Sitcoms, What makes you laugh? Options

[Daniel Jackson]

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd create a thread about sitcoms and ask what everyone thinks about them in general.

What is it about them that makes you laugh?

Is it the characters?

The dialogue?

The situation itself?

Slapstick humour?

A combination of factors?

Or something else?


If you want, you can site examples.

For me, it really is a combination of many factors. I like strong characters and witty dialogue. A unique situation that can bring the most out of and develop a character is quite important too.

The floor is open...

[Shadow]

Characters and witty dialogue for me as well. Those two elements make or break a show for me. You can have the most routine setting (like being stuck in traffic for example) but well defined character personalities and great dialogue can lift a show from barely entertaining to knee slapping classic.

[[ace]]

you sir, I believe, are talking about Seinfeld

[Waterloo]

The actors are what really sell anything for me. They can be the reason why I don't watch something or just as easily the reason why I do. Sometimes, a format or a large enough ensemble can hide weaknesses, but the sitcoms I like best have an exceptional cast, and the creators know how to write for them. How I Met Your Mother does not have as strong a comedic cast as Seinfeld, say, but the writing has worked out so well for how it was cast, I don't care in the least. Sometimes, if the material is too repetitive, it trumps a good cast, like My Name Is Earl (which was genius, but I couldn't watch it all the time) or The Office, which is a show that's consistently worth watching, but is pretty repetitive.