Broadcast genre; recurring cast comedy
A
sitcom
(a
shortening
of
situation comedy
, or
situational comedy
) is a
genre
of
comedy
centred on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with
sketch comedy
, where a troupe may use new characters in each sketch, and
stand-up comedy
, where a comedian tells jokes and stories to an audience. Sitcoms originated in radio, but today are found mostly on television as one of its dominant
narrative
forms.
A sitcom may be recorded in front of a
studio audience
, depending on the program's production format. The effect of a live studio audience can be imitated or enhanced by the use of a
laugh track
.
Critics disagree over the utility of the term sitcom in classifying shows that have come into existence since the turn of the 21st century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use the
single-camera setup
and do not feature a laugh track, thus often resembling the
dramedy
shows of the 1980s and 1990s rather than the traditional sitcom.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
The terms "situation comedy" or "sitcom" were not commonly used until the 1950s.
[2]
There were prior examples on radio, but the first television sitcom is said to be
Pinwright's Progress
, ten episodes being broadcast on the
BBC
in the United Kingdom between 1946 and 1947.
[3]
[4]
In the United States, director and producer
William Asher
has been credited with being the "man who invented the sitcom",
[5]
having directed over two dozen of the leading sitcoms, including
I Love Lucy
, from the 1950s through the 1970s.
By country
[
edit
]
Australia
[
edit
]
There have been few long-running
Australian
-made sitcoms, but many US and UK sitcoms have been successful there. Sitcoms are a staple of government broadcaster
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC); in the 1970s and 1980s many UK sitcoms also screened on the
Seven Network
. By 1986, UK comedies
Bless This House
and
Are You Being Served?
had been repeated by
ABC Television
several times, and were then acquired and screened by the Seven Network, in prime time.
[6]
In 1981,
Daily at Dawn
was the first Australian comedy series to feature a regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie).
[7]
In 1987,
Mother and Son
was winner of the Television Drama Award presented by the
Australian Human Rights Commission
.
[8]
[9]
In 2007,
Kath & Kim
'
s first episode of series four attracted an Australian audience of 2.521 million nationally,
[10]
the highest rating ever for a first episode in the history of Australian television,
[10]
until the series premiere of
Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities
in 2009 with 2.58 million viewers.
[11]
In 2013,
Please Like Me
received an invitation to screen at the
Series Mania
Television Festival in Paris,
[12]
was praised by critics
[13]
and has garnered numerous awards and nominations.
[14]
Also in 2013,
At Home With Julia
was criticised by several social commentators as inappropriately disrespectful to the office of Prime Minister,
[15]
the show nevertheless proved very popular both with television audiences ? becoming the most watched Australian scripted comedy series of 2011
[16]
? and with television critics.
[17]
Nominated to the 2012
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts
Awards for Best Television Comedy Series.
[18]
Canada
[
edit
]
Although there have been a number of notable exceptions, Canadian television networks have generally fared poorly with their sitcom offerings, with relatively few Canadian sitcoms attaining notable success in Canada or internationally.
[19]
Canadian television has had much greater success with
sketch comedy
and
dramedy
series.
[19]
The popular show
King of Kensington
aired from 1975 to 1980, drawing an average of 1.5 to 1.8 million viewers weekly at its peak.
[20]
The
Trailer Park Boys
movie of 1999 was followed up by a television series that ran from 2001 to 2018, airing in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
Corner Gas
, which ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009, became an instant hit, averaging a million viewers per episode.
[21]
It has been the recipient of six
Gemini Awards
, and has been nominated almost 70 times for various awards.
[22]
Other noteworthy recent sitcoms have included
Call Me Fitz
,
Schitt's Creek
,
[23]
Letterkenny
and
Kim's Convenience
,
[24]
all of which have been winners of the
Canadian Screen Award
for
Best Comedy Series
.
India
[
edit
]
Sitcoms started appearing on
Indian television
in the 1980s, with serials like
Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi
(1984),
Nukkad
(1986) and
Wagle Ki Duniya
(1988) on the state-run
Doordarshan
channel. Gradually, as private channels were allowed, many more sitcoms followed in the 1990s, such as
Dekh Bhai Dekh
(1993),
Zabaan Sambhalke
(1993),
Shrimaan Shrimati
(1995),
Office Office
(2001), Ramani Vs Ramani (Tamil 2001),
Amrutham
(Telugu 2001?2007),
Khichdi
(2002),
Sarabhai vs Sarabhai
(2005) to
F.I.R.
