SITCOM

Sitcom

Sitcom

Introduction

The situational comedy or sitcom is comedic radio and television program, with constant main characters and the scene of action. Situation comedy, or sitcom, appeared in America in the 20s of the last century. Originally it had been setting for the radio, but then they gradually moved to television screens, and later in the 70s, with few exceptions, the genre was a television comedy For television sitcoms characterized certain time frame - usually 20-30 minutes, including titles and ads (if any). The first sitcom, usually filmed in a studio before an audience, so they typical voice-over laughter. Situation comedies have appeared in the 1920's on American radio (Lewisohn, 2003). According to the twelfth edition of Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, the term sitcom appeared in 1951, showing the comedy “I Love Lucy.” Situation comedies have become part of the culture is in its early days. Sitcoms began in the family and remain family-oriented.

The Ricardos,” I Love Lucy (1951 - 1957)

In addition to being a pioneer of the multi-camera set-up, and one of the most popular sitcoms ever, I Love Lucy was also one of the first television programs to feature a pregnancy. When Lucille Ball became pregnant IRL, she and Desi made the groundbreaking decision write it into the storyline. CBS forbid them from saying the word 'pregnancy,' so the cast had to use euphemisms like “expecting” or like in the clip below “a blessed event.”

“The Cleavers,” Leave it Beaver (1957 - 1963)

One of the first sitcoms told from the kids' point-of-view, Leave It to Beaver also represented an idealized portrait of suburban bliss. It was a quintessential piece of Baby Boomer lore, extolling the virtues of hard work and marriage. The whole idea of suburban life was a fairly new concept to see on primetime television (Sterling, 2008).

“The Petries,” The Dick van Dyke Show (1961 - 1968)

Like the previous sitcom, DVDS was named after its star whose name has nothing to do with the actual show. A sterling leader in the golden age of 60's sitcoms, the Dick van Dyke Show also showed the dichotomy and parallels of the workplace vs. the home-place. Creator Carl Reiner based the show on his experience writing for Show of Shows, and in a precociously meta ending - variety show writer Rob Petrie (Dick van Dyke) sells his life story to a television network to be turned into a sitcom.

“The Bradys,” The Brady Bunch (1969 -1974)

Sherwood Schwartz's sitcom about Astroturf was hardly a hit when it first aired, cancelled after only five seasons. Its real contribution as a game-changer was its emphasis on the blended family, at a time when divorce rates were on the rise.

“The Bunkers,” All in the Family (1971 - 1979)

Meet the Grand Poobah of Game-changers. All in the Family aired during a tumultuous decade for the US, and reflected that in its themes. Working-class bigot Archie Bunker is a far cry from Ward Cleaver. It broke all kinds of new grounds, not just for the sitcom genre, but for broadcast ...