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Join Date: Jan 09, 2001
Posts: 124,501
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A long time ago, I first read this blog entry that argued that American sitcoms in the 1980s got into a rut by playing things safe in terms of the format that it used. By format, this generally meant that characters are pretty bland, the kids are cute and the parents just reacted to their antics with a smile and a wave of their head, romances were very clean, major issues were discussed quietly, and all problems were resolved at the end with two (or more) characters talking out the issue and ending with a big hug or a laugh.
So in a nutshell, the basic formula went like this:
The episodes feel more like a stage play a bigger emphasis on speeches and less on character moments, all in front of a stilted studio audience. One Day at a Time, which debuted about three years prior to Diff'rent Strokes, was cited as a progenitor to this type of sitcom. Other sitcoms that were listed as following or closely adhering to this formula were:
Admittedly, these were more often than not, family sitcoms. |
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Last edited by TMC; 04-12-2026 at 12:52 AM. |
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