Assignment A - Research Log of Sitcoms.

Assignment A - Research Log of Sitcoms. 

What is a sitcom?

A sitcom is also referred to as a situation comedy and it is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment such as a home or a workplace. Two examples of a sitcom would be Mrs Brown's Boys and The Simpsons. A sitcom also revolves around the same characters appearing in each episode and the same sort of theme happening.

Watershed Time: 
The Watershed time schedule is the time where programmes which content adult content will be able to view on television. The time set for these programmes is nine o'clock and they can be viewed on any of the main channels. This is the dividing line between family television which is suitable for children and family television which is only suitable for teenagers and adults. Programmes that would be shown before none o'clock include sitcoms like The Simpsons whereas programmes shown after nine o'clock would be sitcoms such as Mrs Brown's Boys. These programmes would include adult content such as swearing, graphic violence and gambling but may also include sexual scenes. But the Watershed Time schedule doesn't just apply to programmes shown on television, it also includes radio broadcasts and television adverts.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watershed_(broadcasting)
http://www.watershedtv.co.uk/whatwedo.aspx


Prime Time: 
Prime Time television generally refers to the block of the television programmes schedules that are set between six o'clock and eight o'clock. The programmes set during this time will be suitable for the whole family including children. Programmes set during this time usually have the largest numbers of viewers compared to programmes set after nine o'clock as most people will be home from work and school and, therefore, will be able to watch the programmes that are on during this time. This includes programmes like The Simpsons and Hollyoaks. No adult content would be shown on television during this time and the schedule would also affect what things are advertised on television and what gets broadcasted over the radio.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_time#Timeslot.27s_relationship_to_radio_and_television_revenue


The Simpsons:
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom and was created by the producer Matt Groening. The show is based around the Simpson family and each episode starts off with a couch gag which involves a scene of the family living room where the entire Simpson family will either end up on the sofa or backing away from it. This sitcom is shown on Channel Four during the primetime television schedule and starts at six o'clock. It is based around the dysfunctional family of the Simpsons which includes characters such as: Bart, Homer, Maggie, Lisa, Marge, Grandpa, Snowball and Santa's Little Helper. The theme tune to this sitcom is very modern and is performed by an orchestra, the theme tune itself was composed by Alf Clausen. The show has aired twenty six season and has a grand total of five hundred and fifty nine episodes.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Simpsons

Mrs Brown's Boys:
Mrs Brown's Boys is a popular British sitcom that was created by Brendan O’Carroll. The theme tune to this popular sitcom was created by Andy O’Callaghan and is very modern with the use of an orchestra. The show is aired on BBC One at nine o’clock. This sitcom is based entirely around the Brown family: Dermot, Mrs Brown, Granddad, Kathy, Rory, Mark, Bettie, Bono, Maria, Trevor and their friends: Buster, Winnie, Sharon, Father Quinn, Mr Foley, Mrs Nicholson, Father Damien and Mick O’Leary. The sitcom has three main settings: The Brown Family house living room and kitchen and Foleys’ pub. The show is based around problems that each member of the Brown family will go and talk to Mrs Brown about, finding humour in adult content. Famous actor Brendan O’Carroll plays Mrs Brown and the sitcom stars many of his other family members within the cast.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Brown%27s_Boys

The Big Bang Theory:
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom that was created by the producers Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. The theme tune to this sitcom is very modern and was created by the band Barenaked Ladies. This sitcom is based around the five main characters that all live in Pasadena, California. Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter both share a flat in the programme, Penny who lives across the hall from them and their friends and co-workers Howard Wolowitz and Raj Koothrappali. Most of the show itself focuses on the theme of science as the four main male characters are employed at Caltech. But the show also focuses on many other science factors such as gaming, science fiction and comic books. The sitcom is often set in the flat that both Sheldon and Leonard share and the language used are mainly based on the elements of science and science fiction. The geekiness and intellect of the four guys is compared for a comic effect with Penny's social skills and common sense. The programme is normally shown on Channel four and occasionally E4 at nine o'clock.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bang_Theory

Miranda: 
Miranda is a popular British comedy created and starring Miranda Hart. The show is based around the life of Miranda who runs a joke shop with her best friend Stevie. The show was shown on BBC One and Two after nine o'clock and started in 2009. Miranda is a constant disappointment to her mother, Penny who just wants her daughter to get married and have a "proper" job. The theme music for this programme was composed by Alex Eckford and it extremely catchy and modern. There is a lot of adult humour in this programme. There are many themes within this sitcom: being a misfit in society, having an accent that’s different from everyone else and struggling to find love.

Source: http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/miranda/ & http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UHjbOHLFcGoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=miranda+sitcom&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mNF9VIngMtGd7gaOkYD4Cg&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=miranda%20sitcom&f=false

The Inbetweeners:
The Inbetweeners is a British sitcom that aired on E4 after nine o'clock from 2008 to 2010. The programme was written and created by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris. The show is based around the character Will McKenzie and his three friends who attend Rudge Park Comprehensive. This sitcom focuses on the main problems that the characters have to face while attend school such as: bullying, broken family lives, indifferent school staff, male bonding and failed sexual encounters. The theme tune is in the style of an instrumental and was created by Morning Runner. The show focuses on making humour from adult making it more suitable for adults and teenagers than young children. The main characters are Will McKenzie, Jay Cartwright, Simon Cooper, Neil Sutherland, Carli D'Armato, Charlotte Hinchcliffe, Mark Donovan and Mr Gilbert
Source: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=PlobBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+inbetweeners&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NB5iVKGlI6KP7AaLvICACQ&ved=0CCMQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=the%20inbetweeners&f=false