Why Aren't Sitcoms Allowed To JUST Be Funny Anymore?

[@keaganterry6916]

Im fully convinced the only reason The Bear is labled as a comedy is so they didnt have to compete with Succession at the Emmys

[@Nerdstalgic]

100% Agree

[@thefinalj]

I really did enjoy The Bear, but it is the last show I would watch if wanting a laugh. “Fishes” was one of the most stressful hours of TV I have watched.

[@JUnit41484]

Hold on... I know there are multiple award shows that kind of combine Comedy and Drama, but... Succession is NOT one of those?? It's hilarious! Am I watching the same Succession as the Emmy voters?

[@dannigro8794]

Also, because for the most part it’s shorter than an hour

[@Circusfire999]

⁠@@JUnit41484what do you mean the comment is saying that if the bear was labeled as drama it would have to compete with succession for best drama but when labeled as comedy it doesn’t have to

[@fumoffu_l]

This video has made me realize why I've been watching so many sitcoms from 10+ years ago. It's not nostalgia, it's my favorite form of TV, and it just doesn't exist anymore.

[@pranoyprakash7066]

YES

[@Phantasmen]

I hope you already watched the sadly limited seasons of 'Kims Convenience', its not really new new, but as someone who also binges older sitcoms and similar shows, I can promise you that it will deliver when it comes to wholesome low stakes comedy.

[@Jennkath]

I’ll recommend My Name is Earl here, it’s a criminally underrated sitcom

[@izzye7379]

I really recommend ghosts!

[@Blackbirdone11]

Big bang theory watched every year

[@willhouston588]

I have watched all three seasons of The Bear and did not know that it was supposed to be a comedy.

[@piter6026]

I dont remember more than MAYBE a chuckle while watching, but i remember a LOT of drama.

[@aesop1451]

"Friends", "How I Met Your Mother", "The Office", "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", "New Girl," "Mindy Project", "2 Broke Girls", and "The Good Place" = Millennial normie schlock. Based Gen Z that likes "Joker", "Nightcrawler", and Luigi Mangione = Curb Your Enthusiasm, Eric Andre, Tim Dillon, Andrew Schulz, Shane Gillis, Sam Hyde, and Kill Tony.

[@opaljk4835]

@@aesop1451you’re very proud of this comment

[@rayman301030]

One of my favorite shows but can’t recall a moment that ever felt like a comedy. The closest thing to laughter I had was when I nervous laughed when his mom drove her car through the fucking house

[@Jose04537]

Someone said it's maybe so they had more chances to win something.

[@miseryremix]

why the hell is the bear considered a comedy?

[@mantisbog]

Because it’s a comedy, it’s just not a multi camera network sitcom where every line is a joke with canned laughter.

[@miseryremix]

@@mantisbog it's drama.

[@kiranolan7104]

@@mantisbog No way is that show a comedy.

[@BrickFrog1]

@@mantisbog Every line doesn't have to be a joke for it to be a comedy, but IMO, if you can have an entire episode with zero comedic moments without feeling "off" from the tone of the show, "comedy" probably shouldn't be the main descriptor. The first episode of season 3 is some amazing television, but a show that is at heart a comedy is not going to have episodes like that IMO

[@Shockguey]

​@@BrickFrog1 Listen, I get it, but if majority of people are telling you your *_*New Flavor*_* tastes like strawberry, you made strawberry ice cream.

[@thevirtualjim]

How is What We Do In The Shadows NOT a sitcom?

[@tbus36]

Should have at least one Emmy. Definitely for season 2.

[@Itisjustasaganow]

Jackie Daytona is amazing

[@arualblues_zero]

YES! looking for this comment, it's absolutely hilarious

[@torterrapin4719]

Same reason I had to come to the comments, not sure why it wouldn't fit the criteria the video explained.

[@arualblues_zero]

@@torterrapin4719 Unless he just misses laugh tracks? I don't think they're needed in WWDITS, and I know it's a matter of taste, but I love that show.

[@trinaq]

I agree, sitcoms don't need to be serious, or deal with hot button issues all the time. They can just make you laugh, and serve as a form of escapism.

[@arthas640]

Yeah 90% of sitcoms are just mindless comedy and nobody's really complaining. Everything else in the series is just in service to the SITuational COMedy.

[@cmbaz1140]

The best sitcoms dealt with those at best once every few seasons...

[@ezmodey1105]

Uh it's "situational" comedy the sit of sitcom if you don't empathize or relate with the situation then you won't get the comedy. They are all slice of life and thus have to represent life (of the average viewer) in an absurd but relatable way you can't relate to sit if it's not familiar can you? How else would they show you the cognitive dissonance that results in humor without using something youre familiar with?

[@jamescarr1265]

Ugh can’t stand preachy comedies

[@arthas640]

@@jamescarr1265 Yeah Seth MacFarlane's lazy attempts at political humor and parodying people he doesnt like is a big reason why i cant stand Family Guy and American Dad. Comedy can and always has been used to satirize, raise awareness, or to send a message but overdoing it kills the comedy.

[@merryharrypop]

If you want him to actually the answer the question, instead of just recapping Emmy Nominations skip to 10:00 where the script dips its toes into and starts to answer the question a little bit, and then gives up

[@chanchanCan3891]

😂

[@Reecetafarian]

I've never seen a video dance around its own thesis statement for so long while almost disproving it and then giving up.

