One of the best stress relievers in the world is laughter. This is why it's so relaxing to watch a really funny comedy when you need to wind down after a day at work. There are many comedy shows on television and while they keep the laughs coming, classic TV sitcoms have also helped to change society's attitudes.
Unlike many other genres of comedy, the sitcom creates the laughs through several characters who find themselves in a certain situation. In fact, the word 'sitcom' is derived from 'situation comedy'. TV sitcoms started after World War 2 and there have been some truly great shows, such as 'I Love Lucy' and 'Fawlty Towers'. Sometimes lines from these shows were even taken up by popular culture.
A recurring theme in the history of sitcoms is that of family life. Often that family consists of a man and woman as the parents to several children. This type of set-up was very popular in the Eighties, when the Reagan administration focused on family values such as those shown by the Keatons in 'Family Ties' and the Huxtables in 'The Cosby Show'.
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'.
As young people move to cities like New York, they leave behind their families and need to find a new support system that they can count on. The urban family that is made up of unmarried friends started featuring in shows such as 'Seinfeld' and the trend continued with 'Friends' and later with 'How I Met Your Mother'. 'Will and Grace' broke new ground by making two of its main characters openly gay.
With migration across borders, people are increasingly exposed to different cultures. The Seventies British show 'Mind Your Language' explored the theme of culture, with its mishmash of characters from different countries trying to learn English while adapting to life in England. In the USA, one way of dispelling fears of Muslims and Islam was through 'Aliens in America', where one of the lead characters was a teenage Muslim boy from Pakistan.
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.
If you want to watch a classic sitcom again, you have different options. One is to be on the lookout for reruns on television. Another is to buy a DVD of a particular series. Even easier, however, is to find a website that will allow you to stream your favorite shows live.
Unlike many other genres of comedy, the sitcom creates the laughs through several characters who find themselves in a certain situation. In fact, the word 'sitcom' is derived from 'situation comedy'. TV sitcoms started after World War 2 and there have been some truly great shows, such as 'I Love Lucy' and 'Fawlty Towers'. Sometimes lines from these shows were even taken up by popular culture.
A recurring theme in the history of sitcoms is that of family life. Often that family consists of a man and woman as the parents to several children. This type of set-up was very popular in the Eighties, when the Reagan administration focused on family values such as those shown by the Keatons in 'Family Ties' and the Huxtables in 'The Cosby Show'.
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'.
As young people move to cities like New York, they leave behind their families and need to find a new support system that they can count on. The urban family that is made up of unmarried friends started featuring in shows such as 'Seinfeld' and the trend continued with 'Friends' and later with 'How I Met Your Mother'. 'Will and Grace' broke new ground by making two of its main characters openly gay.
With migration across borders, people are increasingly exposed to different cultures. The Seventies British show 'Mind Your Language' explored the theme of culture, with its mishmash of characters from different countries trying to learn English while adapting to life in England. In the USA, one way of dispelling fears of Muslims and Islam was through 'Aliens in America', where one of the lead characters was a teenage Muslim boy from Pakistan.
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.
If you want to watch a classic sitcom again, you have different options. One is to be on the lookout for reruns on television. Another is to buy a DVD of a particular series. Even easier, however, is to find a website that will allow you to stream your favorite shows live.