A situation comedy, or as it is more commonly known, a sitcom is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment such as a home or a workplace and also involves the same characters appearing in the episode and the same sort of theme happening. A sitcom can be enjoyable for all of the family but there are certain time slots which make a sitcom popular. TV sitcoms shown during Prime Time - six to eight o'clock - will be most popular as most viewers would be home from work and school. 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
Source: http://www.watershedtv.co.uk/whatwedo.aspx & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watershed_(broadcasting)
To make a sitcom successful there are many factors that need to be considered. Theme tunes are considered to be an important part of the sitcom, they are often sung and the more catchy the tune is, the better. Locations must be easy to identify as it often sets the tone for the sitcom and it rarely changes throughout the series. Situation doesn't always refer to the location but there is often a sense of being trapped. When it comes to characters in a sitcom there are usually three main types: the main characters, the supporting characters and the transients who appear in an episode or two. The relationships between these characters in the sitcom create the ideal narrative strands. The dialogue is designed to be witty with impeccable timing to get the most laughs, with the pauses in the right places. Opening credits help to give the audience a taste of the show, showing the actors and their characters and often the writers. Humour is a vital piece in every sitcom, there needs to be steady flow of humour in action, situation and character within the sitcom. Actors should have a sense of comic timing that marks as a successful TV sitcom star. Storylines are key in every single TV programme, but for sitcoms they are extremely important as they are what draws the viewers in and are vital for making a successful sitcom. Class values in sitcoms are important as most of the humour in sitcoms is based on upper classes and lower classes.
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 that 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; Alf Clausen composed the theme tune. The show has aired twenty-six seasons and has a grand total of five hundred and fifty nine episodes.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Simpsons
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 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 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 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’Amato, 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