[@isawrooka4]

Bro was trying to pad for that ad revenue Bless u

[@tobyarsalan4019]

script feels AI generated

[@merryharrypop]

@ wait, kinda true

[@TheDrsalvation]

I never really thought that Barry and The Bear were supposed to be sitcoms, for me they were dramas with some jokes in them, I like them exactly as they are, but if they're meant to be judged as comedy, then I completely agree.

[@LPTV84]

It's because they're categorized as dark comedy, but its comedy edge is kind of secondary.

[@paullew4853]

Agreed - but I still see them as comedies but not sitcoms.

[@drewidlifestyle7883]

Barry is definitely more “zany” and while I wouldn’t say sitcom I would say comedy is a big factor in it. The Bear just… isn’t a comedy

[@lugie69]

Barrys writing team consists of Bill Hader and the some of the best sitcom writers of the last 30 years. Its prestige television that is simultaneously a goof on prestige television, it is most certainly a sitcom with sharp jagged dramatic edges.

[@Michelle-s2z6l]

Yeah i couldn't keep watching Barry because it was so tragic.

[@joshfactor1]

well, the problem is there's no emmy category for dramedies & there really should be

[@dariagrekul5957]

I think the problem is there are too many dramedies, and almost no comedies today.

[@cadenmorse1024]

@@dariagrekul5957 the problem is that people now resort to using recycled jokes and everything is super PC, AND that people are extra critical from than before

[@JRMagro]

But it's not a dramadie. It's a drama that happens to have funny moments due to the fact that it's based off of real life and real life has funny moments in it.

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

​@JRMagro yes, exactly! It wouldn't fall into that category either

[@aesop1451]

"Friends", "How I Met Your Mother", "The Office", "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", "New Girl," "Mindy Project", "2 Broke Girls", and "The Good Place" = Millennial normie schlock. Based Gen Z that likes "Joker", "Nightcrawler", and Luigi Mangione = Curb Your Enthusiasm, Eric Andre, Tim Dillon, Andrew Schulz, Shane Gillis, Sam Hyde, and Kill Tony.

[@Billchungus-e3e]

And yet it’s always sunny existed then and now

[@jaysun4069]

One of two shows where I've laughed out loud every single episode.

[@AnjinThomas]

That show is single-handedly proving that you can still make un-PC comedy if you're clever about it

[@KairuHakubi]

@@AnjinThomas though it does get pretty PC-normative after a while.. bleh. I do not want to hear these people talking about the last five years.

[@silencedmaxim5889]

@@AnjinThomas Psych was good... until they brought Shawn's father back from being shot in the chest. After that, the show never really grew. It just stagnated. Every character became a shell of their former self, constantly being a joke character when they're supposed to be the more serious one.

[@cristianramos5947]

It never was that funny

[@APW012]

Shows like Schitt's Creek, b99, The Middle and Everybody Hates Chris should be talked about more. They are funny without laugh tracks. Edit- Also One day at a time(2017 one). Though it has laugh track, it's still good.

[@samriddhigupta5514]

You can add The Good Place too .

[@RyanMcKennaGosling]

New Girl, Home Economics (which got cancelled too soon as the 3rd season was cut short due to Caitlin McGee's pregnancy) and Malcolm in the Middle as well.

[@brittanymiller5585]

Superstore was critically underrated. One of the best sitcoms in a long time.

[@sabine7078]

Agreed, I love that show

[@collinwall5169]

It was good for the first half and then I thought it kinda lost most of its comedic appeal

[@kimberley9484]

OMG yessss

[@MetallicaRocksss]

YES.

[@Legendofzellybelly]

Still good sitcoms out there still airing, Abbot Elementary, Ghosts, English Teacher, Man on the Inside, etc.... Its just dramedies like The Bear and Barry need their own category, so that actual sitcoms can be recognized as well. Cause sitcoms can be heartfelt, deal with complicated issues and funny, Abbot shows that all the time.

[@yoyo9winner]

Man on the inside doesn’t feel like a sitcom at all, definitely more of a drama which elements of comedy

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

All those you listed just feel like every other modern sitcom. They feel so samey

[@niyaakbar1098]

Abbott Elementary is funny but I finished the first season of English Teacher recently and it felt like time wasted

[@promisemochi]

abbot elemetary feels like a copy and paste of all the comedies that came before it. i could barely get through the first season. the jokes didn't come naturally at all. it felt like they were forcing things to be "the funny" and trying to take bits and pieces of parks and rec, the office, b99 and smash it all together. it just felt awkward.

[@Ecalsneerg]

@@DavidMartinez-ce3lp Yeah, people keep raving about Ghosts as original and creative but like... it's a remake of a show that wasn't OFF THE AIR YET. Or in a different language. Or even unavailable in the USA.

[@mayiborrowadollar]

The Bear being considered a comedy is...comedy.

