There are of course different ways of classifying sitcoms - according to age, perceived quality, etc. However, apart from those very obvious attributes, what would the main types of sitcoms be? And has the dominant 'type' changed over time. I'm interested in UK sitcoms not US ones.
I was thinking maybe you could make a table (not a one you sit at - the other sort) showing which characteristics different sitcoms have to indicate their type.
Quote: Steve Charlie @ April 30 2011, 3:31 AM BSTWhat would the main types of sitcoms be?
Here, we can't even agree on what a sitcom is.
Ha ha, this is true, not helped by the BBC of late who seem to be mixing and matching with comdrams in trad sitcom slots. It would be a good question to ask the BBC on their website, Charlie, I'm thinking of doing it myself infact.
There are two types of sitcom - funny and unfunny... Oh, and Grandma's House... There are three types of sitcom...
^ What he said.
(Except I don't understand the bit about Grandma's House.)
Quote: lofthouse @ April 30 2011, 10:23 AM BST(Except I don't understand the bit about Grandma's House.)
It created its own new category, gayjewcom. Others are being made as we speak, possibly Friday Night Dinner was one.
I think there are a few categories you can create, such as "Family" and "Workplace", but there are others which don't seem to fit into any sort of mould.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ April 30 2011, 6:09 PM BSTIt created its own new category, gayjewcom. Others are being made as we speak, possibly Friday Night Dinner was one.
I don't recall anyone in Friday Night Dinner being gay.
Quote: Ian Wolf @ May 1 2011, 8:48 PM BSTI don't recall anyone in Friday Night Dinner being gay.
There were Jews. In Kipper's world that's close enough. 
Quote: Tim Walker @ May 1 2011, 11:56 PM BSTThere were Jews. In Kipper's world that's close enough.
Must be something to do with circumcision.
Characteristics (yes, somewhat, no)
- family (when people say a family sitcom, do they mean one that's about a family or is designed for family viewing)
- dark
- satirical
- traditional? classic-style?
- camp?
- slapstick?
Must be better terms. I guess writers have terms for all this.
I would think most writers don't worry about what genre or label will be applied to a show they are working on. Critics, agents, marketing people, fans, whoever sort that out after the writer's work is done.
There's single-camera non-audience sitcoms. And there's multicamera studio-audience sitcoms.
I'd imagine the TV companies would use that as their main guideline now, and then sort them into what channel, what time slot. At the moment they are definitely making more of the first type. The BBC is at least.
They may also have a divide between sitcoms from established writers and sitcoms from new writers, I think they do in fact, but don't know if there is a quota for each type. I would certainly imagine there must be some kind of quota for the main two types as above, though. For instance I think they would have to find room for at least one trad style studio sitcom with laugh track a year, but I hope it's a bit higher than that.
I've thought of one - the Senior-Citcom! Examples include...
"Dad's Army"
"Last of the Summer Wine"
"Keeping Up Appearances"
"Only Fools and Horses"
"To The Manor Born"
"The Good Life"
"One Foot in the Grave"
"As Time Goes By"
"Waiting For God"
But seriously...
I think the most important distinction is that some sitcoms are meant to make you laugh out loud, while others are more drama based and are amusing but focus more on plot or character than gags. I don't think that this should take anything away from them, however... some of Shakespeare's comedies were quite dramatic and sad, but ended happily. Were they badly written just because there wasn't a laugh every ten seconds?