Lara Glennon is an aspiring screenwriter looking to share her love and passion for all things film and television. She aims to use her writing to shine a light on artists who are working to make change, both in media and in the world. The Hollywood Insider’s focus on substance over gossip is perfect for Lara, as she wants to highlight the good in the world and those who create it. She enjoys spending her time creating and consuming art, searching for unique voices and ideas in media.
Sep 4, 2024
Table of Contents
Sitcoms have been around for nearly as long as television itself. As television sets became the most beloved household item entering the 1950s, viewers embraced the intimacy of bringing visual media into their homes. As more and more people tuned in, networks needed content to air, and the rise of comedy coincided perfectly. The term sitcom (or situational comedy) was coined in 1944 and by the early 1950s the sitcom was dominating the prime-time circuit. The genre began flourishing decades ago, yet it still remains among the most popular genres today. So, how did the sitcom achieve this incredible feat?
Varying Situations, Constant Comedy
The evidence that the sitcom would be here to stay comes from the name itself. The situational comedy lends itself perfectly to being constantly edited and adapted to modern times and audiences. It’s a simple format – a group of regular, recurring characters are placed in a humorous situation. From there, the series could go anywhere. The unique, comedic situation the characters find themselves in in the pilot acts as a catalyst for whichever direction the series goes. In the 1950s, the domestic sitcom was the most popular, bringing the characters’ homes into the viewers’ homes. Today, the variety within the genre is wide, rich, and constantly satisfying.
Modern sitcoms can take place just about anywhere and in any situation. We still have classic domestic sitcoms like ‘Blackish,’ ‘Fresh off the Boat,’ and just about every Disney Channel and Nickelodeon sitcom. But the genre is much more diverse than that. For example, ‘The Good Place’ brings us into the afterlife, introducing an entirely different world of demons and immortal beings (despite being called mundane names like accountants, architects, and Janets). ‘The Good Place’ was wildly successful and brought some of the best modern network comedy, as it broke the mold for what setting, or universe, a sitcom can take place in.
The comedic value of these series remains no matter what the situation is. Workplace comedies like ‘The Office’ and ‘30 Rock’ are just as successful as animated sitcoms like ‘BoJack Horseman’ and ‘Central Park.’ The genre has something for everyone as it lends itself perfectly to subgenres, never sacrificing its heart to accommodate for evolution.
Many sitcoms revolve heavily around a group of friends, be it an ensemble cast or a single protagonist with their own friends. As the episodes and seasons progress the viewer becomes intimately acquainted with these characters and it’s easy to feel like you’re a part of that group. Some of the most iconic sitcoms, ‘Friends,’ ‘Cheers,’ ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ etc, all surround a single group of people, all friends, all regulars, who the viewer can relate to and feel as though they’re friends with the characters as well. We see these friends go through all the ups and downs, trials and tribulations of their lives, navigating relationships and family matters and growing as a person as the seasons go by.
Personally, my favorite sitcoms are ‘New Girl,’ ‘That 70s Show,’ and ‘The Good Place.’ The commonality of these series is that they all consist of an ensemble cast of friends. Though these groups may be unlikely or form in vastly different ways, the heart remains the same. The characters all care deeply for each other and act as a common center in each storyline. Individual characters may have storylines that take them outside of the group, but they always come back to their friends. No matter how much time passes between the show’s release and your viewing of it, friends stay the same. The relationships between the characters are timeless and relatable, friendship is a given in any time period.
No matter the decade, people will always need an escape. Whether it be from work, school, family, or any everyday stressors, sitcoms were built for escapism. When you’re watching a sitcom the problems are never too deep, everything is more comedic than serious. Watching a classic will they, won’t they, or an idiotic, yet harmless scheme takes the viewer out of reality and into the world of the show, engaging but lighthearted. No matter what situation the characters find themselves in, they always get back to where they need to be, wrapped up neatly in 22 minutes.
The nature of the sitcom means that characters infrequently learn from their mistakes, never straying too far from the most basic elements of their characterization. Michael Scott will always be oblivious, Red Forman will always be a grouch. It’s easy to watch when you know exactly what to expect. In a serialized drama the viewer is often left wondering what will happen next, if the characters will be okay, or, in many cases, if everyone will survive until the next episode. This isn’t the case in sitcoms, there’s no need for a large amount of worry or stress; everything will be just fine.
It seems that good sitcoms never die. I watch episodes of ‘I Love Lucy’ and ‘All in the Family’ for nearly every media class I take. There seems to be an episode of ‘Friends’ playing on cable at any given moment. These shows stay relevant because anyone can pick it up at any moment. Sitcoms follow a formula, the bones of an episode are constant from series to series. The characters fit tropes and fill the same basic roles, and similar storylines can be seen in a variety of series. Essentially, someone can begin watching any given episode of any given sitcom and enjoy the experience. While prior knowledge of plotlines and character arcs are helpful, they aren’t 100% necessary to still have a pleasant viewing.
Aside from returns, streaming allows people to pick up a sitcom for the first time even if it’s off the air. I spent a summer watching ‘Boy Meets World’ after catching one clip from the series on TikTok, and that clip was enough to get me hooked. I had never seen an episode before and knew next to nothing about the show, but Disney+ and social media worked hand in hand to get me invested nearly thirty years after the series hit the air. If someone catches a rerun or a clip online, the nature of a sitcom will make it enjoyable regardless of prior knowledge, and they can take to streaming and experience the show in its entirety.
Sitcoms are the perfect mixture of a classic form and new, updated premises and storylines. As time passes, shows become more diverse, more complex in characterization and story arcs, but the nature of the sitcom never changes. If you love a sitcom from today, it’s likely that you’ll love a sitcom from years before. The comfort of humor, friends, and bringing characters into your home seems like it’ll never get old. It definitely still feels new to me.
By Lara Glennon
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Lara Glennon is an aspiring screenwriter looking to share her love and passion for all things film and television. She aims to use her writing to shine a light on artists who are working to make change, both in media and in the world. The Hollywood Insider's focus on substance over gossip is perfect for Lara, as she wants to highlight the good in the world and those who create it. She enjoys spending her time creating and consuming art, searching for unique voices and ideas in media.
Lara Glennon is an aspiring screenwriter looking to share her love and passion for all things film and television. She aims to use her writing to shine a light on artists who are working to make change, both in media and in the world. The Hollywood Insider’s focus on substance over gossip is perfect for Lara, as she wants to highlight the good in the world and those who create it. She enjoys spending her time creating and consuming art, searching for unique voices and ideas in media.
Lara Glennon is an aspiring screenwriter looking to share her love and passion for all things film and television. She aims to use her writing to shine a light on artists who are working to make change, both in media and in the world. The Hollywood Insider’s focus on substance over gossip is perfect for Lara, as she wants to highlight the good in the world and those who create it. She enjoys spending her time creating and consuming art, searching for unique voices and ideas in media.
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