sitcoms

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= = toc Sitcoms (aka situation comedies) are thought to have originated in the 1920s and were originally radio shows that were inspired by comic strips. One of the earliest memorable sitcoms is //Sam and Henry//, credited as being the very first sitcom. However, it was a radio show. When television was created, the sitcom became a staple on the small screen. The first was //Amos and Andy//, debuting on CBS in 1928 and continuing throughout the 1930s. The sitcom uses real life situations and puts a humourous spin on it, all the while allowing the audience to relate back to what is occurring on-screen. Sitcoms allows viewers to follow a new storyline every week but keep the same core cast during the show's on-air run. This allows viewers to connect with the cast they see. Often, the cast is comprised of 3-6 people, with both genders represented in the core group. Sometimes, sitcoms can seem unreal because the actors who portray the real life scenarios can often be quite unreal to the average person watching at home from their family room. This has become a topic of interest for many who say that sitcoms have added to the body issues of women and men alike. For example, the sitcom Ally McBeal featured fixations on well-endowed men as well as an extremely thin lead woman (Calista Flockhart). Sitcoms have had some tumultuous times over the past two decades. They saw a decline around 1983 and again in 1998, this time due to high production costs. Once again, in 2006, the American sitcom has seen a decline in ratings and popularity. It seems more people are interested in reality TV shows that portray real-life people doing things that seem more realistic than sitcoms.

=__POPULAR SITCOMS FROM THE LAST DECADE__=

//Friends// made its debut in September 1994. It featured a group of 6 people as they made their way through job issues, relationships, children, parental drama as well as general day-to-day activites. It was one of the highest rated shows on television, providing NBC with a solid reputation. The shows 6 main stars were: - Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green - Courtney Cox as Monica Gellar - Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay - Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani - Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing - David Schwimmer as Ross Gellar However, //Friends// had many guest stars in order to keep the sitcom interesting. These include Bruce Willis, Tom Selleck, and Morgan Fairchild. George Clooney and Brad Pitt have also both made guest appearances, but in different seasons. The show has been nominated for numerous awards, with about 200 nominations and 55 wins overall. This includes awards outside of acting such as direction, editing, post-production, etc. In fact, Courtney Cox is the only Friend to have never been nominated for an Emmy. The episodes' titles all begin with "The One . . ." such as "The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel". This was a play on the fact that sitcoms don't usually air the title of the episode. The final episode aired on May 6 2004 after an extremely successful 10 year run on NBC. It was definitely one of the funniest sitcoms on TV and perhaps the last great sitcom of this decade.
 * F.R.I.E.N.D.S.**

//The Nanny// debuted on November 3 1993 and was almost an instant hit. The show featured actress Fran Drescher in the lead role of Fran Fine, the woman who becomes a nanny to three rich children: Maggie, Brighton and Grace played by Nicholle Tom, Benjamin Sailsbury and Madeline Zima respectively. Their father Max Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) is a goofball type father who does not know how to handle his three children, still mourning the death of their mother. Until Fran Fine comes along, their main caregiver is the dry-witted butler Niles (Daniel Davis) who instantly sees that Fran will be good for the entire household. Fran Fine is considered an enemy by C.C. Babcock (Lauren Lane), Mr. Sheffield's business partner who likes him. The show pitted blue-collar Fran against the blue blooded Sheffields and the outcome was almost always a hilarious disaster. Many feel this was the reason for the show's popularity. People felt attracted to the fairytale sitcom, perhaps because a young Jewish girl gets lucky and falls into the lap of luxury. This is not a regular occurence and is something that young girls' fantasies are made of. Sadly. //The Nanny// was cancelled in 1999 after 6 seasons on TV.
 * THE NANNY**


 * WILL & GRACE**

NBC's second hit show about a gay lawyer (Will, played by Eric McCormack) and his best friend, a straight woman named Grace (Debra Messing) was considered slightly controversial when it first aired. It was rare to see a sitcome that involved homosexuality. //Will & Grace,// however, changed this viewpoint and have made homosexuality a little more acceptable on primetime TV. The show basically followed Will and Grace as they stumbled their way through love and friendships. They were joined by supporting cast members Jack and Karen, played by Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally respectively. The latter were like the evil version of Will and Grace. Often, Jack and Karen were pulled out of their supporting roles and entire episodes were written for their shenanigans alone. They became just as popular as the main stars. The show ended in 2006 after a successful 8 seasons and 27 Golden Globe nominations among others.

=__OTHER POPULAR SITCOMS FROM THE PAST__= >
 * Seinfeld
 * Cheers
 * Frasier
 * Ellen
 * Dharma and Greg
 * Everybody Loves Raymond
 * Fresh prince of Bel-Air
 * The Cosby Show
 * Full House
 * Roseanne
 * Wings
 * Happy Days
 * Three's Company
 * Mash
 * Growing Pains
 * Who's The Boss

REFERENCES http://sitcomsonline.com/ [|www.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitcoms] "Friends" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/ Friends image http://freespace.virgin.net/malcolm.johnson/friends/friends.htm "The Nanny" and Nanny image http://www.thenanny.com/nannystory.html "Will & Grace" http://imdb.com/title/tt0157246/ Will & Grace Image http://www.telesimo.it/Will&Grace/cop.jpg