[@johnstronz4672]

The Emmys lost any credibility to me when Big Bang Theory won 10 total Emmys and Community won only 1

[@shadowninja6689]

All the award ceremonies should just be called "The Bribe-ies" because of the insane amount of money spent lobbying the judges to get nominations/awards (since their names are usually publicly known). I'm not kidding about this. If you just so happen to live right next to one of the judges who votes on nominees you can make a decent amount of money putting up signs in your yard saying "[NAME] deserves an Emmy for [award category]". And they throw so much money at the judges in free "gifts" that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

[@johnstronz4672]

@@shadowninja6689 Not to mention, hollywood loves themselves so much, these ceremonies are no different than The Dundies in The Office

[@medianoob9010]

That is the dumbest thing ive ever heard. BBT is a prime show to win that kind of award, it appeals to the masses, it was a highly popular show millions more watched than community. You can personally not like the comedy but that is besides the point.

[@AdonisMediaProductions]

I honestly hated Community but to think Big Bang would win even a single award is baffling and sad.

[@johnstronz4672]

@medianoob9010 so then is the award based off of what's best? Or what is most popular?

[@MrSamBerrett1]

A lot of dramas like Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire etc. Are a lot funnier than most comedies

[@TheBenwardy]

The Pine Barrens episode alone is funnier than most sitcoms in the last 15 years

[@MrTwinbee]

The Shield too, it has some hilarious moments

[@jamescarr1265]

Buffy as well

[@EddieHenderson92]

The sad thing is the Sopranos wouldn't get made the same way today. Hollywood doesn't care about the violence but they wouldn't allow characters to use words like f@@ or some of the racial language.

[@MrSamBerrett1]

​@@TheBenwardy"Guy was an interior decorater"

[@TehSuperHero]

Nerdstalgic is usually much more analytical in your videos. This felt like 11 minutes of "the history of sitcoms" followed by one small "MAYBE tastes have changed?" You didn't tell us anything about the why, or any speculative thoughts or data. Please don't post this kind of useless fluff content.

[@DekuNEKO21]

This video felt like an advertisement to this shitty sitcom about school

[@JamesKent1987]

I'm glad someone else noticed. No meat.

[@CaptainMarvelsSon]

Times change. People change. But somehow we forget that not everything that changes needed to be changed.

[@argento-pyrite]

Agreed. In my opinion, when concerning media, anything that was a good, significant part of its culture shouldn't really be exchanged for something new despite it being equally good. I, for one, am a firm believer that both should and can remain in coexistence. Just because there are cultural shifts that happen every few decades or so shouldn't mean we have to abandon and forget the "old" just because they're "obsolete" to the "now." Just my two cents. Sorry for the yap~!

[@arnoldfreeman2885]

I believe it’s partly a loss of prestige. In the past, an actor could be rich and famous but working for what might be considered a low-brow sitcom. But they’d be wildly successful, so who cares? Now those days of giant sitcoms are dead and over. Now everything is scaled back and done with true love and integrity or it has to be cut with other genres

[@floobynooby]

No mention of Schitt's Creek that swept the Emmy's a few years ago? LOL

[@TheOldMan-75]

Absolutely fantastic show

[@fmdof]

My god. This video is all over the place, I dont even know what point you are trying to make. It's definitely not what the title says.

[@Reecetafarian]

Came here to see if anyone else was thinking this, glad it's not just me. The most nothing video I've seen in a while.

[@hd-xc2lz]

It's trading on public dissatisfaction with present day sitcoms, but unwilling to stick its neck out and get specific.

[@yuvrajvashishth8692]

Why aren't Video Essays allowed to be informative, structured and entertaining anymore?

[@caitlinh6631]

How would you improve it? Be constructive in your criticism please.

[@bdonovable]

Agreed. Seems like he kind of wanted to critique the shows that don't put comedy first and instead shovel social commentary. Didn't want to be labeled as "one of THOSE guys" (the anti-woke pundintry) The other angle almost taken is "why aren't there water cooler shows anymore?" As in products with universal appeal and general audiences rather than niche appeal and select audiences; which again is a result of this dividend between comedy first shows and dramas that tell a joke once in a while. Moreover, the pay walls that divide shows that used to be watched on cable across several streaming services.

[@nudson]

Let me answer your question with a question; what is this video? Feels like a “best of” video clip show.

[@aloixasinclaire9911]

Conspicuously missing is Arrested Develpmemt!! WTF?!?

[@Cosmicllama64]

There are several clips from it in this video... but it wasn't called out specifically. Didn't need to be, all the examples given illustrate the video thesis just fine.

[@ogunduman836]

...right?!?

[@thescottishaccent]

Even more conspicuously is The Simpsons. (And Malcolm in the Middle - imo the greatest modern sitcom.)

[@sexyshadowcat7]

​@thescottishaccent it is one of the best. the 00s were a new golden age of tv

[@moneeraarabic]

RIGHT? I mean it started the whole no-laugh-track mockumentary type that is prominent today.

