I want multi-camera sitcoms back! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

An 80s Guy · 07-23-2010, 09:19 PM

There are only a few on network TV these days and they are all kicking the butts of the single-camera sitcoms on NBC.

Are single-camera shows cheaper to produce or do you think it's just a trend or what? I can't get into 30 rock or Parks & Recreation. They just are so boring. The Office is the only single-camera show that is funny to me.

Mr. Television · 07-23-2010, 09:26 PM

You are one up on me since I don't like the Office. lol I do like The Middle and Modern Family though. I do agree with you. I love multi-camera sitcoms so much more. They just make me laugh more. Most of the single-camera shows are really dramedies...half the time they aren't funny. I watched Community once and although it isn't that bad of a tv show, it isn't really laugh out loud funny. Hopefully the real sitcom will make a comeback soon.

treky · 07-23-2010, 10:33 PM

what's up with all these single- camera no-laugh track sitcoms anyway? I also miss the multi-camera ones!

comedyfreak · 07-23-2010, 11:46 PM

Me too!!

catlover79 · 07-24-2010, 12:18 AM

Me three!!!!

catlover79 · 07-24-2010, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clint Eastwood Fan

You are one up on me since I don't like the Office. lol I do like The Middle and Modern Family though. I do agree with you. I love multi-camera sitcoms so much more. They just make me laugh more. Most of the single-camera shows are really dramedies...half the time they aren't funny. I watched Community once and although it isn't that bad of a tv show, it isn't really laugh out loud funny. Hopefully the real sitcom will make a comeback soon.

The last modern sitcom that I really enjoyed was Back To You - which, of course, got canned. I mean, how many chances do you get to have Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton AND Fred Willard in your cast?? I also loved the harried news director Ryan and the unlucky field reporter, Gary. Had the writers' strike not intervened and had FOX given BTY another chance - who knows how differently the show may have fared?

benjamoon · 07-24-2010, 12:42 AM

I miss them too! But at the same time, I think all the good sitcoms with the exception of "The Big Bang Theory" currently on TV are the single camera ones. I particularly enjoy "The Office," "Modern Family," "The Middle," and "Parks and Recreation"

It is cheaper from what I understand, but my belief is that the biggest reason is that the best creative minds are doing the single camera sitcom right now, so we get bland generic multi-camera ones. There aren't the witty, smart multi-camera sitcoms like yesteryear (Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers, Frasier... to name a few of many).

All the real witty and smart sitcoms are the single camera ones and the bland ones are all multi-camera. Look at this past year's new shows... "Modern Family" was the most critically praised new series and there was also kudos for "The Middle," "Community" (although I don't like that show), and "Glee" if you count that. Meanwhile, on the multi-camera front, we had huge duds like "Hank," "Brothers," "Accidentally on Purpose," and "Romantically Challenged." I think we'll see a rebound though eventually, things always go in cycles.

dakert · 07-24-2010, 01:01 AM

I dont watch modern sit-coms so i dont miss them.

Mr. Television · 07-24-2010, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

The last modern sitcom that I really enjoyed was Back To You - which, of course, got canned. I mean, how many chances do you get to have Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton AND Fred Willard in your cast?? I also loved the harried news director Ryan and the unlucky field reporter, Gary. Had the writers' strike not intervened and had FOX given BTY another chance - who knows how differently the show may have fared?

and Fox decided that the awful Til Death needed saving instead.

I wish that they would have went to CBS instead. I think it would have made it over there. Fox hasn't had any good sitcoms since Malcolm and That '70's Show left the air.

catlover79 · 07-24-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clint Eastwood Fan

and Fox decided that the awful Til Death needed saving instead.

I wish that they would have went to CBS instead. I think it would have made it over there. Fox hasn't had any good sitcoms since Malcolm and That '70's Show left the air.

I couldn't even sit through 5 minutes of Til Death. BTY was a WAY better show and FOX gave it a bad shake.

TV_on_the_Porch · 07-24-2010, 12:50 PM

I have not watched a prime time sitcom regularly in many years. The last single-camera show was Malcolm In The Middle, which, oddly enough, I stopped watching somewhere in the middle (2002 or so). The last multi-camera show I made a point to catch weekly was Married To The Kellys which didn't make it past its freshman season.

I can not say why I have no interest in even reading about the current crop, much less sampling it. I suppose I just got bored with it all and have more fondness for nostalgia than what series comedy became under the very long and very lame shadow cast by Friends.

yankeesrj12 · 07-24-2010, 02:38 PM

I love multi-camera comedies, but I have also started to like single-camera comedies a bit more now. I actually like Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and I am looking forward to Raising Hope. A year ago I would have said I hate single-camera comedies, but they are starting to grow on me.

James28 · 07-24-2010, 05:00 PM

Listen, I also dislike sitcoms without any laugh tracks. A viewer of such a show can't even laugh at them (the shows) himself. CBS is the only show with the good sitcoms right now. Sitcoms of all the other broadcast TV networks are crap. Why were sitcoms without laugh tracks even created, anyway? The first such example is The Bill Cosby Show. I may have liked that, but I do not like the laugh track-less sitcoms that are currently running now.

A sitcom is not funny if it does not have a laugh track.

yankeesrj12 · 07-24-2010, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim856796

Listen, I also dislike sitcoms without any laugh tracks. A viewer of such a show can't even laugh at them (the shows) himself. CBS is the only show with the good sitcoms right now. Sitcoms of all the other broadcast TV networks are crap. Why were sitcoms without laugh tracks even created, anyway? The first such example is The Bill Cosby Show. I may have liked that, but I do not like the laugh track-less sitcoms that are currently running now.

