Definition of sitcom (situation comedy)

radio or television program focusing on the humorous side of real-life situations. Sitcoms are often centered on a family or pseudo-family situation. Among the first sitcoms to appear on television were Ozzie and Harriet, Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver, and I Love Lucy. Early sitcoms are notorious for depicting idealized family situations. Groundbreaking shows, such as All in the Family, later brought more realistic and controversial sociopolitical situations to the screen. Sitcoms in the 1990s reflected changes in society, focusing on pseudo-families in workplaces or among groups of friends. Murphy Brown exemplified a workplace pseudo-family. Seinfeld initiated a new type of sitcom said to be about nothing. Advertisers select sitcoms that attract viewers representative of their customers' demographics and that present a sociopolitical viewpoint with which they want to be associated. Typically, the sitcom is a 30-minute program, where the situation is presented in the first 10 minutes, developed in the next 10 minutes, and then resolved in the last 10 minutes. The television format presents the perfect medium for the sitcom because of the visual opportunities it allows. The format has been extremely successful over the years, particularly during prime time.