[@Jeremy-ot6pb]

5:50 Hogan's Heroes was set in a German POW camp during WW2 and was very lighthearted

[@Hi-jw7oq]

Same with Mash

[@josephwest124]

@@Hi-jw7oq Um, I don't recall "Hogan's Heroes" ever having episodes that came close to some of "MASH"s more, um, challenging episodes. Like "Life Time"--where the crew have to save a soldier in 20 minutes (with a clock superimposed on the screen counting down the time). Or "Death Takes a Holiday"--where Hawkeye, Margaret and, especially BJ try to save a soldier from dying on Christmas (with the soldier ultimately dying and Hawkeye moves the clock forward to record the official time of death as the day after Christmas) while the rest of the camp is holding a Christmas dinner for a bunch of Korean orphans (the dinner is largely made up of foods donated by the camp personnel with Winchester's contribution being a can of smoked oysters; we learn that he's been giving fine chocolates to the orphanage and the operator was selling them on the black market for months' worth of rice and vegetables). And, um, no one seemed to notice when Ivan Dixon's "Sgt Kinchloe" disappeared after the 5th season of "Hogan's Heroes" (no suggestion that he was released by the Germans as part of a prisoner exchange and the network was certainly not going to sit with the idea that he'd been killed during an escape or executed for espionage) and was seemingly just replaced by another Black man but McLean Stevenson's "Colonel Blake" left the 4077th with a most certainly unforgettable impact.

[@gemmalittleredcorvette4668]

What We Do In The Shadows is frickin' hilarious. Getting to be up there with The Office for me

[@anubusx]

I like Brooklyn Nine Nine.

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

​@@anubusxthat last season was dogshit though. It's like they weren't even trying to be a comedy anymore.

[@AdonisMediaProductions]

@@anubusx meh, we're talking about What we Do in the Shadows, not that show. It's a much, much better show.

[@anubusx]

@@DavidMartinez-ce3lp I hated when Gina left the precinct.

[@DavidMartinez-ce3lp]

@@anubusx which season was that again?

[@ImekaSF]

I would consider What We Do in the Shadows a sitcom - it is more stylized than Abbott Elementary, but it has more in common with that show than it does Hacks or The Bear.

[@Itisjustasaganow]

What we do in the shadows deserves better

[@AdonisMediaProductions]

@@Itisjustasaganow Best comedy on tv right now, no pretentious bullshit.

[@arualblues_zero]

100% I came to the comments to share WWDITS love! It's severely underrated.

[@FiliusFidelis]

certainly not sad to wave goodbye to canned laughter.

[@Kryxx07]

Agreed. Many shows that used to be my favorites I can't watch anymore because all I hear is laugh track

[@Sandman2007]

I tried watching Superstore to see what it was about, and i couldn't even force a giggle out.

[@Cameraville]

I’m at 05:03 and the video hasn’t started yet.

[@erangordon2035]

what did you say? I didn't find an argument

[@mitchelljaramillo]

I was wondering too. I think the whole video was a question.

[@jingles123456789ify]

Gotta make it at least 10 minutes to get that ad revenue lol

[@Hannah_The_Heretic]

I haven't heard of Abbott Elementary but from these clips it looks awesome, thanks for the new tech. Imma check it out

[@marenkendall7413]

It's my new favorite show. Absolutely brilliant for mockumentary lovers.

[@ther3aper561]

It's really funny. It's a style comedy that you don't see get big on network television anymore, while also having a lot of heart to it

[@SkippyLaughlin]

Watch Abbot elementary it's freaking hilarious

[@Hi-jw7oq]

It's pretty good but not as funny as the office or parks and rec

[@CiceroMonteiro]

The episode where Ross goes to the tanning booth is pure gold, fr fr no cap

[@Kryxx07]

I know it's a different episode, but I will never forget "PIVOT!" I think Ross, and the actor who played him, David Schwimmer, are underrated.

[@narrator69]

Just realized how much the set from All in the Family looks like the set of Married with Children

[@evancombs5159]

Yeah, I noticed that too and wondered if it was reused.

[@silencedmaxim5889]

Yeah, I noticed that too and wondered if it was reused.

[@paintisfood]

Yeah, I noticed that too and wondered if it was reused.

[@samanthabudrik7462]

Anybody else notice that too and wonder if it was reused?

[@PurpleDolphinYT]

My theory is that the rise of youtube, twitch, tik tok, etc and the era of content creators also contributed to this shift. Studios stopped making as many true sitcom style comedies and people started looking for easy relaxing shorter form laughs on the internet instead, prompting studios to shift even harder to dramadies and the like

[@komal146]

I agree with this. We can go about social issues and Emmy's categorisation problems, but this seems more like it. We got escapism on every platform now. Tv and movies are something we now watch to gain something we view as investment , except Marvel (even that landscape is changing now). People are nostalgic about sitcoms and romcoms but we were also the ones fed up with them. So they went out of style, they'll come again. it's kinda natural cycle of a product.

[@GODemon13]

All in the Family was live audience laughter, not laugh tracks.

[@reeferseasalt]

Right? It says so in the intro

[@carlpeterson8182]

@@reeferseasaltit seems so obvious also. The laughs sound so randomly real.

[@keithg460]

A lot of people, even idiots who make these videos, don't k ow the difference and are of the opinion that people hate hearing laughter. They need to get their heads examined.

[@andyb6400]

Barry was always a drama

[@KK-fb9nz]

Agreed. Neither is the bear.

[@EddieHenderson92]

Barry has dark humor but I would still call it a drama first.

[@lonellfletcher]

I feel like Barry began as dark humor. By season 3 it had gone full drama.

[@Ruddline]

Yeah its pretty dark maybe I am just sick I usually laughed once or twice an episode. The bald Russian guy sent me and the actor class parodies were great. I kinda wish the show was like The Office for Hitmen and just kept making different zany assassinations and stuff rather than tried to fit into an apocalyptic ending.