(2006?2015),
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
(2008?present),
Uppum Mulakum
(Malayalam 2015?2024), and
Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain
(2015?present).
[25]
SAB TV
is one of the leading channels of India dedicated entirely to Sitcoms.
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
is the longest running sitcom of Indian television and is known as the flagship show of
SAB TV
.
[26]
Iran
[
edit
]
On Tiptoes
and
Shabhaye Barareh
were among the first and most important sitcoms that led to the growth of this type of comedy in Iran, the idea of making On Tiptoes was borrowed from the series
Friends
.
Mexico
[
edit
]
El Chavo del Ocho
, which ran from 1971 to 1980, was the most watched show on Mexican television and had a Latin American audience of 350 million viewers per episode at its peak of popularity during the mid-1970s.
[27]
The show continues to be popular in
Central America
as well as in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, the United States, and other countries, with
syndicated
episodes averaging 91 million daily viewers in all of the markets where it is distributed in the
Americas
.
[28]
[29]
Since it ceased production in 1992, the show has earned an estimated billion in syndication fees alone for Televisa.
[29]
New Zealand
[
edit
]
Gliding On
, a popular sitcom in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won multiple awards over the course of its run, including Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Direction at the
Feltex Awards
.
[30]
Russia
[
edit
]
The first
Russian
sitcom series was "Strawberry" (resembled "Duty Pharmacy" in Spanish format), which was aired in 1996?1997 on the
RTR
channel. However, the "boom" of Russian sitcoms began only in the 2000s ? when in 2004, the
STS
started very successful sitcom "
My Fair Nanny
" (an adaptation of the American sitcom "
The Nanny
"). Since that time sitcoms in Russia were produced by the two largest entertainment channels of the country ?
STS
and
TNT
. In 2007 the STS released the first original domestic sitcom ? "
Daddy's Daughters
" (there were only adaptations before), and in 2010 TNT released "
Interns
" ? the first sitcom, filmed as a comedy (unlike dominated "conveyor" sitcoms).
United Kingdom
[
edit
]
Although styles of sitcom have changed over the years they tend to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. British sitcoms are typically produced in one or more series of six episodes. Most such series are conceived and developed by one or two writers. The majority of British sitcoms are 30 minutes long and are recorded on studio sets in a multiple-camera setup. A subset of British comedy consciously avoids traditional situation comedy themes and storylines to branch out into more unusual topics or narrative methods.
Blackadder
(1983?1989) and
Yes Minister
/Yes Prime Minister
(1980?1988, 2013) moved what is often a domestic or workplace genre into the corridors of power. A later development was the
mockumentary
in such series as
The Office
(2001?2003, 2013). Also
coming of age
in such series as
The Inbetweeners
(2008?2010).
United States
[
edit
]
The sitcom format was born in January 1926 with the initial broadcast of
Sam 'n' Henry
on
WGN radio
in
Chicago
, Illinois. The 15-minute daily program was revamped in 1928, moved to another station, renamed
Amos 'n' Andy
, and became one of the most successful sitcoms of the period. It was also one of the earliest examples of radio syndication. In 1947, the first American television sitcom,
Mary Kay and Johnny
, debuted. Since that time, many of the most watched shows in the US have been sitcoms.
American sitcoms are generally written to run a total of 22 minutes in length, leaving eight minutes for
advertisements
in a 30-minute timeslot.
[31]
Some popular British shows have been successfully adapted for the US.
[32]
Some of the most successful American sitcoms of the 1970s, including
All in the Family
,
Three's Company
, and
Sanford and Son
, were adapted from British productions.
South Korea
[
edit
]
In
South Korea
, sitcoms are called "시트콤".
Since the popularity of
Dr. Oh's people
(吳博士네 사람들,
Obacksane Saramdeul
) in 1993, the term
sitcom
has become popular in South Korea, and in the 90s,
SBS
's
LA Arirang
(LA 아리랑) and
MBC
's
Men and Women
(男子 셋 女子 셋,
Namja set Yeoja set
),
family sitcom
and
youth sitcom
have become popular terms.
