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Sitcoms
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new characters in each sketch, and stand-up comedy, where a comedian tells jokes and stories to an audience. Sitcoms originated in radio, but today are found mostly on television as one of its dominant narrative forms. A situation comedy television program 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. Critics disagree over the utility of the term "sitcom" in classifying shows that have come into existence since the turn of the century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use the single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, thus often resembling the dramedy shows of the 1980s and 1990s rather ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laugh Track
A laugh track (or laughter track) is a separate soundtrack for a recorded comedy show containing the sound of audience laughter. In some productions, the laughter is a live audience response instead; in the United States, where it is most commonly used, the term usually implies artificial laughter (canned laughter or fake laughter) made to be inserted into the show. This was invented by American sound engineer Charles "Charley" Douglass. The Douglass laugh track became a standard in mainstream television in the U.S., dominating most prime-time sitcoms and sketch comedies from the late 1950s to the late 1970s. Usage of the Douglass laughter decreased by the 1980s when stereophonic laughter was provided by rival sound companies as well as the overall practice of single-camera sitcoms eliminating audiences altogether. History in the United States Radio Before radio and television, audiences experienced live comedy performances in the presence of other audience members. Radio and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Are You Being Served?
''Are You Being Served?'' is a British sitcom created and written by executive producer David Croft (Croft also directed some episodes) and Jeremy Lloyd, with contributions from Michael Knowles and John Chapman, for the BBC. Set in London, the show follows the misadventures and mishaps of the staff of the retail ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments in the flagship department store of a fictional chain called Grace Brothers. The series was broadcast on the BBC for ten series, totalling 69 episodes between 8 September 1972 and 1 April 1985 – and included five Christmas specials. There was also a 1977 film, a spin-off series '' Grace & Favour'' with the same main cast in 1991–1992, and a one-off episode with a new cast in 2016. Since its original release, all 69 episodes, the pilot, the Christmas specials, the sequel and the film have been released on DVD. ''Are You Being Served?'' was a success in the UK audience ratings. The series was screened in Canada, New ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
I Love Lucy
''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian Vance and William Frawley. The series followed the life of Lucy Ricardo (Ball), a young, middle-class housewife living in New York City, who often concocted plans with her best friends and landlords, Ethel and Fred Mertz (Vance and Frawley), to appear alongside her bandleader husband, Ricky Ricardo (Arnaz), in his nightclub. Lucy is depicted trying numerous schemes to mingle with and be a part of show business. After the series ended in 1957, a modified version of the show continued for three more seasons, with 13 one-hour specials, which ran from 1957 to 1960. It was first known as ''The Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Show,'' and later, in reruns, as '' The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour''. ''I Love Lucy'' became the most-watched show in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Studio Audience
A studio audience is an audience present for the recording of all or part of a television program or radio program. The primary purpose of the studio audience is to provide applause and/or laughter to the program's soundtrack (as opposed to canned laughter). In the United States, tickets to be a part of a studio audience are usually given away. However, as an enticement to attend, one or more members of the audience may be selected to win a prize, which is usually provided by a manufacturer in exchange for an advertisement, usually at the end of the show. Some game shows, such as ''Let's Make a Deal'' and '' The Price is Right'', select contestants directly from the studio audience. For sitcom/sketch comedy shows like ''All in the Family'', ''Saturday Night Live'' and '' Happy Days'' (for indoor scenes), the use of a live studio audiences essentially turns them into de facto stage productions while shooting individual scenes, with minor problems like the audience applauding or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Single-camera Setup
The single-camera setup, or single-camera mode of production, also known as portable single camera, is a method of filmmaking and video production. The single-camera setup originally developed during the birth of the classical Hollywood cinema in the 1910s and has remained the standard mode of production for cinema. In television production, both single-camera and multiple-camera methods are commonly used. Description In this setup, each of the various shots and camera angles are taken using the same camera, or multiple cameras pointed in one direction, which are moved and reset to get each shot or new angle. If a scene cuts back and forth between actor A and actor B, the director will first point the camera toward A and run part or all of the scene from this angle, then move the camera to point at B, relight, and then run the scene through from this angle. Choices can then be made during the post-production editing process for when in the scene to use each shot, and when to cu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bless This House (UK TV Series)
