Page 57 - Sitcoms News Today

This chapter in television where we realized we were in the right place at the right time. >> lets see how you like this, naughty boy. >> we certainly associate nbc of the 90s with having extremely successful sitcoms, but they werent the only network that found their way to having some success. tgif was on abc on friday, and it was their block of family-oriented comedies. >> i cant take it. i need the cake. >> it was not sophisticated television. but these were shows that people adored. [ laughi...

>> also a boot. >> the workplace is endlessly fertile, yeah. >> reflecting society, reflecting all of our faults, and yet being able to laugh at ourselves. >> whether its "30 rock" doing a tv show or on a -- >> do not take off your seat belt. >> i forget about my bird. >> ill feed your bird. whats your birds name? >> these workplace comedies, they hit us in a very deep place. >> next stop, the moon. >> i have one seat in first class, and one in coach. >> oh, well, uh, ill take the first class. >...

Since America has long found it easier to laugh about sex than talk seriously about it, sitcom humor has had a critical role ushering in a new era of openness,...

>> "the dick van dyke show" was laugh out loud funny. >> "the dick van dyke show!" >> i can clearly remember it was "the dick van dyke" show, black and white. thats what got me into sitcoms. that was ground-breaking. >> first of all, you had carl reiner. >> carl reiner got his start on "your show of shows" with imogene coca and sid caesar. >> which was not a sitcom, it was a variety show. >> its supposed to be tent. >> the writers room abounded in talent. it just imbued carl with, thats a place,...

On "saturday night live" they couldnt do on a sitcom. the humor was more daring and more satirical, and it was political. >> you still have 50 seconds left, mr. president. >> let me just sum up. on track, stay the course, a thousand points of light, stay the course. >> governor dukakis, rebuttal? >> i cant believe im losing to this guy. [ phone rings ] >> ill get it. >> its the garry shandling show. >> people were taking the old principles of comedy and trying to turn them into something new. we...

Started, i was terrified of people finding out that im gay. there was no way i could be openly gay at that time. it would have been career suicide. >> i think being gay was admitting to someone that you could have aids. >> ultimately we didnt see very many lgbtq characters in sitcoms in the 80s. for most lgbt communities it was a very dark time. >> seems you had a transfusion while you were there. the hospital thinks the blood may have contained hiv antibodies. >> hiv, wait a minute. youre talki...

Since America has long found it easier to laugh about sex than talk seriously about it, sitcom humor has had a critical role ushering in a new era of openness,...

>> no, no. >> in the 90s, we saw a lot of sitcoms geared towards whole family viewing, and they shied away from the more political nature of the 1970s. >> every item here was carefully selected, this lamp by korbo, the chair by eames. >> but because social class is a part of someones identity that everyone can relate to, its one of the ways that sitcoms can reach the broadest audience >> delivery for martin crane. >> oh, in here! >> the idea of class structure in "frasier"... >> wait a minute! >...

>> yes, they are yellow towels. >> we all come into a family. we need a family, love them or hate them. thats who, you know, we were given. >> the success of "cosby" resurrected the sitcom. and because of that ushered in a lot of other great storytelling. when "the cosby show" went off the air, we did have other black family sitcoms to fill that void. and one of them was the "fresh prince," which was another version of aspirational black family wealth. >> i didnt know there were so many brothers...

These are high school and college kids watching the show in droves, and theyve never set foot in an office. >> and eventually i realize, okay, well this is because this is their experience in school. >> everything dwight does annoys me. >> did you get your tickets? >> to what? >> the gun show. >> you know, theyre put at a desk next to another kid who they may or may not like. that must be what theyre identifying with. >> i manage my department, and ive been doing that for several years now. and ...