When you've had a long and stressful day, one of the best things you can do for yourself is have a hearty laugh. A great way to get the laughter you need is to watch television comedies. What any people don't realize is that while they watch classic TV sitcoms, they may be exposed to new ideas or to different perspectives on old issues and that in time their attitudes may change for the better.
The humor in a sitcom normally comes from the situations in which the characters find themselves. This is why the genre is more formally known as the situation comedy. One of the great American classics in the genre was 'I Love Lucy' in the Fifties, while lines from the British 'Fawlty Towers' from the Seventies are still quoted even by people who've never seen this hilarious show.
A recurring theme in the history of sitcoms is that of family life. Often that family consists of a man and woman as the parents to several children. This type of set-up was very popular in the Eighties, when the Reagan administration focused on family values such as those shown by the Keatons in 'Family Ties' and the Huxtables in 'The Cosby Show'.
Some shows provided a different perspective on the idea of a family. They would feature non-traditional families, such as single-parent households. 'Kate and Allie' was about two single moms, for instance, while 'Full House' involved a widower who raised his daughters with the help of a male friend and a brother-in-law. Other shows focused on familial relationships between adults, such as the brothers and father Crane in 'Frasier'.
With many young adults moving to the big city, they often find themselves substitute families to act as support system. These new 'families' usually consist of several close friends and have featured in hugely popular shows such as 'Seinfeld', 'How I Met Your Mother' and 'Friends'. 'Will and Grace' added another dimension by featuring openly gay characters.
With migration across borders, people are increasingly exposed to different cultures. The Seventies British show 'Mind Your Language' explored the theme of culture, with its mishmash of characters from different countries trying to learn English while adapting to life in England. In the USA, one way of dispelling fears of Muslims and Islam was through 'Aliens in America', where one of the lead characters was a teenage Muslim boy from Pakistan.
A long-running sitcom of the Eighties had as its setting one of the most horrific situations possible. 'MASH' was set during the Korean War, specifically in an army field hospital. Heart-wrenching scenes of death and destruction were placed in between scenes of the wildest, funniest antics. Interestingly, this was very realistic, since humor was a way for medical personnel during that war, and in most others, to handle the daily horrors of armed conflict.
These days it's incredibly easy to watch almost any classic sitcom you can think of. Sometimes you may find reruns on TV. Many shows are available on DVD as well and with a good internet connection, you also have the option of simply streaming the episodes you want to see.
The humor in a sitcom normally comes from the situations in which the characters find themselves. This is why the genre is more formally known as the situation comedy. One of the great American classics in the genre was 'I Love Lucy' in the Fifties, while lines from the British 'Fawlty Towers' from the Seventies are still quoted even by people who've never seen this hilarious show.
A recurring theme in the history of sitcoms is that of family life. Often that family consists of a man and woman as the parents to several children. This type of set-up was very popular in the Eighties, when the Reagan administration focused on family values such as those shown by the Keatons in 'Family Ties' and the Huxtables in 'The Cosby Show'.
Some shows provided a different perspective on the idea of a family. They would feature non-traditional families, such as single-parent households. 'Kate and Allie' was about two single moms, for instance, while 'Full House' involved a widower who raised his daughters with the help of a male friend and a brother-in-law. Other shows focused on familial relationships between adults, such as the brothers and father Crane in 'Frasier'.
With many young adults moving to the big city, they often find themselves substitute families to act as support system. These new 'families' usually consist of several close friends and have featured in hugely popular shows such as 'Seinfeld', 'How I Met Your Mother' and 'Friends'. 'Will and Grace' added another dimension by featuring openly gay characters.
With migration across borders, people are increasingly exposed to different cultures. The Seventies British show 'Mind Your Language' explored the theme of culture, with its mishmash of characters from different countries trying to learn English while adapting to life in England. In the USA, one way of dispelling fears of Muslims and Islam was through 'Aliens in America', where one of the lead characters was a teenage Muslim boy from Pakistan.
A long-running sitcom of the Eighties had as its setting one of the most horrific situations possible. 'MASH' was set during the Korean War, specifically in an army field hospital. Heart-wrenching scenes of death and destruction were placed in between scenes of the wildest, funniest antics. Interestingly, this was very realistic, since humor was a way for medical personnel during that war, and in most others, to handle the daily horrors of armed conflict.
These days it's incredibly easy to watch almost any classic sitcom you can think of. Sometimes you may find reruns on TV. Many shows are available on DVD as well and with a good internet connection, you also have the option of simply streaming the episodes you want to see.
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