Aspects of TV Sitcoms

No matter what they're into, most people have followed a sitcom in some point in their life, and continue to do so today. Sitcoms are fun shows that don't really bring up deep, controversial issues, but instead provide easy entertainment that everyone can enjoy. The main aspects of sitcoms include that it is episodic, thirty minutes long, funny, and hyperbolic.

Sitcoms are episodic, meaning that the shows end where they begin. No serious change is developed within characters or plot from episode to episode. For example, if a character is very sick in one episode, they will not still be sick in the following episode. Furthermore, until recently, Bonnie of Family Guy was pregnant for maybe six seasons or more. Each episode of a sitcom is usually only half an hour, explaining why there is not much character growth and plot development between episodes. As a result, writers must instead rely on a funny storyline to keep the episodes entertaining. Of course, the sitcoms are always funny, but they are due to the hyperbolism and absurdity shown in each episode. Characters are put into exaggerated and unrealistic situations, creating absurd conflicts that provide for entertainment. This hyperbolism and absurdity leads to a sort of predictable and repeated pattern visible in every sitcom. While watching a sitcom episode, one is able to predict the conflicts that will arise before they occur. However, all this put aside, sitcoms are still incredibly entertaining for all.

One particular sitcom that I've always enjoyed is Everybody Loves Raymond. It is a sitcom characterized by Raymond's struggle to deal with his hyperbolic nosy, in-your-face mother who just doesn't get it, his jealous brother always moping over Raymond's success, and his wife who he manages to piss off in almost every episode. Raymond is always put in hyperbolic situations, in which he attempts to please everyone in his family and their conflicting views. In one episode he may have to sneak around both his mother and wife, or in another his parents would drive a car through his living room. Episodes were each a half hour long, and none of the conflicts between characters would carry from one episode to another. Deborah and Raymond's mother would fight like never before, but would be back to peace by the end of each episode. The absurdity, hyperbolic situations, and episodic format made this show is one of my favorite sitcoms.