After a long day at work, there's no better way to relax than to watch a comedy on TV. A good laugh, after all, helps you to forget about the stresses of the day. Some classic TV sitcoms have even helped to change the way people look at certain issues but did it by using humor, so that people didn't even realize that their perspective changed.
A sitcom, or situation comedy, basically involves a cast of characters whose interactions provide the humor. The television version of this genre has been around since the Forties and some shows have become so ingrained in popular culture that even people who've never watched them will know some of the famous lines from those shows. One example is the line 'Don't mention the war', which originated in the hit British comedy of the Seventies, 'Fawlty Towers'.
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'.
Today not many families resemble the traditional model. There are many households headed by a single parent, for instance. Some shows of the Eighties started touching on this idea, notably 'Full House', which showed men in all the parenting roles, and 'Kate and Allie' with its two single mothers. Some families today consist of adult relatives living in the same household, such as Frasier Crane and his father Marty in 'Frasier'.
Especially since the late Eighties, there were also many shows that featured a new type of urban family, where the characters are groups of friends instead of relatives. These friends often found support from one another while trying to survive in a big city such as New York. Three very popular shows in this vein have been 'Seinfeld', 'Friends' and 'How I Met Your Mother'.
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.
Some situations, such as war, may not seem like a laughing matter. However, one of the most popular sitcoms in television history was 'MASH', about a group of army surgeons during the Korean War. Those who were medical personnel during the real war would tell you that the situations in 'MASH' were quite realistic in the way that doctors would get up to crazy antics to help them deal with the horrors they saw every day. After all, the book that inspired the series was written by an army surgeon about his own Korean War experiences.
There are different ways in which to watch those old classics again. Some TV channels will air reruns and even show back-to-back episodes. You can also get many series on DVD. Another option is to stream the episodes live via the internet.
A sitcom, or situation comedy, basically involves a cast of characters whose interactions provide the humor. The television version of this genre has been around since the Forties and some shows have become so ingrained in popular culture that even people who've never watched them will know some of the famous lines from those shows. One example is the line 'Don't mention the war', which originated in the hit British comedy of the Seventies, 'Fawlty Towers'.
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'.
Today not many families resemble the traditional model. There are many households headed by a single parent, for instance. Some shows of the Eighties started touching on this idea, notably 'Full House', which showed men in all the parenting roles, and 'Kate and Allie' with its two single mothers. Some families today consist of adult relatives living in the same household, such as Frasier Crane and his father Marty in 'Frasier'.
Especially since the late Eighties, there were also many shows that featured a new type of urban family, where the characters are groups of friends instead of relatives. These friends often found support from one another while trying to survive in a big city such as New York. Three very popular shows in this vein have been 'Seinfeld', 'Friends' and 'How I Met Your Mother'.
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.
Some situations, such as war, may not seem like a laughing matter. However, one of the most popular sitcoms in television history was 'MASH', about a group of army surgeons during the Korean War. Those who were medical personnel during the real war would tell you that the situations in 'MASH' were quite realistic in the way that doctors would get up to crazy antics to help them deal with the horrors they saw every day. After all, the book that inspired the series was written by an army surgeon about his own Korean War experiences.
There are different ways in which to watch those old classics again. Some TV channels will air reruns and even show back-to-back episodes. You can also get many series on DVD. Another option is to stream the episodes live via the internet.
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