The reaction from the audience is one of the reasons season 1 is so special to me. I love the way the audience reacted to certain situation and you could hear all the foot stumping, yelling, and uncontolled laughter which made they episodes stand out.

A Friend in Need
Piano Man
George's Skeleton
Lionel's Playboy
Jenny's Low
The Reporter

Yes. I like the audience participation in all of Norman Lear's shows. Too bad they cut the audience out of things in all of those shows around 1980. It made a noticeable difference. The fact that the performers could play it straihgt and not break character when the audience was howling is a tribute to their skill as actors.

Originally posted by jamesanthony
Yes. I like the audience participation in all of Norman Lear's shows. Too bad they cut the audience out of things in all of those shows around 1980. It made a noticeable difference. The fact that the performers could play it straihgt and not break character when the audience was howling is a tribute to their skill as actors.


I don't remember much audience participation in All in the Family, and Sanford like there was in Good Times and Jeffersons.

I can hear certain random people's distinct laughs in all In The Family and Sanford & Son...

I liked it in Good Times when an audience member would scream "THAT'S RIGHT!" when Florida or whoever would make a good point.

The only thing that I can think of that an audience member has done that in a recent show is on the first episode of The Parkers one of the audience members screams "Hold up!" when Nikki cusses out some snotty lady...

BTW, are most shows today...do they use a laugh track or is it real audiences?

Because the laughs all sound the same...:(

I don't know about today's shows, but some of the canned laughter is so old that many of the people that you hear laughing are dead.

Originally posted by jamesanthony
I don't know about today's shows, but some of the canned laughter is so old that many of the people that you hear laughing are dead.


I'm afraid i don't know what you mean.

Originally posted by TVShow Analyzer
I'm afraid i don't know what you mean.

They taped people laughing in the 50s and 60s and have been replaying the same tapes ever since over more recent shows.

Originally posted by jamesanthony
They taped people laughing in the 50s and 60s and have been replaying the same tapes ever since over more recent shows.



Oh ok, i thought you was referring to the voices heard on the Jeffersons in 1975-LOL

Many of Norman Lear's shows had strong audience participation there. One Day At A Time had it going on.

Originally posted by mstewart
Many of Norman Lear's shows had strong audience participation there. One Day At A Time had it going on.



I don't remember the audience of Sanford and Son and All in the Family being too involved like the audience of Good Times and the Jeffersons.

My guess was maybe the audience was told not to get involved. AITF and S&S came first, and after a few years when good times and the Jeffersons came, Norman Lear probably just said, oh well just get involved in this. I could be wrong, that is just my guess.

Originally posted by GARFIELDKOOL
My guess was maybe the audience was told not to get involved. AITF and S&S came first, and after a few years when good times and the Jeffersons came, Norman Lear probably just said, oh well just get involved in this. I could be wrong, that is just my guess.

Maybe so. Then again those were his first 2 series. I don't recall raucous laughter and outbursts from the studio audiences of Lucy's shows or Dick Van Dyke so maybe audiences were more restrained before Good Times and the Jeffersons.

What i liked the best from the audience was the foot stumping-lol

I liked the audience reactions on the All In The Family episode "Judging Books By Covers" when Archie was talking about Mike and Gloria's "fairy" friend. They were really howling in that one if you listen as Archie goes on his tirade.