The Situational Comedy

One of the most popular programs on television is the situational comedy, or the sitcom. Ever since the birth of the television, the sitcom has kept audiences glued to their sets with its characters and stories. However, while the characters and stories have changed over the past sixty years, the basic formula of the sitcom has not varied much. One of the aspects of the sitcom that stood the test of time is the half hour long format. Unlike television dramas which are usually an hour long so as to allow certain character growth and more resolution in each episode, the sitcom has relied on half hour episodes. This is because in the typical sitcom there is hardly any character development or major resolution for each episode, therefore there is no need for a full hour episode. This lack of dramatic themes in the sitcom is evidence of its comedic basis. Sitcoms are written to funny to the audience, and an overuse of dramatic elements could alienate some audiences. In most sitcom episodes, the characters will encounter a minor problem which will resolved at the episode's end; until the resolution, many comedic elements are thrown in, including the characters' lines or the characters themselves.

One fine example of the situational comedy is Seinfeld, which aired from 1989 to 1998 on NBC. Seinfeld was a half hour long show that certainly did not dwell on character arcs or developments or lessons. The four main characters, Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer, simply encountered a minor problem, such as not getting a seat in a restaurant or dating a woman who ate her peas one at a time. At the end of the episode, the problem would usually be resolved but the characters themselves would never change. The show hardly dived into dramatic themes, and if it did then it would usually be dismissed as stupid by the characters. Using comedic story lines and characters, the show was successful in striking a funny bone in audiences.

Here is an episode of Seinfeld where Jerry dates a woman who only looks good in certain places:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xi9kgnvjQE&feature=related