their popularity. Whether the show is a sketch comedy, sitcom, mockumentary or dramatic comedy, each utilizes different types of humour, locations, themes, and situations to appeal to the audience; which is likely why they are so popular today.
One of the most famous types of television comedy is the sketch comedy style. Greg M. Smith, in his article “Red Skelton, The Crack-up, and the Quick- change” explains how the move of vaudeville acts to television created the template for all sketch comedies. A small number of performers, often only one or two, “depended on interchangeable acts that could be juggled into different configurations for a show, the sketch necessarily is narratively compartmentalized. Plot elements from one sketch do not carry over to the next, necessitating that the performer slip from one role to another as he/she moves from sketch to sketch.” (n pag) Today’s sketch comedies continue to run independent multiple short sketches per episode. Although they may now have recurring characters, frequently still, only a single-time character is played. Just as there is a prevalence of one actor playing multiple roles per episode, so also are the situations, locations, and interactions often differentiated completely from one scene or show to the next. Some or all of these elements can be found in such shows as Monty Python's Flying Circus, Saturday Night Live, The Whi...
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... the genre. Only time will tell if the comedy will maintain its television supremacy. Until then, society will just have to stay tuned.
Works Cited
Detweiller, Eric. ““I was Just Doing a Little Joke There”: Irony and the Paradoxes of the Sitcom The Office” Journal of Popular Culture 45.4 (2012): 727-748. Web. 15 January. 2014.
Smith, Greg M. “Red Skeleton, The Crack-up, and the Quick-change” Journal of Popular Culture 45.3 (2012): 592:610. Web. 17 January. 2014.
Laughing Together? TV Comedy Audiences and the Laugh Track
Kocela, Christopher. “CYNICS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY: THE OFFICE AS REALITY VIEWER TRAINING” Journal of Popular Film & Television 37.4 (2009): 161-167. Web. 18 January. 2014.
Sewel, Philip W. “From Discourse to Discord: Quality and Dramedy at the End of the Classic Network System” Television and New Media 11.4 (2010): 235-59. Web. 18 January. 2014.
Family comedies have evolved throughout the past century. What was once revered as classic has completely changed forms and turned into the comedic experience we witness today. Family sitcoms in particular have been converted to show a broader picture of how family’s interact in today’s world. This greatly appeals to today’s audiences and is what people want to see. Modern family specifically has tapped into what nontraditional families are all about and even with being so alternative has resonated with every type of family, making it one of the most popular shows on TV at the present moment. The pilot episode of Modern Family uses hyper-irony, allusions and uses references to technology to enforce comedic impact.
Younger generations and the more vulnerable in society can be influenced in avoiding peer pressure, but for the individuals filled with wisdom, the shows can reflect based on American modern society. Everybody Loves Raymond and Full House are great shows who faces similar life obstacles a typical person living in the US has today. As a result, most modern family comedy sit-coms are reflecting our society’s generations and the more vulnerable. Based on the success of early family sit coms, American’s adapted to a fast pace lifestyle with the help of modern
It was hilarious whenever Fred Sanford of the hit series Sanford and Son used to fake his heart attack saying that famous phrase, “I’m coming Elizabeth” or what about him telling Aunt Ester how ugly she was. No one took that type of comedy to the heart and it was intended to hurt no one. It was all for a laugh. Now in today’s time there are new shows on television such as The Chapelle Show, which is hosted and directed by the comedian Dave Chapelle. The object of this show seems to be how much fun he can make of a different race. Times have changed and so have peoples’ since of humor. People went from the laid-back type sitcoms such as Sanford and Son, The Three Stooges, and The Little Rascals, which are all types of shows that people can watch with their entire family, to shows even adults feel turned away from. Some examples include The Chapelle Show and In Living Color.
The Secret of Seinfeld’s Humor: The significance of the Insignificant, an article written by Jorge Gracia briefly outlines what the author believes to be the origin of the humour with which the popular television show Seinfeld achieved such broad based success. A show that embraced the ordinary of everyday life, while atypically avoiding the mainstay of violence and sex of most of today’s popular visual media and culture. Gracia (19??) begins his article by posing the question “how, can a show that deals with ordinary, everyday occurrences have such wide appeal”? This is a very general question that could be analysed in any number of ways. The author however, suggest one possible answer. That a show such as Seinfeld is effective because its humour is based upon the dramatic tradition of the comedy and tragedy.
It is this mix that so marks the play out from pure comedies such as
According to Aristotle, “Comedy can be any colloquy or performance generally intended to amuse or stimulate laughter”. In modern times, comedy can be found in different forms, such as television, movies, theatres and stand-up comedy.
The situation comedy, or sitcom, is a television programming genre that incorporates a narrative of humor within the context of a perception of domestic routine. In some cases the humor is associated with the dynamics of a relationship between a husband and wife, the neighbors, or friends (Roman, 93). The sitcom first appeared on radio and was embraced for its wit, charm,
Sight gags are an essential part of comedy, especially the silent comedies of Charlie Chaplin's time. A sight gag is a visual form of comedy. In this form of comedy, the actors rely on the way the audience perceives the actions on screen for humor. This could include a misunderstanding by characters or a misrepresentation of an everyday object. In order to make the gag work, the actor must use smooth, visible actions to convey his or her point. Noel Carroll outlines six different types of sight gags in the book, Comedy/Cinema/Theory. In this paper, I will talk about each gag and give examples from the three Charlie Chaplin films that we have watched.
Language or the way in which words are used is one of the most important components of a comedy. Through an intelligent use of word play and the ability to add
Strinati, Dominic (2003), ‘Structuralism, semiology and popular culture’ (extract), in his An Introduction to Theories of Popular Culture: 2nd Ed., London, Routledge, pp. 82-85.
Comedy unites – It helps society relate to one another and adds to the interwoven-ness that invisibly threads us all together as a society. Comedies help underscore the sadness’ of life and enables playwrights to address problem in society and propose a solution. This problem solution construction is reoccurring in comedies. Comedies have endured the test of time as they continue to educate, influence, entertain and motivate humanity. Comedic works have been characterized as ending in all being right in the world. This notion is supported by the plays, Lysistrata by Aristophanes and The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by Oscar Wilde through their unique plot style, usage of literary and plot devices.
Becker, Anne “Reality Helps: TV Turns to Life-Changing Shows.” Broadcasting and Cable 135.23 (2005): 20. Proquest. Web.24. 24 Nov. 2013.
Humor has been the source of entertainment throughout history. Today humor is practiced in movies, plays, songs, television shows and radio. Humor has brought fame and fortune to those who have mastered its power.
The nature of comedy has always left it somewhat resistant to critical analysis, and to some extent the same can be said for comedic actors. The class-clowns of Hollywood like Will Ferrell are often times constructed as being nothing more than amusing, so they seem like a simple case study.... ... middle of paper ... ...
In a genre analysis, stories, issues and concerns are explored. Researchers who study genre focus on broad patterns within those texts in the genre (Brennen 204). Since my research involves studying sitcoms, my sample will consist of ten popular sitcoms that aired from the 1980s to the present. These sitcoms include Roseanne, 30 Rock, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, I Love Lucy, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Friends, Will and Grace, Cheers, The Simpson and Seinfeld. The reason why I am choosing this sample is because I believe that it is broad enough to display the growth and evolution of the situational comedy genre and most (if not, all) of its pertinent aspects. Each of these shows all fit the standard conventions of a sitcom, however, the each bring a something different to the program, which allows them to stand out and be successful. I also chose them because they are all listed on the Rolling Stones top 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. This list was gathered by actors, writers, producers, critics and showrunners in the television industry (Sheffield,