Sitcom Trivia Challenge

Definition of Sitcom

• A sitcom is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who carry over from episode to episode.
• Sitcom is a shortening of "situation comedy" or "situational comedy".

Comparison to Other Comedy Genres

• Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new characters in each sketch.
• Sitcoms differ from stand-up comedy, where a comedian tells jokes and stories to an audience.

Origins and Medium

• Sitcoms originated in radio.
• Today, sitcoms are mostly found on television as one of its dominant narrative forms.

Production Formats

• A sitcom may be recorded in front of a studio audience, depending on the program's production format.
• The effect of a live studio audience can be imitated or enhanced by the use of a laugh track.

Evolution of Sitcoms

• Critics disagree over the utility of the term "sitcom" in classifying shows that have come into existence since the turn of the 21st century.
• Many contemporary American sitcoms use the single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track.
• These sitcoms often resemble the dramedy shows of the 1980s and 1990s rather than traditional sitcoms.