Situation Comedies Unit 3 TV Buzz n Sitcoms
Situation Comedies Unit 3
TV Buzz n Sitcoms typically begin with the introduction of dramatic tension. n One or two characters find themselves in a predicament, often the result of the characters’ own shortcomings. n The remainder of the show is then devoted to resolving this tension. n A common ingredient of comedy is having unexpected things happen.
TV Buzz n n Setting n Tend to be relatively low-budget programs in terms of sets n Probably a home, an office, or a bar/restaurant Characters n Older situation comedies featured the “nuclear family” (dad, mom, and children) n Most today focus on a group of people who are roughly the same age
The Formulas of Situation Comedies n A formula is a way of assembling something by adding different elements to achieve a fairly standard result. n What would you say is the formula for a good sit-com?
That Person Is Crazy n A large part of the humor in a situation comedy comes from a character responding in a uncommon way to a common situation. n Some situation comedies feature characters who do this all the time. n These characters are typically called “crazy” or “weird” or “zany”.
Sit-coms as Stories n As do literature and plays, most sit-coms have a narrative structure-they’re organized to tell a story n The narrative structure of most sit-coms is usually linear (beginning, middle, and end)
www. scenesmoking. org n n n Skip intro Top 10 ten videos/DVDs Top left—Data Middle– Advanced Search Start search n n Years MPAA Rating – G, PG 13 Smoking Incidents Search Now
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