There is a glut of single camera comedies on the air right now- Modern Family, The Office, Community, 30 Rock, Cougar Town, and Outsourced are just a few. Single camera comedies have a long tradition in television history, such as M*A*S*H, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Dinosaurs. The difference is that those shows had laugh tracks and classic pacing for jokes, while the new crop tend to just have actors mugging to the camera every now and then. It works on some very well written/performed shows (Curb Your Enthusiasm and Modern Family), and it doesn’t on others (Mr. Sunshine?!?).
I’ve watched The Office, and quite frankly just don’t care about the show. It’s always seemed rather flat to me, and I think that has to do more with the editing than the acting or writing. Watch the clip below that some enterprising YouTube user cut together, and I say unequivocally this is funnier than any episode I’ve ever seen.
So as annoying as we all find laugh tracks, I think when used properly they improve the product. Here’s hoping they make a comeback on some of these shows that are just plain dull without them.
