ctyler

I'm talking about when I am watching a sitcom and there is laughter whenever someone says something that is supposed to be funny. I do not need to be told when to laugh. Do they really think we are that stupid? Anybody else hate this?

das Monkey

• Quoth ctyler •<HR SIZE=1>Do they really think we are that stupid?<HR SIZE=1>

Yes ... we now return you to Will & Grace on N-B-C.

das

P.S. I'm fully aware of the studio audience, but the laughter is resequenced and unnatural, which is no better.

Rypro 525

Is there a way to tell natural laughter and canned laughter, I know All in the Family is natural, Friends, married with Children ect.

Groucho

Having been in my share of studio audiences, they don't even use the laughter of the actual crowd, which is sporatic at best.

Play the MASH DVD's without the laugh track, and see how a great show can be improved immensely.

FalconH10

Family Matters was the worst with their laugh track.
"Hi Laura" (ha ha ha ha ha)
"Hi Steve" (ha ha ha ha ha)
"Got any cheese?" (ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha )
"No Steve." (ha ha ha ha ha ha )

You get the point

JNielsen

Canned laughter on early Sports Night episodes
Them getting rid of it later on

RandyM

I couldn't even watch the DVD for "Coupling" after the 1st 5 minutes because of the laugh track.

huzefa

Comedy Central bringing it back

Simpson Purist

As much as I enjoy watching Seinfeld, the laugh track can get on your nerves sometimes (especially when you hear the same guy laughing every episode).

BizRodian

I once recall watching Flintsones, and they refused the same laughing each time there was a joke, there was always ONE GUY who like, half coughed... as a kid it was funny.

I agree though, anything with laughing in it and I turn the channel.

MasterCXtreme

Drew Carey always has this oney guy who has such a loud and obnoxious laugh. I'm not sure weather or not it's canned but i've heard it many many times.

PalmerJoss

Probably the one good usage that I can remember of canned laughter was on the short-lived sitcom That's My Bush. God did I love that show.

Groucho

Agreed.

Draven

I remember "Night Court" had a distinctive laugher in the audience. I think I read somewhere that that guy was at almost (if not every) taping of that show.

I think they even used him in the end credits. I miss that show...

apeyard

Comedy Central didn't bring it back. The laugh track is only there on the early episodes that had the laugh track in the first place.

Does anyone know if the Sports Night DVDs have the laugh track for the early episodes?

PixyJunket

The worst show of all time, aka Everybody Loves Raymond, has really bad laugh track usage every 10 seconds.. just as bad, if not worse than the previously mentioned Family Splatters note.

milo bloom

Yes they do. The Sports Night DVDs are pretty much the TV masters dumped onto DVD. In a perfect world they would have been remixed without it, and had commentaries and deleted scenes, but I guess we're lucky to get it at all.


Rypro, the best way to tell is when you hear laughter at a line that the actors don't pause for because they didn't know it would be laughed at.

This brings to mind my example. I've been watching bits and pieces of Sanford and Son lately, but can't watch very much of it because the laughter, which I think is natural, overrides and messes up the timing of the jokes. There's some funny stuff under there, but the laughter ruins it.

Seantn

At each studio taping there are actually actors placed through out the audience who are being paid to laugh really loud at certain parts. And no, I'm not kidding. I have friends who have been paid to do it.

Rypro 525

I am guessing for obvious reasons, snl, mad tv are def live audiences, I'm still wondering about all in the family, they say it was done on tape in front of a live audience, does it still use canned laughter at times.

freedexter

Yeah, it really is a bit irritating. The fake people laugh at everything!

BizRodian

I find a lot of British comedies are even worse then the american shows. They DO sound more natural though.

atari2600

you kinda get used to it. some sit coms would be wierd without them even though i rarely laugh along.

atari2600

good to know. i always wondered if they did or not.

atari2600

even worse - the little girl on full house.

ANYTHING she ever said (or any kid) would get laughter. ANYTHING. always.

nemein

Well then you'll be happy to know the person who invented it died recently. NPR had a special piece on him a couple of weeks ago (maybe not that far back).