A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy ) is a genre of comedy that centers on a recurring cast of characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home, workplace, or community. Unlike sketch comedy , which features different characters and settings in each skit , sitcoms typically maintain plot continuity across episodes. This continuity allows for the development of storylines and characters over time, fostering audience engagement and investment in the characters' lives and relationships.
134-539: Seinfeld ( / ˈ s aɪ n f ɛ l d / SYNE -feld ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of 180 episodes . Its ensemble cast stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself and focuses on his personal life with three of his friends: best friend George Costanza ( Jason Alexander ), former girlfriend Elaine Benes ( Julia Louis-Dreyfus ), and neighbor from across
268-483: A Frogger machine across the street, mimicking the action of the game itself. The last season included a story arc in which Elaine has an on/off relationship with Puddy . Despite the enormous popularity and willingness of the cast to return for a tenth season, Seinfeld decided to end the show after Season 9, believing he would thereby be able to ensure the show would maintain its quality and go out on top. NBC offered Seinfeld $ 110 million—a record $ 5 million an episode for
402-413: A Bob Hope television special , and the next four episodes were filmed. These episodes were highly rated as they followed summer re-runs of Cheers on Thursdays at 9:30 p.m., and the series was finally picked up. At one point, NBC considered airing these episodes on Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. but gave the slot to a short-lived sitcom called FM instead. The series was renamed simply Seinfeld as
536-589: A Harold Pinter play, Betrayal . Some stories were inspired by headlines and rumors, as explained in the DVD features "Notes About Nothing", "Inside Look" and "Audio Commentary." In " The Maestro ," Kramer's lawsuit is roughly similar to the McDonald's coffee case . " The Outing " is based primarily on rumors that Larry Charles heard about Jerry Seinfeld's sexuality. The series was often described as "a show about nothing." However, in 2014, Seinfeld stated: "The pitch for
670-602: A Nielsen rating of 10.9/19. The ratings did not exhibit the regional skew Tartikoff predicted, much to the encouragement of the show's supporters. Ludwin canceled one of the Bob Hope specials budgeted for that season so the entertainment division had the money to order four more episodes of The Seinfeld Chronicles , which formed the rest of the show's first season (the series was by then retitled to Seinfeld )—a move without which Chicago Tribune columnist Phil Rosenthal later said there "would be no Seinfeld" . Although this
804-563: A limousine driver, who owned his own car, and the mother an electrician. With advice from his wife Camille Cosby , though, the concept was changed so that the family was well-off financially, with the mother a lawyer and the father a physician. Cosby wanted the program to be educational, reflecting his own background in education. He also insisted that the program be taped in New York City instead of Los Angeles , where most television programs were taped. The Huxtable home exterior
938-523: A spin-off series called A Different World that was built around the "Denise" character (portrayed by actress Lisa Bonet ), the second of the Huxtables' four daughters. Initially, the new program dealt with Denise's life at Hillman College, the fictional historically black college from which her father, mother, and paternal grandfather had graduated. Denise was written out of A Different World after its inaugural season, due to Bonet's pregnancy, and
1072-564: A "pirate" shirt on The Today Show , " The Non-Fat Yogurt " featuring Rudy Giuliani , the Republican then-mayor-elect of New York, and " The Opposite " in which George, doing the opposite of what his instincts tell him he should do, lands a job with the New York Yankees and Elaine leaves "Pendant Publishing" because of a comedy of errors that led to its demise. Another story arc has George returning to live with his parents. Amid
1206-412: A 22-episode tenth season—but he declined. A major controversy caused in the ninth season was the accidental burning of a Puerto Rican flag by Kramer in " The Puerto Rican Day ." This scene caused a furor among Puerto Ricans, and as a result, NBC showed this episode only once. Seinfeld defused the protestors by not letting this episode continue in syndication, as revealed in "Inside Look" on DVD. However,
1340-540: A 30-minute time slot. Throughout their history, American sitcoms have often drawn inspiration from British counterparts. Popular shows like All in the Family , Three's Company , and Sanford and Son were adapted from successful British series. More recently, The Office achieved significant popularity in the United States , following the success of its British counterpart. Numerous television networks in
1474-403: A 75-minute episode (cut to 60 minutes in syndication , in two parts) written by co-creator and ex-executive producer Larry David, which aired on May 14, 1998. Before the finale, a 45-minute retrospective clip show, " The Chronicle ," was aired. The retrospective was expanded to an hour after the original airing and aired again on NBC as an hour-long episode, and has since aired in syndication. It
