A
situation comedy. A
television comedy program, lasting approximately
30 minutes, and focusing most commonly on some
aspect of
modern domestic life. A sitcom is rarely
funny, but many of them make extensive use of a
laugh track to encourage
viewers to believe that it is
humorous.
Former noder
Zerotime points out another common theme of the traditional sitcom, which is the lack of
consistent continuity. It doesn't matter how
chaotic or
earthshattering the events of each show are -- by the time the next week's episode airs, everything will be back to the
status quo again. This has been
parodied in the past -- in "
South Park", for example,
Kenny gets killed in every show, but the status quo keeps
resurrecting him in time for the next program. Continuity often does move forward, slowly, on long-running programs. Some characters will
die, or
get married, or
move away, but for the most part, the fact that things never seem to
change in sitcoms keeps viewers seeking simple
escapism from quitting the show.
A few good examples of sitcoms (and by "good examples", I mean programs that are actually
funny and worth watching) include "
I Love Lucy", "
Futurama", "
Seinfeld", "
The Simpsons", "
The Drew Carey Show", "
M*A*S*H", "
King of the Hill", "
Malcolm in the Middle", "
All in the Family", and "
Community."
((cue laugh track)) ((cue family hug))