[@Donnie_darko_hu]

Barry turned drama from s3

[@mikebasil4832]

The Norman Lear sitcoms, particularly Good Times, were some very good TV memories thanks to my parents letting me watch sitcoms at an early age.

[@GeekZone210]

The Golden Girls

[@ASG-nm4cz]

"What no comedies with jokes?" Proceeds to show clip of Always Sunny, a show that's still airing.

[@ASG-nm4cz]

BTW, shows like All in the Family and MASH would now be considered "woke."

[@Sandman2007]

​@@ASG-nm4cznope.

[@xandercruz900]

@@ASG-nm4cz "Woke" is just preaching without a punchline. Those shows would not fall into that category. Archie Bunker got as good as he gave. Sometimes he "won the exchanged, sometime not. That is why people from any side felt like the show spoke to them, and they both were able to laugh at themselves.

[@EddieHenderson92]

Even Sunny has been watered down in these more pc times.

[@EddieHenderson92]

@@ASG-nm4cz Being woke in the 70's has nothing in common with what is happening in 2024. The left got weird and crazy.

[@FEARFREAK42]

The Marvelous Ms. Maisel is probably the best of the newer age stuff. Love the writing in it. Jokes just happen and it's great.

[@KK-fb9nz]

I know its unrelated but it wont be long till were looking at mockumentarys like laugh tracks.

[@AnjinThomas]

You're probably right, the format is over-used and for long-running shows it gets a bit ridiculous that a camera crew has been observing the characters' daily lives for years

[@medianoob9010]

what retards think of laugh tracks you mean. Thanks for the self report

[@angelagokool9514]

The only shows I watch nowadays are Ghosts (U.S.) and Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage. They're both funny, in their own ways. The Ghosts are funny because they're from different historical periods, adapting to modern life, and Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage is funny because they're adapting to married life, and life as parents, while having to contend with the rest of their family. Also, I've been working on a fanfiction series, based on Ghosts, but I haven't posted it, yet. Anyway, I do miss the days of more traditional sitcoms, which is why I'm still watching Friends reruns! These sorts of shows deserve a return, and Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage is a good start.

[@RyanMcKennaGosling]

Loved Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage! Some of the characters from Young Sheldon (sans Sheldon and George Cooper) did came back especially Missy (since 2 of the episodes she was in are my favourites so far, especially Raegan Revord's performance since she is likely be open to star in a coming-of-age indie film from A24 one day).

[@gunnarwb]

This explains why I've largely stopped watching new shows. And fall back on re runs

[@MikefromTexas1]

Laugh tracks have always been terrible, regardless of the show. Mash included, it's so much better without it.

[@Sandman2007]

MASH and Seinfeld are the only laugh track sitcoms I'll watch nowadays.

[@MikefromTexas1]

@Sandman2007 Mash wasn't made for a laugh track, the studio forced it into the show. It's much better without it.

[@Sandman2007]

@MikefromTexas1 perhaps. Either way it's still a quality show. I think it does a damn good job showcasing real moments in a war around the comedy.

[@MikefromTexas1]

@Sandman2007 And it does that better without canned laughter covering dialogue.

[@TayoEXE]

I like laugh tracks.

[@chrisstevenson-kuylaars7684]

Hollywood changed, people didn't. The Emmy's are a joke

[@GreedyRadish]

It’s rare that I watch a KZbin video so poorly constructed that it makes me question why I ever watched the channel in the first place. This was just 11 minutes and 14 seconds of complaining that “comedy isn’t like the old days” while fundamentally failing to grasp the way that film and television industry awards work. This was low effort, nostalgia-baiting schlock through and through. I hope this isn’t the best you can do.

[@G2Quiznos025]

I don't necessarily agree with the idea that people's taste in comedies have entirely changed. Look at Netflix's most views when both Friends and The Office were on there.

[@jojomojojones]

Has anyone noticed that every sitcom is in the mockumentory/confessional style now? Every single one.

[@60nerrr]

what we do in the shadows is the funniest show on rn even tho its over now ig😊

[@frikkenI23]

I love the direction everything is moving in, Shrinking is so fantastic, really funny stuff.

[@Neotenico]

The Bear being a nominee in the comedy category is like a plucked chicken being nominated for the "Person of the Year" award. Sure, it's a featherless biped, but on a fundamental level it's just not part of the category.

[@goatkiller666]

5:07 - My favorite part about M.A.S.H. is that it ran longer than the war it supposedly happened during.

[@jonm.1030]

To the tune of All in The Family: “Boy the way the laugh track played, those sitcoms wouldn't last today, R.I.P. the comedies of yesterday….. those were the days”

[@falkkiwiben]

All forms of art and entertainment goes through phases. It's what you read about in art history. When sitcoms where the only things on TV there probably would've been loads of people saying how sick they are of jokes and how they wish there were more serious things on TV. Now people are sick of seriousness and want good old fashioned jokes. The cycle will continue, and I choose to see that as a very beautiful aspect of humanity

[@florinivan6907]

There was never a time when sitcoms were the exclusive thing. Cop shows soap operas etc were around.