''Bless This House'' is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 2 February 1971 to 22 April 1976. Starring Sid James and Diana Coupland, it was created by Vince Powell and Harry Driver, but mainly written by other hands including Dave Freeman and Carla Lane. It was made for the ITV network by Thames Television. In 2004, ''Bless This House'' was ranked by a BBC poll as the 67th Best British Sitcom. Synopsis ''Bless This House'' centres on life in Howard Road, New Malden, where travelling stationery salesman Sid Abbott and his wife Jean live with their teenagers: Mike is fresh from art college and more pre-occupied with protests than finding a job; and trendy schoolgirl Sally. Mike is 18 and Sally is 16, at the series' start. Sid and Jean constantly battle to comprehend the new generation's permissive ways and are usually out-of-touch. Their neighbours and best friends are Trevor Lewis and his wife Betty. A total of 65 episodes of ''Bless This House'' were produced between 197 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pinwright's Progress
''Pinwright's Progress'' is a British television sitcom that aired on the BBC Television Service from 1946 to 1947 and was the world's first regular half-hour televised sitcom. The ten episodes, which aired fortnightly in alternation with '' Kaleidoscope'', were broadcast live from the BBC studios at Alexandra Palace. Still photographs are all that remain of the show's transmitted form. ''Pinwright's Progress'' was written by Rodney Hobson, produced and directed by John Glyn-Jones and the script editor was Ted Kavanagh, who also wrote the BBC radio comedy series ''It's That Man Again''. Cast * James Hayter as Mr J. Pinwright * Clarence Wright as Aubrey *Sara Gregory as Sally Doolittle *Daphne Maddox as Miss Peasbody *Doris Palmer as Mrs Sigsbee * Leonard Sharp as Ralph *Benita Lydal as Mrs Rackstraw *Charles Irwin as Salesman * Jill Christie as Pinwright's daughter [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sketch Comedy
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is used widely in variety shows, comedy talk shows, and some sitcoms and children's television series. The sketches may be improvised live by the performers, developed through improvisation before public performance, or scripted and rehearsed in advance like a play. Sketch comedians routinely differentiate their work from a "skit", maintaining that a skit is a (single) dramatized joke (or "bit") while a sketch is a comedic exploration of a concept, character, or situation. definition 3b, Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved 5/4/2019 History Sketch comedy has its origins in[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daily At Dawn
''Daily at Dawn'' was an Australian sitcom that screened in 1981 on the Seven Network. The series was written and produced by Gary Reilly and Tony Sattler, the team behind other popular Australian comedy series such as ''Kingswood Country'', '' Hey Dad..!'' and ''The Naked Vicar Show''. Synopsis The series was set in the office of a metropolitan newspaper. It was the first Australian comedy series to feature a regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie).Howes, Keith. (1998, February). "Gays of Our Lives". Outrage, Number 177, 38-49. Cast * Noeline Brown as Phil Maguire * Paul Chubb as Russell Ducke * Terry Bader as Leslie Windrush * Henri Szeps as Joe Parker * Julieanne Newbould Julieanne Newbould (born 1957) is an Australian actress who first came to prominence in the 1970s. Newbould was 16 years old when she played Karen in the 1974 ABC telemovie ''Lindsay’s Boy''. She then worked in several television series for t ... as Kate Ashton * Robert Hughes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mother And Son
''Mother and Son'' is an Australian television sitcom that was broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from 16 January 1984 until 21 March 1994. The show stars Ruth Cracknell, Garry McDonald, Henri Szeps and Judy Morris. It featured many Australian actors of the time in guest roles. It was created and written by Geoffrey Atherden. Its theme song features the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, playing to "I Want a Girl", a jazz standard which was recorded by Al Jolson in the 1920s. A stage version of ''Mother and Son'' was written by Geoffrey Atherden and premiered at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne on 18 July 2014. In November 2022, it was announced the series will be given an eight-episode remake with Denise Scott and Matt Okine set to play Maggie and Arthur, respectively. Premise The plot of the show addresses the problems of ageing and caring for somebody with increasing memory loss, with an often sharp-edged humour which carried with it a tinge of sadness. D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kath & Kim
''Kath & Kim,'' (also written as ''Kath and Kim'') is an Australian sitcom created by Jane Turner and Gina Riley, who portray the title characters of Kath Day-Knight, a cheery, middle-aged suburban mother, and Kim, her self-indulgent daughter. The cast also includes Glenn Robbins, Peter Rowsthorn and Magda Szubanski as, respectively, Kath's metrosexual boyfriend (later husband) Kel Knight, Kim's henpecked husband Brett Craig, and her lonely "second-best friend" Sharon Strzelecki. The series is set in Fountain Lakes, a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. Footage inside and in the street of Kath's house was primarily filmed in Patterson Lakes. Other footage was filmed around Cheltenham and Moorabbin; scenes set at Fountain Gate were actually filmed at Westfield Southland. Aside from the television series, which ran from 2002 to 2007 and comprises four seasons, the franchise also includes a television film, '' Da Kath & Kim Code'' (2005), and a feature film, ''Kath & ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia and "the most widely-read masthead in the country." The newspaper is published in compact print form from Monday to Saturday as ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' and on Sunday as its sister newspaper, '' The Sun-Herald'' and digitally as an online site and app, seven days a week. It is considered a newspaper of record for Australia. The print edition of ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' is available for purchase from many retail outlets throughout the Sydney metropolitan area, most parts of regional New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South East Queensland. Overview ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' publishes a variety of supplements, including the magazines ''Good Weekend'' (included in the Saturday edition of ''Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
