There are many things about sitcoms that annoy me, but one thing more than any other: It's bad enough to have obviously fake laugh tracks. It's even worse when the laugh track is stuck on a scene filmed outdoors and obviously not infront of a studio audience (cough, Will & Grace, cough). But what bugs me the most is the shockingly common practice of having something set up during a scene and then having the camera pull back to reveal a suprise. For example, you'll see the main character talking romantically and you assume he's on a date, then when the camera pulls back, he's actually in his room pretending to talk to his girlfriend or talking to his dog or such nonsense. The laugh track kicks into high gear. WTF? The studio audience is watching the scene on a soundstage; they have no idea what is being shown on screen, yet they'll laugh hysterically at a widening shot? Who are they kidding? NBC has been particularly guilty of this lame practice this year (thank God for the laugh-track free Scrubs).
Does this bother anyone else as much as it does me?

Yeah, it bothers me if I think about it, but a lot of these sitcoms have me turning off the Logic and Thinking parts of my brain while watching.

I always wondered how they did this for Saturday Night Live stuff, when there's like a camera move to reveal a joke...the audience laughs, but can't they see already?

Hmm.

I started a thread on laugh tracks earlier this year. They drive me insane. "Everybody Loves Raymond" gets all these good reviews, but the 3 minutes I was forced to watch it at work on break one time really turned me off. And it was almost soley because of the laugh track. I think Seinfeld is the only show with laughs that I can stomach. Simpsons and Southpark are so funny they know they don't need the help. The only sitcom I've seen in the last two years that I found creative was "Bernie Mac" and I have a feeling there's no laughtrack with that, but I'm not sure.

My sitcom pet peeve would have to be where certain character (cough, frasier, cough) say something like, "I would never do this and that." or "this is so not me." and immediately follow by the opposite of what he just said. If you watch (cough, frasier, cough) closely, you'll notice bout 60% of his punch line are setup exactly like that. It's so obvious and unspontaneous.

The audience has a teleprompter and/or cue cards that tell them the appropriate time to laugh and when to stop laughing.

And I think they need it, because otherwise, they would not laugh.

Laugh tracks are needed in just about all comedies. Do you know why? Simply put, it's harder to get a comedy done infront of a live studio audiance because of the amount of time it takes to film an episode. Imagen sitting on your arse all day long looking at people prep a set, etc. it's not that funny if you think about it.

Also, laugh tracks are needed simply to bring out the funny moments. It is very tough to get a comedy to hit as many as it's intended jokes on there marks.

It sometimes can be a bother, but it is also a marketing tool to make the audiance laugh with them. some folks just don't want to be a loner when it comes to laughing at something. it's all done for a reason you have to remember.

I think your wrong - only unfunny shows need laugh tracks.
As you may know, the two funniest shows of all time (Simpsons & Curb Your Enthusiasm) don't have a laugh track.

my biggest pet peeves are sitcoms with no faces to match the actor's to in the opening credits(instead we just get the names). Also having to continue the sitcom over the ending credits.

this is why scrubs is such a great show.

does anyone know what season this is? i just discovered it this yera and i LOVE IT. i wonder how many great episodes ive missed in past seasons (cant wait for dvds!!!)

Hmm, the "laugh tracks" at the two sitcom tapings I've been to (Newsradio and That 70's Show) were for the most part real (as in, recordings of the studio audience). In both cases, they did instruct the audience on their laughing (or oohing) for retakes, when they thought it was excessive (or not enough).

Tapings for those shows both ran about 3-3.5 hours... They don't necessarily do the whole show in front of the audience (but do show the audience the bits they have pre-taped in the right spots, so you can follow along).

Scrubs is in Season 2

Personally I think I must have learned how to block out laugh tracks. I don't even notice them anymore. I'd have to say the only one I remember really bothering me sometimes would be The Flintstones. A cartoon with a laugh track. Are we supposed to believe there is a studio audience??

That has been the case for the tapings that I've been to also (which might explain the crowd reaction). The mikes were live during the pre-taped segments also. Maybe they do that for audience consistency?

In the MASH DVD's, you can turn off the laugh track which is really a different experience and I think better. MASH is an example of a funny show that did have a laugh track.

I like the over-exaggerated laugh track they use in "Where's My Bush?" but generally I hate them.

My favorite part is when they show some drooling kid with big eyes and everybody goes, “Aawwwwwww!” Someday I’d like to make a living saying “Aawwwwwww” for a television network. (Of course I’d only be a part of a team.)

And that's why it's pure GENIUS! Muwahahaaa!!!

Well, with the simpsons it's hard to get a live studio audiance. Animation done live is a pretty big strain on the animators hands so that might be wise simpsons doesn't need the laugh track.. then again have you see the shows lately? Maybe they do need one after all..

as someone else said Flinstones had a laugh track. nothing big. Aslong as it doesn't get to much overboard then it's alright.