[@komal146]

Yeah I'm shocked how it's woke who got Friends like shows cancelled when everyone in 2015 was making fun of those shows for being out of touch and formulaic. We wanted edgy stuff like Barry, cinematic language like the Bear and now we cry about that. It's just a cycle. There were people who mocked 80s sitcom and older demographic that defended that. Musicals were gone and there were no sjws around . And now they seem to be making a comeback. Evolution is inevitable

[@lukewright9031]

I think this is probably why animated sitcoms have filled the void. With live action we are somehow forced to relate to the character while with animation we're coerced to pay attention to (you guessed it) the situation. Animated characters are usually one dimensional while for live action we're meant to believe they have layers to their personality.

[@silencedmaxim5889]

Attack On Titan has SO many layers to it, albeit closer to horror than comedy anime show

[@matityaloran9157]

Though some animated sitcom characters actually do have layers to them. (Candace Flynn, for example.)

[@johannascott1593]

We need another 30 Rock. The amount of jokes per minute was INSANE. It was just pure comedy and laughs and it's my ultimate comfort show

[@ProfessorTakatoPalm]

I just wish more people today would realize that there’s a big Difference between TV shows aren’t real life.

[@srldwg]

Agree!

[@Dough_Dough4]

Barry is truly something else, a hybrid show. It delivers gut wretching moments like "the queen is dead", side-splittingly hilarious moments like Fred Armisen's assassination attempt and thrilling action like the motorcycle chase. I guess it has more funny than dramatic or action moments, but I've never seen a sitcom, let alone one so absurd, do drama so well.

[@DarcyWalker]

Surprised Malcolm In The Middle wasn’t mentioned here

[@nikogoshi5105]

and yet you talked alot without saying nothing. Did not have balls to state the obvious: If The Office would have aired today it would have been canceled. Characters such as Barney Stinson on HIMYM would have been pressured to be taken out cut off or changed drastically to not offend anyone. Thats the reason we do not have sitcoms anymore, instead we are left with pathetic shows with no identity cuz they wanna stay on the political correctness line

[@allthegoodnamesaretaken02]

bro there are still plenty of sitcoms that are 'just funny' and unserious. just because a show is dramatic and has a cohesive story doesnt mean it cant also be comedy.. stories can have depressing and stressful moments and also have heartwarming and hilarious moments as well id argue that bear is a perfect example of that. they dont need always need to be mutualy exclusive or recategorized. Theres plenty of room for both lighthearted and dramatic comedy at the sitcom table

[@jayfloramusic]

This is exactly why Govinda's career went down. Intellectual crowd doesn't want as much slapstick comedy anymore.

[@JohnDoe-qw4gc]

This video didn't answer the question except to throw out some vague maybes. We do miss sitcoms because families don't want to sit through adult entertainment together, even when the kids get bigger. Funny, light, and clever needs to make a comeback.

[@tecpaocelotl]

I'm glad you brought Reservation Dogs. Under appreciated show. Was on tv, then next day on Hulu. Mostly everyone I know was watching it, outside my circle, no one has heard of it. Was weird. I do like "This Fool" which you didn't mention, but came out as the time as Reservation Dogs which was in a similar surreal style and the first time I heard Spanglish in its natural state without people pulling a Dora like I seen it in previous shows with Spanglish.

[@fireaza]

It doesn't help that a lot of people complaining about serious issues in sitcoms, would have been too young to have picked-up on any serious issues being addressed when they first watched them.

[@jayfloramusic]

This is exactly why Govinda's career went down in Bollywood. Intellectual crowd doesn't want as much slapstick comedy anymore.

[@abdelali9279]

The Bear is a comedy? I've seen clips of it and people laughing but it feels ironic, because all I see is a sad man having a mental breakdown and that's definitely not my kind of humor

[@ElvisRose_]

I'm a millennial and I have seen almost every single one of the older shows you mentioned in this video, from I Love Lucy to MASH to The Golden Girls, Frasier, to Parks & Rec and so many more... I'll go back to rewatch an episode of those shows that I've seen a hundred times before rather than watch any of the newer shows from today because I know those older shows WON'T disappoint.

[@themattparks]

These aren’t sit coms next question

[@ColaLoser]

TRUE AND REAL

[@keaganterry6916]

Thank you I was about to say the same thing

[@themattparks]

@@keaganterry6916acting like there aren’t shows like Abbott Elementary and like that Shane Gillis one. Lots of workplace comedy sitcoms on TV now. Young Sheldon spin off too! Barry was never a sitcom lol

[@themattparks]

@@ColaLoser omg he changed the thumbnail because of me 💀

[@jakefollensbee]

Guys it's the sitcom expert. Bowing is the only possible reaction to his presence.

[@jimmyryan5880]

Effing THANKS YOU!! Its not as bad now but during covid people kept recommending "comedies" that just made me more depressed.

[@LoveStallion]

Bless you, Abbott Elementary, you delightful little romp.

[@wastelandwanderer2693]

My style of comedy has been shows like Always Sunny, Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals, My Name is Earl, Trailer Park Boys etc. I'd say I'm just a fan of the wild, raunchy, edgy style of comedy and it seems like it's hard to find a comedy like that nowadays.

[@GoblinArmyInYourWalls]

They are allowed to, but people are allowed to make other kinds of art. There are plenty of plain sitcoms on TV right now. No one wants to watch them.