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#17327649325451608-517: A TV sitcom series named Jerry . The show within a show , Jerry was much like Seinfeld in that it was "about nothing," and Seinfeld played himself. The fictional Jerry was launched in the Season 4 finale, but unlike Seinfeld , it wasn't picked up as a series. Jerry is one of many examples of metafiction in the show. There are no fewer than 22 fictional movies featured, like Rochelle, Rochelle . Because of these several elements, Seinfeld became
1742-544: A core group of characters who interact in a recurring setting, such as a family, workplace, or institution. However, British sitcoms typically consist of shorter series, often six episodes, and are frequently developed by a smaller writing team. The majority of British sitcoms are half-hour comedies recorded in studio settings using a multiple-camera setup. While many adhere to traditional sitcom conventions, some have ventured into more unconventional territory. For example, Blackadder and Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister shifted
1876-454: A crossover to CBS show Murphy Brown , marking the first such cooperation between rival networks. " The Busboy " introduces George, Kramer and Elaine as having their own storylines for the first time. Although Castle Rock Entertainment's Glenn Padnick thought Seinfeld was too generous, showcasing his co-stars' comedic talent became a trademark throughout the series. Larry Charles wrote an episode for Season 2, " The Bet ," in which Elaine buys
2010-564: A full-season order. Ann Jillian lasted only a single season of 13 episodes and was off the air by the end of 1990. When NBC announced its 1989–90 (primetime) schedule in May 1989, The Seinfeld Chronicles was not included, but the show's supporters did not give up. The pilot first aired on July 5, 1989, and finished second in its time slot against the CBS police drama Jake and the Fatman , receiving
2144-406: A guest character (e.g. Oh Henry! bars) or simply a conversational aside (e.g., Chuckles , Clark Bar , Twinkies ). A large number of non-candy products were also featured throughout the series. The show's creators claim that they weren't engaging in a product placement strategy for commercial gain. One motivation for the use of real-world products, entirely unrelated to commercial considerations,
2278-493: A gun from Kramer's friend. This episode was not filmed because the content was deemed unacceptable, and it was replaced by the episode " The Phone Message ". " The Stranded ," which aired during Season 3, was initially intended for Season 2. At the beginning of this episode, Jerry clears up the continuity error over George's real estate job. Season 4 marked the sitcom's entry into the Nielsen ratings Top 30. It contains several of
2412-425: A humorous focus on the atypical names of these characters, which often contain alliteration. In keeping with Seinfeld's reputation as a clean comedian, though the show frequently contains dialogue around sexual themes, the show notably avoids using almost all explicit sexual terminology. Notably, in the popular episode " The Contest ," whose plot line concerns a contest amongst the main characters to see which one can go
2546-683: A joke did not elicit the desired reaction, they rewrote it and performed it again. In at least one case, "The Marine Biologist," this led to David writing an entirely new scene requiring Alexander to memorize a monologue in only a matter of minutes. Laugh tracks were used only for matching shots, not for artificially adding laughter. Various locations used for establishing shots included Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway (Monk's Cafe), Midtown West's Roosevelt Hospital (recurring exterior emergency room scene and indoor scenes in 'The Junior Mint' and 'The Bris'), Cornell Medical Centre at 525 East 68th Street, 22-39 37th Street, Queens (The Costanza's house),
2680-415: A larger variety of shows with a predominantly black cast, from In Living Color to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air . The Cosby Show spent five consecutive seasons as the number-one rated show on television and, along with All in the Family , is the only sitcom in the history of the Nielsen ratings as the number-one show for five seasons, having spent the series in the top 20 ratings. It also remains
2814-542: A mail carrier who lives in the same building and is Jerry's nemesis. In addition to recurring characters, Seinfeld features numerous celebrities who appear as themselves or as girlfriends, boyfriends, bosses, and other acquaintances. A number of actresses made guest appearances as Seinfeld's love interests in single episodes: Compared to other family and group sitcoms of the era, Seinfeld stood out. The principal characters are not related by family or work-associated connections but remain distinctly close friends throughout
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#17327649325452948-470: A minute for advertising—a mark previously attained only by the Super Bowl . Elizabeth Magnotta and Alexandra Strohl analyze the success of Seinfeld with recourse to the incongruity theory of humor: "The Incongruity Theory claims that humor is created out of a violation of an expectation. For humor to result from this unexpected result, the event must have an appropriate emotional climate, comprised of
3082-683: A nervous breakdown in " The Money ", followed by Elaine writing Peterman's biography in " The Van Buren Boys ", which leads to Kramer's parody of Kenny Kramer's Reality Tour seen in " The Muffin Tops ". The final season included episodes like " The Merv Griffin Show " in which Kramer converts his apartment into a talk-show studio and plays the character of talk-show host, " The Betrayal " that presents in reverse chronological order what happened to Sue Ellen's wedding in India, and " The Frogger " in which George pushes
