The sitcom is dead, long live the sitcom: continuity and change in the American comedy series

Abstract

This thesis examines the American television comedy series, focusing specifically on the sitcom form within the context of broadcast network television. It considers the history and development of the comedy series, while exploring possible explanations for the prominence and longevity of this genre in primetime network schedules. The scripted television comedy series was first presented to audiences via the sitcom form and thus the sitcom has continued to be defined by many of the characteristics with which it was first identified in the 1950s. In examining the evolution of the American comedy series, this thesis seeks to highlight the similarities between the formulaic studio-bound approach to series comedy (the sitcom) and more contemporary innovations in aesthetic production modes, such as those employed in the 'single-camera' comedy. This investigation comes to view the comedy series as being defined through its narrative conventions rather than its visual style, and thus redefines the term 'sitcom' in a manner which better encompasses the series comedy genre as a whole. Having established the parameters of what a 'sitcom' is, this thesis further suggests a variety of ways in which the genre has served the specific needs of the American television industry and in doing so ensured its own longevity. The sitcom is explored through aesthetic, narrative, commercial and ideological frameworks in order to highlight salient aspects of its generic form, commercial function, ideological flexibility and future potential. While this thesis refers to a significant number of comedy series that have aired over the last six decades, it analyses four examples in detail. The contemporary programmes Seinfeld, Malcolm in the Middle, Scrubs, and Arrested Development have been chosen for their capacity to demonstrate the tension between innovation and convention which continues to characterise the sitcom's evolution as a televisual form.