In the case of directing techniques,
computer graphics
was not used as much in the early days as in the positive electrode, but as the level of CG of broadcasters began to rise in the late 1990s, CG began to be actively used in sitcoms.
However, since the mid-2010s, it has become difficult to see sitcoms in Korea. For a representative reason, the production cost of a sitcom is a quarter of that of the anode, so there are problems in the casting process and material selection. And unlike the anode, the profit is not as high as expected due to the characteristic that it is not easy to sell overseas.
[33]
High Kick!
(거침없이 하이킥,
Guchim-eoupsi Highkik
) and one of its series, "
High Kick Through the Roof
" (지붕뚫고 하이킥, "Jiboong-Dulko Highkik"), are sitcoms that gained huge popularity in South Korea that are often talked about in the country.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"The Evolution Of The Sitcom: The Age of the Single Camera"
Archived
2016-10-09 at the
Wayback Machine
.
New York Film Academy
, September 24, 2014.
- ^
Dalton, Mary M.; Linder, Laura R., eds. (2012).
Sitcom Reader, The: America Viewed and Skewed
. SUNY Press. p. 15.
ISBN
978-0-7914-8263-6
.
- ^
"Pinwright's Progress"
.
comedy.co.uk
.
Archived
from the original on 2010-03-08
. Retrieved
2010-03-08
.
- ^
Lewisohn, Mark (2003). "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy". BBC Worldwide Ltd.
- ^
"William Asher ? The Man Who Invented the Sitcom"
Archived
2016-04-09 at the
Wayback Machine
,
Palm Springs Life
Dec. 1999
- ^
Collier, Shayne. Again and again and again.
The Sydney Morning Herald
? The Guide
: 2 June 1986, p.1, 6.
[1]
Archived
2015-11-21 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Howes, Keith. (1998, February). "Gays of Our Lives". Outrage, Number 177, 38-49.
- ^
"1987 Human Rights Medal and awards winners"
.
Human Rights Medal and Awards
.
Australian Human Rights Commission
. 1987. Archived from
the original
on 2017-12-01
. Retrieved
2017-11-28
.
- ^
Tynan, Jacinta (2008-09-13).
"Weird how my rello won his fame"
.
Sydney Morning Herald
.
Archived
from the original on 2012-11-02
. Retrieved
2010-11-05
.
- ^
a
b
Seven Network (20 August 2007).
"Seven ? Daily Ratings Report"
. ebroadcast.com.au. Archived from
the original
on 20 May 2009
. Retrieved
20 August
2007
.
- ^
Knox, David (2009-02-10).
"2.58m: Underbelly sets new record"
.
TV Tonight
.
Archived
from the original on 2009-05-20
. Retrieved
2015-10-02
.
- ^
Knox, David (22 February 2013).
"Please Like Me, Puberty Blues selected for French TV festival"
.
TV Tonight
.
Archived
from the original on 14 April 2022
. Retrieved
31 March
2013
.
- ^
"Please Like Me"
.
Rotten Tomatoes
.
Archived
from the original on 6 May 2019
. Retrieved
1 October
2019
.
- ^
"Please Like Me - Awards"
.
IMDb
.
Archived
from the original on 8 September 2019
. Retrieved
1 October
2019
.
- ^
Craven, Peter (8 Sep 2011).
"At Home With Julia: inane drivel of the most idiotic kind"
.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
. Archived from
the original
on 2014-01-12
. Retrieved
6 July
2015
.
- ^
"Packed to the Rafters and Underbelly are 2011's top local dramas ? Mumbrella"
.
Mumbrella
. 2011-11-28.
Archived
from the original on 2017-09-03
. Retrieved
2017-02-01
.
- ^
Knox, David (Dec 1, 2011).
"Critics' Choice: The Best of 2011"
.
TV Tonight
.
Archived
from the original on 6 July 2015
. Retrieved
6 July
2015
.
- ^
"Inaugural Samsung AACTA Awards Nominees"
(PDF)
.
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2015-10-31.
- ^
a
b
"Why do Canadian sitcoms suck?"
Archived
2017-01-16 at the
Wayback Machine
.
canada.com
, March 21, 2014.
- ^
"King to be bachelor"
.
Ottawa Citizen
. 1978-01-25.
