After a long day at work, there's no better way to relax than to watch a comedy on TV. A good laugh, after all, helps you to forget about the stresses of the day. Some classic TV sitcoms have even helped to change the way people look at certain issues but did it by using humor, so that people didn't even realize that their perspective changed.
The humor in a sitcom normally comes from the situations in which the characters find themselves. This is why the genre is more formally known as the situation comedy. One of the great American classics in the genre was 'I Love Lucy' in the Fifties, while lines from the British 'Fawlty Towers' from the Seventies are still quoted even by people who've never seen this hilarious show.
The focus of many popular sitcoms has been the family. This was especially the case in the USA in the Seventies and Eighties, with shows like 'The Brady Bunch', 'Eight Is Enough', 'Family Ties' and 'The Cosby Show'. These families were usually the traditional idea of what a family should be, with a mom, a dad and several children, and fit in with the 'family values' spirit of the time.
The reality of today is that more and more families consist of single parents. Even in the Eighties there were already shows that featured this type of family, such as 'Kate and Allie' and 'Full House'. More people also look after their elderly parents and a great example of a show that explored relationships in a family where all the members were adults was 'Frasier'.
Especially since the late Eighties, there were also many shows that featured a new type of urban family, where the characters are groups of friends instead of relatives. These friends often found support from one another while trying to survive in a big city such as New York. Three very popular shows in this vein have been 'Seinfeld', 'Friends' and 'How I Met Your Mother'.
Cultural differences can make for some great laughs, as proved by the old British sitcom 'Mind Your Language', about an eclectic group of immigrants learning English. However, shows that used this theme have been very helpful in creating cultural tolerance and understanding. 'Aliens in America', for instance, featured a Muslim exchange student from Pakistan, at a time when many in the Western world feared Islam.
The most unexpected settings can provide hit comedies. For example, nobody would have thought that war could provide as many laughs as it did in 'MASH'. The interesting thing about this show set against the backdrop of a Korean War field hospital was that it's actually very common for doctors and nurses in a war situation to try and alleviate the stress through madcap antics.
There are different ways in which to watch those old classics again. Some TV channels will air reruns and even show back-to-back episodes. You can also get many series on DVD. Another option is to stream the episodes live via the internet.
The humor in a sitcom normally comes from the situations in which the characters find themselves. This is why the genre is more formally known as the situation comedy. One of the great American classics in the genre was 'I Love Lucy' in the Fifties, while lines from the British 'Fawlty Towers' from the Seventies are still quoted even by people who've never seen this hilarious show.
The focus of many popular sitcoms has been the family. This was especially the case in the USA in the Seventies and Eighties, with shows like 'The Brady Bunch', 'Eight Is Enough', 'Family Ties' and 'The Cosby Show'. These families were usually the traditional idea of what a family should be, with a mom, a dad and several children, and fit in with the 'family values' spirit of the time.
The reality of today is that more and more families consist of single parents. Even in the Eighties there were already shows that featured this type of family, such as 'Kate and Allie' and 'Full House'. More people also look after their elderly parents and a great example of a show that explored relationships in a family where all the members were adults was 'Frasier'.
Especially since the late Eighties, there were also many shows that featured a new type of urban family, where the characters are groups of friends instead of relatives. These friends often found support from one another while trying to survive in a big city such as New York. Three very popular shows in this vein have been 'Seinfeld', 'Friends' and 'How I Met Your Mother'.
Cultural differences can make for some great laughs, as proved by the old British sitcom 'Mind Your Language', about an eclectic group of immigrants learning English. However, shows that used this theme have been very helpful in creating cultural tolerance and understanding. 'Aliens in America', for instance, featured a Muslim exchange student from Pakistan, at a time when many in the Western world feared Islam.
The most unexpected settings can provide hit comedies. For example, nobody would have thought that war could provide as many laughs as it did in 'MASH'. The interesting thing about this show set against the backdrop of a Korean War field hospital was that it's actually very common for doctors and nurses in a war situation to try and alleviate the stress through madcap antics.
There are different ways in which to watch those old classics again. Some TV channels will air reruns and even show back-to-back episodes. You can also get many series on DVD. Another option is to stream the episodes live via the internet.
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