Examines four hit US sitcomes - "All in the Family", "The Beverley Hillbillies", "Laverne and Shirley" and "The Cosby Show." This book seeks to account for the appeal of these sitcoms, detailing the factors that go into the construction of mass audiences.
Archie Bunker. Jed. Laverne and Shirley. Cliff Huxtable. Throughout the entire history of American prime-time television only four sitcoms have been true blockbusters, with Nielsen ratings far above the second- and third-rated programs. Weekly, millions of Americans of every age…
The Sitcom explores the production, viewership, and script of this popular genre, drawing on a range of examples and case studies in order to map its characteristics, social significance, and guilty pleasures. Brett Mills takes a global approach, examining international examples…
Even though sitcom has been a consistent staple of broadcasting the world over, rigorous academic work on it as a genre remains limited. This book examines sitcom as an industry in terms of production, audiences and texts, drawing on a range of examples and case studies in order…