Archived
from the original on 2022-03-19
. Retrieved
9 April
2011
.
- ^
"Strong numbers mean replay of
Corner Gas
debut"
(Press release). CTV Inc. 2004-01-23. Archived from
the original
on 2007-10-25
. Retrieved
2007-01-08
.
- ^
"
'Corner Gas' gives thanks with premiere on Monday, Oct. 13"
. CTV Globemedia. 2008. Archived from
the original
on 2008-09-30
. Retrieved
2008-09-30
.
- ^
"The success of Schitt's Creek marks a turning point for the CBC"
Archived
2017-04-07 at the
Wayback Machine
.
The Globe and Mail
, January 9, 2017.
- ^
"CBC orders more Kim's Convenience"
Archived
2017-01-13 at the
Wayback Machine
.
Media in Canada
, December 21, 2016.
- ^
Patel, Nidhin (2011-10-13).
"
'Taarak Mehta' completes 700 episodes"
.
The Times of India
. Archived from
the original
on 2013-12-31.
- ^
Panjari, Swagata (October 1, 2018).
"TMKOC: The journey of India's longest running TV show"
.
Television Post
. Archived from
the original
on June 22, 2020
. Retrieved
August 5,
2021
.
- ^
"Adios al Chavo del 8: murio Roberto Gomez Bolanos"
.
Forbes Mexico
. 2014-11-29.
Archived
from the original on 2014-12-05
. Retrieved
November 29,
2014
.
- ^
"El Chavo del 8 ? Historia"
.
Chespirito
(in Spanish).
Archived
from the original on February 2, 2011
. Retrieved
January 31,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"Meet El Chavo, The World's Most Famous (And Richest) Orphan"
.
Forbes
.
Archived
from the original on February 9, 2021
. Retrieved
November 29,
2014
.
- ^
"Roger Hall Piece about Gliding On"
.
NZ On Screen
.
Archived
from the original on 12 August 2014
. Retrieved
24 November
2014
.
- ^
How Sitcoms Work, page 3
Archived
2012-06-29 at the
Wayback Machine
.
- ^
When British TV flies across the pond
Archived
2015-10-04 at the
Wayback Machine
. CNN.com, April 6, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
- ^
Boram, Kim (June 24, 2021).
"Sitcoms return to small screen as streaming giants set out on new projects"
.
Yonhap News Agency
.
Seoul
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Lewisohn, Mark (2003)
Radio Times' Guide to TV Comedy
. 2nd Ed. Revised ? BBC Consumer Publishing.
ISBN
0-563-48755-0
, Provides details of every comedy show ever seen on British television, including imports.
- Padva, Gilad (2005) Desired Bodies and Queer Masculinities in Three Popular TV Sitcoms. In Lorek-Jezinska, Edyta and Wieckowska, Katarzyna (Eds.),
Corporeal Inscriptions: Representations of the Body in Cultural and Homosexual Literature
(pp. 127?138). Torun, Poland: Nicholas Copernicus University Press.
ISBN
83-231-1812-4
- Asplin, Richard
(2004)
Gagged ? A Thriller With Jokes
? Arrow books.
ISBN
0-09-941685-9
is a contemporary comic thriller set in London and Los Angeles that covers the financing, production, creation, ratings and marketing of a modern American network half-hour situation comedy
- Mary M. Dalton (1 February 2012).
Sitcom Reader, The: America Viewed and Skewed
. SUNY Press.
ISBN
978-0-7914-8263-6
.
- Antonio Savorelli (13 April 2010).
Beyond Sitcom: New Directions in American Television Comedy
. McFarland.
ISBN
978-0-7864-5992-6
.
- Joanne Morreale (2003).
Critiquing the Sitcom: A Reader
. Syracuse University Press.
ISBN
978-0-8156-2983-2
.
- Brett Mills (12 January 2006).
Television Sitcom
. British Film Institute.
ISBN
978-1-84457-087-4
.
- Brett Mills (2009).
The Sitcom
. Edinburgh University Press.
ISBN
978-0-7486-3752-2
.
- Starman, Ray "The Sitcom Class Wars:20th Century". (2014) The Troy Bookmakers, Troy NY. History and analysis of 60 classic American sitcoms. Also includes glossary for easy access. Photos for every program.
External links
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]
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