Location: And what about Genre?

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ERubenstein
Genre in Television
Apr 30 2007, 11:50 PM EDT | Post edited: Apr 30 2007, 11:50 PM EDT
- My favorite genre on televion is comedy-- however, my like is not limited to just the sitcom. My favorite show on televion is Curb Your Enthusiasm, which does not have typical sitcome formatting-- as Bignell writes "Audience laughter is clearly important to the genre" (121); however, this aspect of the sitcom is changing. My favorite comedies on currently on TV producing new episodes (Curb, Entourage) do not have a studio audience. In fact, the most cutting edge TV shows these days do not have studio audiences. Bignell argues that the purpose of the studio audience is to tell us when to laugh-- to inform us what is funny. However, hit shows without audiences seem to achieve laughter without this signifier. It is interesting to see the historical development of the sitcom in regards to a studio audience.

I think that the most valued genre on TV in America today is the news; however, as far as fiction is concnered, comedy isthe most valued genere on TV. TV is a meansof escapism for many and comedy is an excellent means by which to escape from a world that demands more and more of us each day. Comedy, particularly on television, is also an excellent historical/cross cultural tool-- knowing what is funny in a culture tells a lot about the culture itself and about the time period in which the comedy was written. Do you find this valuable?    
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