I love television, specifically sitcoms. Whether they are good or bad, I will sit down and watch the entire thirty minutes of an episode. You may be wondering why I would subject myself to this, and the answer is simple.
I love the effortlessness of a sitcom.
From “Seinfeld” to “Yes, Dear”, you know what you are going to get when you sit down. Typically, there are no curveballs or emotional rollercoasters, and that is just fine with me.
Do not get me wrong; I am by no means a “simpleton” when it comes to television shows. Yes, I have watched my fair share of trashy reality shows. However, I always round out my viewing schedule with shows that have a lot of substance, such as “Shameless”, “Dexter”, and the “American Horror Story” miniseries.
But there is something about sitcoms that shows like “Orange is the New Black” cannot satisfy.
We all have the need to just want to sit and zone out. Since media heavily influences our society, then yes, that means we will be more apt to zone out in front of the television. To me, that is perfectly acceptable.
Nothing will beat the feeling of plopping down on the couch after a hard day, turning on the television, and flipping to any mind-numbing sitcom that is on. The show does not even have to be good for it to be entertaining. There is just something great about the formulas that sitcoms have.
For example, let us think about “According to Jim”. For eight seasons, Jim (Jim Belushi) and his dimwitted sidekick, Andy (Larry Joel Campbell) played out the same concept every episode, just with different shenanigans. Every airing, Jim would con his wife, Cheryl, played by Courtney Thorne-Smith, with the help of Andy. Ultimately, all of their schemes to pull one over on Cheryl would backfire. And in the end, she would forgive her goofy husband, they would kiss, and everything would be fine.
And that was it. For 182 episodes, this how “According to Jim” played out and I love it. Even though I always knew how each episode was going to end, I would still be compelled to watch the entire show.
That is the thing about sitcoms: you probably already know what is going to happen, but they are still entertaining enough to watch. Also, the great thing about sitcoms is that usually there is no storyline you have to follow in order to understand what is happening in the show.
If you missed an episode of “Breaking Bad” or “Dexter”, then you will most likely be lost when you try to jump back into it.
However, with sitcoms, that dilemma is nonexistent. Just turn on “The Big Bang Theory” anytime it is on and you will have no problem understanding the premise. It is entertaining, and more importantly, not thought provoking in the least way.
Although, there are some sitcoms that can be more fulfilling if you do take the time to watch all of the episodes from the beginning. Over spring break, I finally had the time to marathon all of the seasons of “How I Met Your Mother” on Netflix. As I watched the shows, I realized that I had already seen most of the reruns from the channels with syndicated programming. The ones that I had not seen were somewhat filling in the gaps, but they were never gaps that hindered my enjoyment of the show. And even though I had seen many of the episodes, I watched them again anyway. It does not matter that I already know who ends up with who, it was just nice to be able to enjoy the show and not try to find deeper meaning within the jokes.
Moving away from great sitcoms like “Married…with Children” or “Will & Grace”, there are many shows that are not so great. There have been many horrible shows, which somehow made it onto television.
Did you know that in 1990, there was a short-lived sitcom called, “Ferris Bueller”? Unfortunately, Matthew Broderick did not play Bueller. Instead, it was some unknown actor named Charlie Schlatter. His acting was subpar to say the least. But that was not the real issue with the show. The show is somewhat chaotic and…who am I kidding? Just why on earth would someone take a classic movie and try to turn it into a pathetic excuse for a bad sitcom?
As bad that the show is though, I once again feel bound to watch all thirteen grueling episodes on YouTube. Do I have an addiction to sitcoms? Probably.
My point to this entire thing is that sitcoms are not the enemy. They are shows that should be taken as they are. Never try to compare “Breaking Bad” and “My Wife and Kids”, because they are not even remotely in the same category. The former is there to work out our minds and send us on an emotional trip, while the latter is just to give us some cheap laughs and a break from the exhausting tasks of life.
And hey, even if sitcoms are not your thing, there is no need to look down on those that want partake in them. With the hundreds of channels on television, I am sure you can find something more thought provoking to watch.
Lauren Dwyer
Senior Features Editor