Asitcom (short forsituation comedy orsituational comedy) is agenre ofcomedy produced forradio andtelevision, that centers on a recurring cast ofcharacters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home, workplace, or community. Unlikesketch comedy, which features different characters and settings in each skit, sitcoms typically maintain plot continuity across episodes. This continuity allows for the development of storylines and characters over time, fostering audience engagement and investment in the characters' lives and relationships.
The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such asfarces andcomedy of manners. These forms relied onrunning gags to generate humor, but the termsitcom emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s.[1]
Critics have debated the exact definition of a sitcom, mostly regarding productions created at the turn of the 21st century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use asingle-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, instead more resembling documentaries or thecomedy-dramas of the 1980s and 1990s.[4]
Although there have been few long-running Australian-made sitcoms, many American and British sitcoms have been successful in Australia, since sitcoms are considered a staple of the government broadcasterAustralian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In the 1970s and 1980s many British sitcoms also screened on theSeven Network. By 1986, UK comediesBless This House andAre You Being Served? had been re-screened several times byABC Television; they were then acquired and screened by the Seven Network.[5]
In 1981,Daily at Dawn was the first Australian comedy series to feature a regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie).[6]
In 2007,Kath & Kim's first episode of series 4 attracted an Australian audience of 2.521 million nationally.[9] This was the highest rating for a first episode in the history of Australian television,[9] until the series premiere ofUnderbelly: A Tale of Two Cities in 2009, which garnered 2.58 million viewers.[10]
In 2013,Please Like Me received an invitation to screen at theSeries Mania Television Festival in Paris,[11] was praised by critics,[12] and earned numerous awards and nominations.[13]
Also in 2013,At Home with Julia was criticized by severalsocial commentators as inappropriately disrespectful to the office of the Prime Minister.[14] The show nevertheless proved very popular with both television audiences and critics, becoming the most-watched Australian scripted comedy series of 2011.[15][16] It was nominated at the 2012Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Television Comedy Series.[17]
Although there have been several notable exceptions, relatively few Canadian sitcoms attained notable success in Canada or internationally.[18] Canadian television has had much greater success withsketch comedy anddramedy series.[18]
The popular showKing of Kensington aired from 1975 to 1980, at its peak garnering an average of 1.5 to 1.8 million viewers weekly.[19]
The 1999 movieTrailer Park Boys was followed up by a television series of the same name 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 one million viewers per episode.[20] It has been the recipient of sixGemini Awards and has been nominated almost 70 times for various awards.[21]
On Tiptoes andShabhaye Barareh were among the first and most important sitcoms that led to the growth of this type of comedy in Iran, both receiving wide critical and audience acclaim.
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 popularity peak during the mid-1970s.[30] The show continues to be popular inCentral America as well as in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, the United States, and other countries.Syndicated episodes average 91 million daily viewers in all its American markets. Since it ceased production in 1992,[31][32] the show has earned an estimated $1 billion in syndication fees alone forTelevisa.[32]
Gliding On, a popular sitcom in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won multiple awards during its run including Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Direction at theFeltex Awards.[33]
The firstRussian sitcom series was "Strawberry", which resembled "Duty Pharmacy" in a Spanish format. It was aired from 1996 to 1997 on theRTR channel. The "boom" of Russian sitcoms began only in the 2000s, when in 2004, theSTS started the highly successful sitcom "My Fair Nanny" (an adaptation of the American sitcom "The Nanny"). Since that time, sitcoms in Russia have been produced by the two largest entertainment channels in the country —STS andTNT. 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).
Sitcoms, or "시트콤" in Korean, gained significant popularity in South Korea during the 1990s. This popularity was fueled by the success of shows such asDr. Oh's People,LA Arirang, andMen and Women.
The use ofcomputer graphics (CG) in sitcoms began to increase in the late 1990s as more broadcasters adopted CG technology. This led to more visually dynamic and creative sitcoms.
However, viewer preferences shifted towards dramas and thrillers in the 2010s, resulting in a decline in sitcom popularity. Nevertheless, there have been recent efforts to revive the sitcom genre. For instance,Netflix releasedSo Not Worth It in 2021, featuring many creators from popular South Korean sitcoms.
Popular South Korean sitcoms include theHigh Kick series, which has spawned several spin-offs.
British sitcoms, like their American counterparts, often revolve around a core group of characters who interact in a recurring setting, such as a family, workplace, or institution. However, British sitcoms typically consist of shorter series, often six episodes, and are frequently developed by a smaller writing team.
The majority ofBritish sitcoms are half-hour comedies recorded in studio settings using a multiple-camera setup. While many adhere to traditional sitcom conventions, some have ventured into more unconventional territory. For exampleYes Minister/Yes, Prime Minister shifted the focus from domestic or workplace settings to the world of politics.
Sitcoms, or situation comedies, made their debut in the United States in 1926 with the radio showSam 'n' Henry. The subsequent success ofAmos 'n' Andy, also created byFreeman Gosden andCharles Correll, solidified the sitcom's place in American radio programming.
The transition to television brought about significant changes in the sitcom format.Mary Kay and Johnny, which premiered in 1947, became the first American television sitcom. Today, American sitcoms typically run for 22 minutes, allowing for approximately eight minutes of advertising within a 30-minute time slot.
Throughout their history, American sitcoms have often drawn inspiration from British counterparts. Popular shows such asAll in the Family,Three's Company, andSanford and Son were adapted from successful British series. More recently,The Office achieved significant popularity in theUnited States, following the success of its British counterpart.
Numerous television networks in theUnited States feature sitcoms in their programming.CBS,TBS,Nickelodeon, andDisney Channel are just a few examples, however many of them are beginning to move to digital formats.[41]
Asplin, Richard (2004).Gagged (A Thriller with Jokes). Arrow books.ISBN0-09-941685-9. 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.
Lewisohn, Mark (2003)Radio Times' Guide to TV Comedy. 2nd Ed. Revised – BBC Consumer Publishing.ISBN0-563-48755-0, 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.ISBN83-231-1812-4.
Starman, Ray (2014).The Sitcom Class Wars: 20th Century. Troy, NY: The Troy Bookmakers. History and analysis of 60 classic American sitcoms. Also includes a glossary for easy access. Photos for every program.