[@jakeinator2005]

The day a modern sitcom captures the vibe of something like Laverne & Shirley is the day I can die happy.

[@ArtisticHH57]

I’m willing to bet that Malcolm in the middle is going to bring the sitcom back to its former glory. It reinvented the sitcom in the 2000s and it can do it again.

[@nannyalberte]

it is a crime that It's Always Sunny has not won several awards at this point

[@colbymclemore7642]

I’ve become more interested in animated sitcoms over any kind of regular ones to be honest. I feel like American Dad has oddly become a very good family sitcom over the years and its consistency is amazing.

[@gemmalittleredcorvette4668]

@@colbymclemore7642 I feel similarly about Bob's Burgers

[@that.guy11]

British sitcoms are striking the better balance and have done for a while. Derry Girls, Peep Show, The Inbetweeners, Gavin & Stacey, Friday Night Dinner, The Trip, The Thick Of It…all absolute gems from the past 15-20 years that touch on serious topics without becoming swamped by them

[@gemmalittleredcorvette4668]

@@that.guy11 They are excellent! But you gotta hand it to the Americans..they made the Office make me feel something. Americans like to soften characters, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't (inbetweeners). But I love Frasier like I love Blackadder, both sides of the Atlantic hold a nations worth of laughter

[@watcherofwatchers]

I will never watch another sitcom with a laugh track.

[@ogunduman836]

not even one scene from Arrested Development?!?

[@alexthaalien]

Atlanta, Barry, and The Bear are not sitcoms. They have situational comedy peppered in, but they're so much more than that.

[@gordonadams5891]

Married with Children was a huge departure for comedy in it's time. No one had heard dialogue like that before.

[@JoshFrisch]

The Bear is definitely not a sitcom. It's neither situational, nor comedic.

[@squeaky_door8801]

Was pleasantly surprised at the lightning quick clip of Richard Thomas! I hold The Waltons in a very special place in my heart, and I like how you added those actors who aren’t overtly Hollywood stars!

[@ColaLoser]

I’m seeing comments go “It’s woke culture!” but it’s really not… It’s that a lot of these shows from streaming platforms know that the appetite of how people watch shows has changed. Sitcoms thrive as weekly premiere stuff that you can sit down and tune into for 30 minutes (maybe an hour if they do back to back episodes) at the end of the night. It’s light hearted enough that you can half pay attention while you’re dozing off on the couch but still has a narrative and character arcs that keep you coming back each week. They struggle more when binging has become the primary way people engage with the shows they watch. As previously stated, pure sitcoms aren’t engaging enough for an audience to even *want* to binge the entire season. This is where Dramas step into the spotlight and actively thrive with the new binging culture. There’s intrigue, mystery and you can get invested in the characters enough that you’ll crave to see how it all resolves at the end of the season. However its downside is that too much drama is emotionally draining if you get too invested. Thus, Dramadies are born and ultimately *thrive* in this new landscape. An overarching story that keeps you engaged but also funny enough that you’re not drowning in the melodrama of it all.

[@mizuko6132]

Because people are just watching old sitcom reruns. There’s usually 10-13 seasons worth. Now you get comedic performances in different genre shows.

[@reverierift]

THANK YOU!!! I've been wondering the same thing! Why does every new modern comedy have to be subversive or be more serious than it needs to be?? Not to mention the unforgivable sin of "offending people" Great Video!

[@Magdalena8008s]

Nobody is worried about "offending." Its a grift. A scapegoat. There's countless series still airing that some would deem "offensive" that are fine. The issue is the changing landscape that is streaming. That's to blame.

[@reachbean]

Yeah, go watch young Sheldon or something idk. Do you want something that isn’t subversive, or something that isn’t worried abt offending ppl, pick a lane

[@reverierift]

@@reachbean I want traditional comedies. The Bear and Barry aren't traditional sitcoms because while they are great shows, I just don't see the comedy in it

[@thewhitewolf58]

Also making fun of straight people non stop....CRINGE!

[@reachbean]

@@reverierift watch st Dennis medical or something. Idk I see ads for these show all the time, I think ppl just don’t know abt them cause everyone is on streaming and iff ppl are on streaming ppl are probably gonna watch adult animation or rewatch office and friends if they want something easy going. The issue isn’t that these types of shows can’t be made, it’s just that nobody’s watching

[@eric_tha_ric]

Always Sunny hasn’t even begun to peak. The Emmys will feel the wrath

[@casualnerdjason6678]

Dramas have infused more comedy. Comedies have infused more drama. And it’s all good. We don’t need oversimplified genres anymore. The Good Place is my favorite over the past decade. It’s definitely a comedy but certainty has more philosophy and spirituality than any other show I can think of in the modern times.

[@AdonisMediaProductions]

I tend to think it just cheapens both genres in the end, making the product more marketable and with less tangible identity. There should remain very clear delineation between the genres. Not that they cannot mix but those pure genres need to have their content. Law and Order would be obnoxious with levity thrown in and Seinfeld would have been nothing as special as what it turned out to be.

[@yallgottaunderstand]

Surprised Louie wasn't mentioned, as it really did seem to be the genesis of that era of comedies in the 2010s onward that focused more on emotional depth and introspection.

