Sitcoms: Situational Comedies

With the introduction of the radio in the 1920s, American television evolved dramatically. Television today is not simply for entertainment purposes, but rather it is a part of our culture, engaging viewers to universally be informed with the news, to have emotions towards television shows and dramas, and to find a sense of purpose or lifestyle with the adoption of watching recurring shows Americans enjoy. Television has the power to impact the audience’s perspectives as well as the technological and industrial perspectives. Sitcoms, in particular, create a relationship to its audience by providing them relief after watching even a single episode. They provide entertainment as an alternative to more serious or thorough topics
Its primary aim is to produce a sense of relief to the audience and be simply---funny. The content in sitcoms primarily incorporate actors and performers with stable roles that last throughout the run of the show. They are not glamorized like film and drama television stars and are famous for being perceived as a member of the audience, as in “average and ordinary”, Ultimately, sitcoms have a similar structure when it comes to identifying them. In an article from The Atlantic, journalist Noah Charney added that “Sitcoms, minus commercials, are typically 22 minutes long [with] a script of 25-40 pages. Every sitcom episode has a main plot (story A), as well as one or two subplots (stories B and C).” There are three main acts, divided by two commercial breaks (in most American TV), with 3-5 scenes per act. (Charney)” The content is not perplex to understand, making it easier for the audience to stay
Commonly, in sitcoms and animated shows such as The Office, Malcolm in the Middle and The Simpsons, the dynamic characters and actors in the show stay the same. Within short, half-hour long episodes the characters are approached with conflict and try to solve the matter. Since every episode is different, it does not feel as though the audience would miss something if they skipped a couple of episodes within a season. The shows Malcolm in the Middle and The Simpsons in particular, are more common in their format. They both center around an American family that takes on outrageous conflicts while keeping the family together. Although The Office also portrays the same characters throughout the show, it alternatively has complex and developing characters who grow with the show’s progressive seasons. The relatability with the characters on these shows are what draws Americans to see them. The situations that Malcolm and his family and the Simpsons tackle are common issues people in America deal with in their daily lives. Malcolm’s parents are of the working class, as is Homer and Marge Simpson, with Marge being a stay-at-home mom taking care of Maggie and the house. The townspeople of Springfield, where the Simpsons family live, incompasses residents from all different backgrounds, with different ethnicities, religions, social classes, ages and occupations. The environment of Dunder Mifflin’s