A sitcom is not funny if it does not have a laugh track.

So you need a laugh track to know when to laugh? I think you can easily laugh at a comedy without a laugh track. Plenty of sitcoms are funny that do not have a laugh track. One example is the new single-camera hit, Modern Family. Laugh tracks make some shows look stupid. There are points when the jokes suck, yet a laugh track is going.

Mr. Television · 07-24-2010, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yankeesrj12

So you need a laugh track to know when to laugh? I think you can easily laugh at a comedy without a laugh track. Plenty of sitcoms are funny that do not have a laugh track. One example is the new single-camera hit, Modern Family. Laugh tracks make some shows look stupid. There are points when the jokes suck, yet a laugh track is going.

I don't need laugh tracks to know when to laugh. It does put me in a better mood though. I remember watching an episode of Three's Company back when it originally aired. I laughed so hard that I fell out of my chair. I've never done that with single camera sitcoms. Modern Family is a good show but I've never really laughed out loud at it. I really never have at any single-camera comedy. As I said ,there are a few that are good but by and large, most of them aren't funny.

07-23-2010, 09:19 PM	#1
An 80s Guy legen-wait for it-dary! Senior Member Join Date: Sep 03, 2005 Location: Austin,Texas Posts: 1,870	I want multi-camera sitcoms back! There are only a few on network TV these days and they are all kicking the butts of the single-camera sitcoms on NBC. Are single-camera shows cheaper to produce or do you think it's just a trend or what? I can't get into 30 rock or Parks & Recreation. They just are so boring. The Office is the only single-camera show that is funny to me.

07-23-2010, 09:26 PM	#2
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	You are one up on me since I don't like the Office. lol I do like The Middle and Modern Family though. I do agree with you. I love multi-camera sitcoms so much more. They just make me laugh more. Most of the single-camera shows are really dramedies...half the time they aren't funny. I watched Community once and although it isn't that bad of a tv show, it isn't really laugh out loud funny. Hopefully the real sitcom will make a comeback soon.
	__________________ Sonny

07-23-2010, 10:33 PM	#3
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	what's up with all these single- camera no-laugh track sitcoms anyway? I also miss the multi-camera ones!
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

07-23-2010, 11:46 PM	#4
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,060	Me too!!
	__________________ www.facebook.com/comedyfreak

07-24-2010, 12:18 AM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	Me three!!!!
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

07-24-2010, 12:42 AM	#7
benjamoon Bewitched Senior Member Join Date: Jun 15, 2000 Location: New York Posts: 1,450	I miss them too! But at the same time, I think all the good sitcoms with the exception of "The Big Bang Theory" currently on TV are the single camera ones. I particularly enjoy "The Office," "Modern Family," "The Middle," and "Parks and Recreation" It is cheaper from what I understand, but my belief is that the biggest reason is that the best creative minds are doing the single camera sitcom right now, so we get bland generic multi-camera ones. There aren't the witty, smart multi-camera sitcoms like yesteryear (Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers, Frasier... to name a few of many). All the real witty and smart sitcoms are the single camera ones and the bland ones are all multi-camera. Look at this past year's new shows... "Modern Family" was the most critically praised new series and there was also kudos for "The Middle," "Community" (although I don't like that show), and "Glee" if you count that. Meanwhile, on the multi-camera front, we had huge duds like "Hank," "Brothers," "Accidentally on Purpose," and "Romantically Challenged." I think we'll see a rebound though eventually, things always go in cycles.
	__________________ My Blog: http://benjamonsterstv.blogspot.com/ My Site: peaktvdatabase.weebly.com My favorite TV shows: Bewitched, I Love Lucy, American Dreams, Mary Tyler Moore, The Office, Happy Days, The West Wing, Modern Family, Friday Night Lights, Friends, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation, and Parenthood

07-24-2010, 01:01 AM	#8
dakert Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 10, 2007 Location: Altoona PA Posts: 3,411	I dont watch modern sit-coms so i dont miss them.

07-24-2010, 12:50 PM	#11
TV_on_the_Porch anything good on? Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Posts: 879	I have not watched a prime time sitcom regularly in many years. The last single-camera show was Malcolm In The Middle, which, oddly enough, I stopped watching somewhere in the middle (2002 or so). The last multi-camera show I made a point to catch weekly was Married To The Kellys which didn't make it past its freshman season. I can not say why I have no interest in even reading about the current crop, much less sampling it. I suppose I just got bored with it all and have more fondness for nostalgia than what series comedy became under the very long and very lame shadow cast by Friends.

07-24-2010, 02:38 PM	#12
yankeesrj12 Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 09, 2008 Posts: 4,335	I love multi-camera comedies, but I have also started to like single-camera comedies a bit more now. I actually like Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and I am looking forward to Raising Hope. A year ago I would have said I hate single-camera comedies, but they are starting to grow on me.

07-24-2010, 05:00 PM	#13
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,982	Listen, I also dislike sitcoms without any laugh tracks. A viewer of such a show can't even laugh at them (the shows) himself. CBS is the only show with the good sitcoms right now. Sitcoms of all the other broadcast TV networks are crap. Why were sitcoms without laugh tracks even created, anyway? The first such example is The Bill Cosby Show. I may have liked that, but I do not like the laugh track-less sitcoms that are currently running now. A sitcom is not funny if it does not have a laugh track.
	__________________ "When the run of a network TV show has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are...Future Endeavored." "Stay Safe"? More like "Stay Sad". #2020Hurts