3216-525: A person has and trying to make something funny out of it. Doesn't everybody do terrible things and have terrible thoughts? Just by trying to be as funny, you're going to deal with a lot of things that are real, so the show's really about something. The whole thing about the show being about nothing is ridiculous." Much of the show's humor is based upon repeated use of irony, incongruity, and (oftentimes unfortunate) coincidences. Additionally, guest characters are frequently introduced with little to no context, with
3350-547: A personal assistant to her eccentric boss Justin Pitt and George's parents' temporary separation. This was the first season in which Seinfeld reached No. 1 in the Nielsen Ratings. The use of Jerry's stand-up act declined, and the end stand-up segment no longer appeared because the storylines for all four characters grew denser. In Season 7, a story arc involved George getting engaged to his ex-girlfriend, Susan Ross, after
3484-479: A phrase that sounded like the tune Easy to Beat . Jerry Seinfeld and executive producer Larry David both liked Wolff's additions, and three episodes were produced with this new style of music. However, they had neglected to inform NBC and Castle Rock executives of the change, and when the season premiere aired, the executives were surprised and unimpressed and requested that they return to the original style. The subsequent two episodes were redone, leaving this episode as
3618-418: A precautionary measure due to the failure of the short-lived 1990 ABC series with a similarly sounding title, The Marshall Chronicles . After airing the remaining four episodes of its first season the summer of 1990, NBC ordered 13 more episodes. David believed that he and Seinfeld had no more stories to tell and advised Seinfeld to turn down the order, but Seinfeld agreed to the additional episodes. Season 2
3752-665: A result of the Bill Cosby sexual assault cases . The show focuses on the Huxtable family, an upper middle class African-American family, living in a brownstone in Brooklyn Heights , New York, at 10 Stigwood Avenue. The father is Cliff Huxtable , an obstetrician and son of a prominent jazz trombonist. The mother is his wife, lawyer Clair Huxtable . They have four daughters and one son: Sondra , Denise , Theo , Vanessa , and Rudy . Despite its comedic tone,
3886-576: A result of the Bill Cosby sexual assault cases . In November 2014, TV Land pulled the series from its lineup. "Episodes have been pulled immediately for the foreseeable future ... TV Land even removed references to The Cosby Show from its website on Wednesday afternoon as the scandal accelerated." In December 2014, the Magic Johnson –owned network Aspire removed the show from its lineup. BET 's Centric (another Viacom unit), along with Bounce TV , ceased airing reruns of The Cosby Show . At
4020-496: A sitcom to sell for their fledgling company, they needed a big name behind it. Bill Cosby had had performed stand-up comedy with award-winning albums and starred in several genres in TV and film in the 1960s and 70s, but his career had become more static by the early 1980s. According to a Chicago Tribune article from July 1985, despite Carsey and Werner's connection to the network, Lewis Erlicht, president of ABC Entertainment , passed on
4154-470: A tenth season. The offer NBC made to Seinfeld was over three times higher per episode than anyone on TV had ever been offered before. Seinfeld told the network that he was not married nor had children, and wished to focus on his personal life. As reported in July 2007, he was the second-highest earner in the TV industry, earning at the time $ 60 million a year. The episode became the first to command over $ 1 million
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4288-552: A total of 201 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons, including an outtakes special. The show focuses on the Huxtables, an upper middle-class Black-American family living in Brooklyn , New York; the series was based on comedy routines in Cosby's stand-up comedy act, which in turn were based on his family life. The series was followed by a spin-off , titled A Different World , which ran from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993, with
4422-453: A total of six seasons consisting of 144 episodes . TV Guide listed the series as "TV's biggest hit in the 1980s", adding it "almost single-handedly revived the sitcom genre and NBC's ratings fortunes", while also ranking it 28th on their list of 50 Greatest Shows; with this list, Cliff Huxtable was named as the "Greatest Television Dad" in 2014. In May 1992, Entertainment Weekly stated that The Cosby Show helped to make possible
4556-531: A touching lack of faith in one's fellow human beings." This leads to very few happy endings, except at somebody else's expense. More often in every episode, situations resolve with characters getting a justly deserved comeuppance . The show premiered as The Seinfeld Chronicles on July 5, 1989. After it aired, a pickup by NBC seemed unlikely, and the show was offered to Fox , which declined to pick it up. Rick Ludwin , head of late night and special events for NBC, however, diverted money from his budget by canceling
4690-414: Is based on Dan O'Keefe's dad, who made up his own holiday: Festivus . Other stories take a variety of turns. " The Chinese Restaurant " consists of George, Jerry, and Elaine waiting for a table throughout the entire episode. " The Boyfriend ", revolving around Keith Hernandez , extends through two episodes. " The Betrayal " is famous for using reverse chronology and was inspired by a similar plot device in
