A sitcom is a popular genre of television series. He enjoys the well-deserved love of many viewers and has a pronounced social orientation. The creators of particularly successful sitcoms do not limit themselves to filming just one season of the series, and then it has been on TV for several years.
The term "sitcom" originated from the merger of the words "situational comedy". It is used to refer to TV shows that differ in a certain way from soap operas, as well as mystical, women's and detective series. Sitcoms are popular all over the world, so the most successful ones are often shown in prime time.
The story of the origin of the sitcom as a separate genre
Back in the 30s of the last century, a show appeared for the first time on one of the American radio stations - a kind of sitcom - only, of course, in audio format. The humorous production of "Sam and Henry" was a huge success. But officially the term "sitcom" became widespread only in the early 60s of the twentieth century. The cult television series "I Love Lucy" has become a classic of the American sitcom, has received many prestigious awards and has earned the warm love of millions of viewers.
Distinctive features of the sitcom
For such a genre as a sitcom, an almost unchanged cast is characteristic. All sorts of episodic characters appear in different episodes of the sitcom. In addition, there is a tendency to invite film, television and pop stars for filming in individual episodes, who, according to the plot of the series, most often play themselves.
Another feature of the sitcom is a separate story that is told to the viewer in each specific episode. At the same time, the main storyline - for example, the love story of the main characters of the sitcom - slowly but surely develops throughout each season of the series.
Finally, the most striking difference of the sitcom from other genres in which television series are filmed is the presence of offscreen laughter in especially successful, according to the scriptwriters, comedy scenes of each episode. The first American sitcoms were filmed in studios in which the audience was present, and offscreen laughter in them is nothing more than a natural reaction of people to the action taking place in front of them. And today, some American sitcoms are filmed that way.
Most Popular Sitcoms
The most famous sitcom, which has been nominated more than 40 times for the prestigious television Emmy awards and has also made young actress Jennifer Aniston a superstar, is the acclaimed television series Friends. Animated sitcoms such as "The Simpsons" and "South Park" are no less popular in different countries. In our country, at one time, the effect of a bomb exploded was produced by a remake of the famous American TV series "Married … with Children" called "Happy Together."
In addition to being entertaining, such series also carry out a social function, promoting values such as family, children, a warm and trusting atmosphere in the house. Therefore, the sitcom is a favorite genre of millions of people who want to turn their attention away from problems and relax while watching TV after a working day.
