Comedy drama, also known by the
portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a
genre of dramatic works that combines elements of
comedy and
drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple
comic relief seen in a typical hour-long legal or medical drama, but exhibit far fewer jokes-per-minute as in a typical half-hour
sitcom.
In the United States
Examples from United States television include: ''
M*A*S*H
''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker.
The ...
'', ''
Moonlighting
Moonlighting may refer to:
* Side job, a job taken in addition to one's primary employment
Entertainment
* ''Moonlighting'' (film), a 1982 drama film by Jerzy Skolimowski
* ''Moonlighting'' (TV series), 1985–1989 American television series, s ...
'', ''
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'', ''
Northern Exposure
''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...
'', ''
Ally McBeal'', ''
Sex and the City'', ''
Desperate Housewives
''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
'' and ''
Scrubs
Scrub(s) may refer to:
* Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland
* Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff
* ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program
* Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...
''. The term "dramedy" was coined to describe the late 1980s wave of shows, including ''
The Wonder Years'', ''
Hooperman'', ''
Doogie Howser, M.D.'' and ''
Frank's Place''.
See also
*
List of comedy drama television series
*
Black comedy
*
Dramatic structure
*
Melodrama
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
*
Seriousness
*
Tragicomedy
*
Psychological drama
References
Comedy drama
Drama
Drama genres
Portmanteaus
Film genres
Television genres
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