How Well Do You Know Sitcoms Around the World?

Sitcoms: A Brief Overview by Country

• Sitcoms are a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode.
• Sitcoms can be recorded in front of a studio audience, depending on the program's production format.
• Critics disagree over the utility of the term "sitcom" in classifying shows that have come into existence since the turn of the century.
• The first television sitcom is said to be Pinwright's Progress, ten episodes being broadcast on the BBC in the United Kingdom between 1946 and 1947.
• Canada has generally fared poorly with their sitcom offerings, with relatively few Canadian sitcoms attaining notable success in Canada or internationally.
• Sitcoms started appearing on Indian television in the 1980s, and SAB TV is one of the leading channels of India dedicated entirely to Sitcoms.
• El Chavo del Ocho, which ran from 1971 to 1980, was the most watched show in the Mexican television and had a Latin American audience of 350 million viewers per episode at its peak of popularity during the mid-1970s.
• Gliding On, a popular sitcom in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won multiple awards over the course of its run.
• The majority of British sitcoms are 30 minutes long and are recorded on studio sets in a multiple-camera setup.
• The sitcom format was born in January 1926 with the initial broadcast of Sam 'n' Henry on WGN radio in Chicago, Illinois.
• American sitcoms are generally written to run a total of 22 minutes in length, leaving eight minutes for advertisements in a 30 minute timeslot.
• Some popular British shows have been successfully adapted for the US.
• On Tiptoes and Shabhaye Barareh were among the first and most important sitcoms that led to the growth of this type of comedy in Iran.

Test your knowledge of sitcoms from around the world with this brief overview quiz! From the first television sitcom to popular shows in India, Mexico, New Zealand, and more, this quiz covers the history and cultural significance of this beloved comedy genre. Challenge yourself to see how much you know about sitcoms by country and impress your friends with your newfound knowledge.