[@Coconut_Prrson]

My brother in Christ there is nothing wrong with a comedy just being that. But there is also nothing wrong with a comedy trying to be more. You can just have both but don't start complaining when people wanna try doing something new. Atlanta for example is still really funny but in its own different style. Just cause it's more experimental doesn't mean its main purpose isn't to be a satire

[@liminalcriminal_]

This is a history lesson. Barely any analysis. Typical low effort slop. I knew this was what I was getting into though, to be fair. It IS nerdstalgic

[@Magdalena8008s]

Sigh. It's nonsense to say executives/etc are worried about "offending." That's nonsense. A grift. Scapegoating. Nobody is worried about offending. Theres countless series that have been airing all whilst people have been crying "woke" and other nonsensical culture wars crap. You can still get away with just about anything and not cause controversy. The issue is the changing landscape that is streaming and such. Pushing out quantity of quality. Its exactly why Chapek was given the boot and Disney/Marvel stuff got worse. Because he had the mandated quantity over quality. As soon as Iger was back, Feige got his control back and focus on quality. Thats the issue. Executives rushing a plethora of things out rather than focus on quality and hiring the proper people. It makes my skin crawl that we are still living in a time where people are crying about people being sensitive and its ruining comedy. You can look at stand up as a prime example. We have "comedians" crying about cancel culture and wokism(it pains me to even say that word)all while they sell stadiums and theaters making millions saying whatever they please. Acting like they are saviors of free speech and they are being oppressed. Sigh. People are desperate to be victims. Yeah, this is more a rant now. Point is. We need better executives. And for the platforms to get their crap together.

[@reachbean]

Thank you! I thought I was going crazy this whole comment section is brain dead

[@Sandman2007]

Stand up comics are selling arenas BECAUSE of the absence of easy going comedy on TV.

[@reachbean]

@@Sandman2007 think abt what you just said for more than like 3 seconds. Stand up comedians are selling out arenas because there’s not enough easy going tv? Like if there were more shows like Young Sheldon, Bill Burr would be less popular? They don’t even occupy the same lanes of comedy. I don’t understand this whole argument. Is the issue that tv comedy is not easygoing and too edgy or too tame and afraid of offending?

[@Sandman2007]

@reachbean stand up comedians fill the void for people to escape and chill out. If we can't find it on TV we look elsewhere.

[@reachbean]

@@Sandman2007 I’m sorry but it for sure exists on tv. There’s like a billion shows that have “chill” comedy. I just named Young Sheldon or whatever but unironically there’s like a ton of shows i don’t even know the name of like St Dennis Medical that probably nobody is gonna watch cause the truth is that it’s prob gonna be a little boring. I would argue standup comedy is the literal opposite of easy comedy

[@ohzenn]

MASH doesn’t handle the hard stuff off screen. I love that show, but I’m also still scarred by it.

[@AGuyNamedRicky]

I think the dramedy has taken hold because one, the talent pool of creators putting in effort to traditional sitcoms has dried up. And two comedy is the subversion of expectations, so after a while of watching sitcoms we know there will be splashes pf serious tones. But now, to subvert our expectations, these shows have surface level very serious tones and then make fun of themselves throughout. And yes I did wait till the end to post my take. Thanks.

[@KyleKringle]

6:15 my dad has always said that all long running comedies will eventually turn to dramas, and used M.A.S.H. as the example.

[@akaSUPERMAN]

Basing the rise and fall of sitcoms on Emmy nominations is an extremely narrow view to take. I would have been curious to find out how the current slate of "sitcoms'" viewership compares to the viewership on streaming platforms of older ones like Office, Parks and Rec, Arrested Development, Friends etc. With the occasional exception, this is a case of networks telling an audience to like something, and the audience not liking it. For example; show me a person who thinks Abbot Elementary is a better show than The Office, and I'll show you someone who has never seen The Office.

[@DerekBoldiene360]

My favorite sitcoms are shows like 1 How I Met Your Mother 👩 2 Full House 🏠 3 Boy Meets World 🌎 4 The Office 🏬 5 Parks And Recreation 6 The Big Bang Theory 7 That '70s Show 8 Evebody Loves Raymond 9 Sabrina The Teebage Witch 10 The Exes 11 Scrubs Not all of them were in order except for the first five

[@majimetanuki]

You know the perfect balance of sitcom? Scrubs. It doesn't have to be super serious all the time, but it has its own dramatic moments where it hits you like a truck.

[@Kira-Nerys]

Ghosts appear and fade away...

[@ThePiggiestOne]

Small sitcom recommendation: Undateable (3 seasons) I hope it's your speed ♥️

[@tylersmash7134]

Last time I came this early my girlfriend left me.

[@AGuyNamedRicky]

*insert comedy laugh track here*

[@tylersmash7134]

@@AGuyNamedRicky more laughter than The Big Bang Theory

[@KK-fb9nz]

Sounds like she wanted it to be over quick.

[@tylersmash7134]

@@KK-fb9nz when you get home from school today tell her I'm still thinking of her.

[@TraaaaaasshBooooaaaatttt]

Dont beat yourself up dude. You certainly didnt beat her up

[@animaleyesone]

The biggest issue is writers can't or won't write comedy for an audience anymore.