2013 and we still are getting canned laughter coming out of US sitcoms.
Why?
Is it because the punchline is so weak we need to be guided to it?
Why?
Is it because the punchline is so weak we need to be guided to it?
FTA-TV Canned laughter...what's that all about
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Like this is unfunny and deserves canned laughter.
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US sitcoms need real laughs.
Like this-
Like this-
Kong
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Watched an episode of That 70's Show recently (not usually a fan) and I was enjoying it, until after about 10 minutes the canned laughter really started to irritate me.
I ended up stopping the episode because the laughter was just ruining it.
I ended up stopping the episode because the laughter was just ruining it.
The only down side of some really good UK shows
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I now appreciate that statement that ' **** is recorded in front of a live studio audience'.
when was in the US many years ago and we were at Universal studios got to sit in on a sit-com, cant remember the name of it, something to do with sercret service agents looking after the first lady, anyway it was bad not sure if it even made it Aust, but the producers told us to "laugh" at certain points/punch lines.so they prob mix the canned with some of the "live laughter"
The principle is that laughter is infectious, and it's legit. Studies have indicated that people find stuff up to 30 times funnier in groups than when they are alone. Basically because other people laughing is conducive to creating a mood in the room, and also other people laughing encourages people to pay more attention to the punchlines of jokes.
It really depends on the type of show. If the show has a lot of physical humour and one-liners, a laugh track is often a good fit. For shows with more complex jokes, often a laugh track is just intrusive. Single-camera comedies are often trying to make you feel like you are immersed in the world of the characters, which makes a laugh track a big no.
When it comes to your typical four-camera sitcom, I usually only find laugh tracks annoying when the show is already so bad that the 'fakeness' of the laughter is noticeable. In which case, the show would hardly be any better without it.
Other times, it does the job it's supposed to. For example, I have M*A*S*H on DVD, which has an option to watch the episodes without the laugh track. Even though I have seen all the episodes a ton of times, I still laugh more with the track playing than without it.
It really depends on the type of show. If the show has a lot of physical humour and one-liners, a laugh track is often a good fit. For shows with more complex jokes, often a laugh track is just intrusive. Single-camera comedies are often trying to make you feel like you are immersed in the world of the characters, which makes a laugh track a big no.
When it comes to your typical four-camera sitcom, I usually only find laugh tracks annoying when the show is already so bad that the 'fakeness' of the laughter is noticeable. In which case, the show would hardly be any better without it.
Other times, it does the job it's supposed to. For example, I have M*A*S*H on DVD, which has an option to watch the episodes without the laugh track. Even though I have seen all the episodes a ton of times, I still laugh more with the track playing than without it.
childeric
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The old Dick Van Dyke Show sitcom in the 1960s was recorded if front of a live audience with the exception of one episode -22 Nov 1963
It was thought that the audience reaction wouldn't be good enough due to the Kennedy assassination so they used a laughtrack
It was thought that the audience reaction wouldn't be good enough due to the Kennedy assassination so they used a laughtrack
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I came across this video recently where someone put a laugh track into dramatic scenes.
SugarShane
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Don't care to be honest. Doesn't ruin shows, nor does it make them better for me. A non issue. If anything it's a testament to good life is these days, the best we've got to whinge about is frigging laugh tracks on comedy shows.
Kong
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Generally, I'm a fan. As noted above, it helps get people in the mood to enjoy themselves. If I choose to watch a comedy, I'm generally pretty forgiving and willing to have a good time.
The only ones I notice are the US sitcoms where they set up EVERY line as funny, with laugh track following. Friends was a particularly bad example (I had a teenage daughter, so I saw a bit of it).
The only ones I notice are the US sitcoms where they set up EVERY line as funny, with laugh track following. Friends was a particularly bad example (I had a teenage daughter, so I saw a bit of it).
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It's ****ing shit and fake and I don't bother watching contemporary series with it.
Watched The IT Crowd a few times. Funny but the pounding laugh track kills any interest in watching the series properly.
Watched The IT Crowd a few times. Funny but the pounding laugh track kills any interest in watching the series properly.
Carbine Chaos
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What annoys me most about laugh tracks are the unatural pauses that take place in order to facilitate the laughter.
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I hope it doesn't make its way to comedic texts.
I'd hate a break between paragraphs filled with LOLOLOLOLOLOL, ROFL, LMFAO.
I'd hate a break between paragraphs filled with LOLOLOLOLOLOL, ROFL, LMFAO.
Sylvia Saint
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So this is not live either?
Well I will be stuffed.
They actually sound like assholes without the canned larf.
I think it's live but just not very funny. There's a couple of jokes in that scene where someone is laughing, just not many people. The producers add the laugh track later to ensure fans know which parts are supposed to be funny. A laugh track is a good guide that a show will not be particularly funny. Seinfeld is the one top comedy I can think of with background laughter. I also liked IT Crowd,Friends (shoot me
) and the fresh prince. Not sure whether these were canned or natural laughter.Arrested Development, The Office UK and Extras were all brilliant comedies I regularly laughed aloud at without needing a guide as to what's funny. Other comedies off the top of my head that were funny without needing a laugh track include Scrubs, Parks and Recreation, early 30 Rock and Flight of the Concordes. Curb your enthusiasm is very, very highly rated by others and also has no laugh track.
