Sitcoms: With or Without a Laugh Track, Which do you prefer?

[PrettyinPink55]

Which Do you Prefer?

I personally think it depends on the sitcom. But it seems like the new thing to do is to not have a laugh track. Which, I think is pretty cool myself.

[Stuck In The '70's]

laugh track. I just don't like this new trend although their have been a few sitcoms I've liked without one like Wonder Years, Doogie Howser, and Malcolm In The Middle. They're few and far between though.

[Dean Winchester]

I know some people hate one-camera sitcoms, but let's face it, all you need to do is watch late period (last 3 or 4 seasons) of Friends and Happy Days just to know what is wrong about laugh tracks. Friends had this issue that every line that came out of a mouth was immediately followed by laughs, I was expecting someone to say "I have cancer" just to see if everyone would still laugh at it. Happy Days got bad in the post-Ron Howard sitcoms because even an extra could come onscreen to deliver a pizza and people would start cheering. Seinfeld ALMOST had that happen to them but Larry David began instructing audiences to not clap when Kramer came into a scene and it eventually stopped, thankfully.

[Classicshowsgurl15]

does laugh track mean that the laughter is taped? I like it without a laugh track. I like when it is a real live audience.

[WhoStheBoss_Fan]

with the laugh track just seems better to me

[tv star collector]

I would have to say that it depends on the show. I recall, in the early sixties
after the success of THE FLINTSTONES, that even animated series in prime-
time had laugh tracks (BULLWINKLE, TOP CAT, etc.). But it never really
bothered me. I thought it was kind of cool. And when The Three Stooges
made live appearances on television in the fifties and early sixties, there was
a live audience. And that didn't bother me, either. At first, it seemed odd
because, of course, in their movie shorts you weren't used to hearing any
laughter.

[Mrs. John Ritter]

with a laugh track

[gilligan fanatic]

depends on the show

[Dean Winchester]

I am surprised nobody else ever found the live audience for Friends and Happy Days very annoying?

[gilligan fanatic]

I am surprised nobody else ever found the live audience for Friends and Happy Days very annoying?

I like the live audience on Happy Days. It makes the show seem more alive.

[Dean Winchester]

I like the live audience on Happy Days. It makes the show seem more alive.

but it became too much when every single actor would get their own 30 seconds of applause, weren't people watching it to see what was gonna happen each episode, not how many seconds people were going to give Ted McGinley a standing ovation for walking in the room? They got way too carried away in the post-Richie seasons at applauding instead of actually trying to watch the show.

[gilligan fanatic]

but it became too much when every single actor would get their own 30 seconds of applause, weren't people watching it to see what was gonna happen each episode, not how many seconds people were going to give Ted McGinley a standing ovation for walking in the room? They got way too carried away in the post-Richie seasons at applauding instead of actually trying to watch the show.

yeah, they were way to long but it was way better than the first two seasons without the audience.

[lockdown06]

I never was a fan of canned laughter.

[PrettyinPink55]

I can relate to that Hung Up. I think that sometimes they get a bit carried away with the laughing or the cheering. Especially like you said on Friends.
But I still loved the show.

Does anybody else feel sometimes that the laugh tracks kind of "tell you when to laugh?" Like sometimes I felt like, I don't need to be told when to laugh, you know? Maybe it's just me...

[Dean Winchester]

yeah, they were way to long but it was way better than the first two seasons without the audience.

I personally think Happy Days was at its finest in the one-camera seasons. Don't get me wrong, the show was fun live, but I think when it was filmed without an audience, the storylines and writing were at its best and Fonzie was less of a cartoon character

[troopoleon8897]

It really depends on the show... It also depends if they are actully laughing at a joke or not, I have seen episodes of shows were they laugh at lines that weren't even supposed to be jokes. But there are certain shows that just couldn't be done a differnt way such as...

Arrested Development, My Name Is Earl, & The Office could never have a laugh track in my opinion just like...

Full House, Home Improvement, & Roseanne wouldn't be good without a laugh track...

[Dean Winchester]

one thing I like about non-laugh track shows is that they let the audience decide what's funny and what isn't. For example, Scrubs, Curb and Arrested are all funnier shows than the laugh track counterparts on television right now... and part of the funniness is that they don't condescend the audience, they let us figure out the moments which are pure hilarity and the moments that aren't

But you're right that some shows wouldn't work without one. However, I do personally think Seinfeld would've still be hilarious with or without laugh track, because IMO, Seinfeld really was the father of a lot of todays single-camera non-laugh track sitcoms, just like how Lucy laid the blueprint for a lot of sitcoms that followed.

[troopoleon8897]

one thing I like about non-laugh track shows is that they let the audience decide what's funny and what isn't. For example, Scrubs, Curb and Arrested are all funnier shows than the laugh track counterparts on television right now... and part of the funniness is that they don't condescend the audience, they let us figure out the moments which are pure hilarity and the moments that aren't

But you're right that some shows wouldn't work without one. However, I do personally think Seinfeld would've still be hilarious with or without laugh track, because IMO, Seinfeld really was the father of a lot of todays single-camera non-laugh track sitcoms, just like how Lucy laid the blueprint for a lot of sitcoms that followed.

I absolutely agree with you on Seinfeld, Personally I would have liked Seinfeld without a laugh track. it does make it more funnier sometimes. But then again Seinfeld's laugh track didn't over shadow the show were you wanna scream at the tv "Why Are You People Laughing, It Wasn't That Funny." I think alot of shows can pull it off as long as they are not telling people to laugh. I read that some shows lit up an appaulse sign when they wanted them to laugh but I heard Roseanne(mainly) and others didn't ever tell people to laugh. With Roseanne aswell I would have liked alot of the 9th season episodes to be without a laugh track it would have fitted it well...

Wow I have finally reached 1000 posts

[vashti1999]

Single camera sitcoms just don't work with laughtracks. If its shot like a film, it should play like a film.


That's why the show Square Pegs always felt weird to me. The laughs weren't intrusive, it just felt weird, especially when there were some obvious intended humorous moments when you didn't hear laughter and some when you did. M*A*S*H* was a little like that for me too, maybe that's why I never got into that show.

BTW, I selected: depends on the show really

[KristinHerreraFan]

I say it depends on the show, like if Zoey 101 were to have a laugh track...:eek: ohno: That would suck!

[PrettyinPink55]

one thing I like about non-laugh track shows is that they let the audience decide what's funny and what isn't. For example, Scrubs, Curb and Arrested are all funnier shows than the laugh track counterparts on television right now... and part of the funniness is that they don't condescend the audience, they let us figure out the moments which are pure hilarity and the moments that aren't

But you're right that some shows wouldn't work without one. However, I do personally think Seinfeld would've still be hilarious with or without laugh track, because IMO, Seinfeld really was the father of a lot of todays single-camera non-laugh track sitcoms, just like how Lucy laid the blueprint for a lot of sitcoms that followed.

That's exactly what I was thinking. That you don't need to be told when to laugh.
But on the other hand, I couldn't imagine certain shows without a laugh track. So it really does depend. Although back then it wasn't common for them to go without the laugh track except for some exceptions.

[Brian Damage]

I like it with a studio audience.