4824-417: Is its theme music. Composed by Jonathan Wolff , it consists of distinct solo sampled electric bass riffs that open the show and connect the scenes, often accompanied by beatboxing . The bass music eventually replaced the original piano/synth music by Jep Epstein when it was played again after the first broadcast of the pilot episode . The show lacked a traditional title track and the riffs were played over
4958-512: Is one of the leading channels in India, dedicated entirely to Sitcoms. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is the longest-running sitcom of Indian television and is also known as the flagship show of SAB TV . On Tiptoes and Shabhaye Barareh were among the first and most important sitcoms that led to the growth of this type of comedy in Iran, both receiving wide critical and audience acclaim. El Chavo del Ocho , which ran from 1971 to 1980,
5092-530: Is referred to as Seinlanguage , which is also the title of Jerry Seinfeld's best-selling book on humor. These terms include " man hands ", " shrinkage ", " regift ", and " double dip ". A recurring feature of Seinfeld was its inclusion of specific products, especially candy , as plot points. These might be a central feature of a plot (e.g., Junior Mints , Twix , Chuckles , Jujyfruits , bite-size Three Musketeers , Snickers , Chunky , Oh Henry! , Drake's Coffee Cake and PEZ ), or an association of candy with
5226-501: Is the comedy value of funny-sounding phrases and words. "I knew I wanted Kramer to think of watching the operation like going to see a movie," explained Seinfeld writer/producer Andy Robin in an interview published in The Hollywood Reporter . "At first, I thought maybe a piece of popcorn falls into the patient. I ran that by my brother, and he said, 'No, Junior Mints are just funnier.'" Many advertisers capitalized on
5360-508: Is torn between exact opposites of her friends and Jerry dates a woman who has the now-famous "man hands". Some notable episodes from Season 8 include " The Little Kicks " showing Elaine's horrible dancing, and " The Chicken Roaster " which portrays the Kenny Rogers Roasters chicken restaurant which opened during that time. A story arc in this season involves Peterman going to Burma in " The Foundation " until he recovered from
5494-433: The 1992 Los Angeles riots , with Cosby quoted in media at the time pleading for peace. During the third season, Rashad was pregnant with her daughter Condola . Rather than write this pregnancy in, the producers simply greatly reduced Rashad's scenes or filmed in such a way that her pregnancy was not noticeable. Another main cast member pregnancy, that of Bonet, almost caused the actress to be fired, especially coming in
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5628-725: The Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series . In 2020, the sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards . This broke the record for the most Emmy nominations given to a comedy series in its final season. During the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards , the show became the first ever comedy or drama series to sweep the four acting categories ( Outstanding Lead Actor , Outstanding Lead Actress , Outstanding Supporting Actor , Outstanding Supporting Actress for Eugene Levy , Catherine O'Hara , Dan Levy , and Annie Murphy respectively) and one of only four live action shows, along with All in
5762-753: The RTR channel. The "boom" of Russian sitcoms began only in the 2000s, when in 2004, the STS started the highly successful sitcom " My Fair Nanny " (an adaptation of the American sitcom " The Nanny "). Since that time, sitcoms in Russia have been produced by the two largest entertainment channels in the country — STS and TNT . In 2007, the STS released the first original domestic sitcom — " Daddy's Daughters " (there were only adaptations before), and in 2010, TNT released " Interns " —
5896-584: The Soup Nazi and Jackie Chiles , who was based on Johnnie Cochran . Episodes have separate plot strands, but the characters' stories often intertwine at the end. The narratives reveal the creators' "consistent efforts to maintain the intimacy" among the small cast of characters. The show maintains a strong sense of continuity , as characters and plots from past episodes are often referenced or expanded on. Occasionally, story arcs span multiple episodes or entire seasons, such as Season 4 , which revolves around
6030-415: The United States feature sitcoms in their programming. CBS , TBS, Nickelodeon , and Disney Channel are just a few examples of networks that air sitcoms. The Cosby Show The Cosby Show is an American television sitcom created by (along with Ed. Weinberger and Michael J. Leeson ) and starring Bill Cosby that originally aired on NBC from September 20, 1984, to April 30, 1992, with
6164-521: The Writers Guild of America voted it the second best-written TV series of all time (second to The Sopranos ). E! named it the "Number 1 reason [why] the '90s ruled". Quotes from numerous episodes have become catchphrases in popular culture. Seinfeld began as a 23-minute pilot titled " The Seinfeld Chronicles ". Created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David , developed by NBC executive Rick Ludwin, and produced by Castle Rock Entertainment , it
6298-664: The comedy-dramas of the 1980s and 1990s. Although there have been few long-running Australian-made sitcoms, many American and British sitcoms have been successful in Australia, since sitcoms are considered a staple of the government broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In the 1970s and 1980s many British sitcoms also screened on the Seven Network . By 1986, UK comedies Bless This House and Are You Being Served? had been re-screened several times by ABC Television ; they were then acquired and screened by
6432-522: The pilot pitch to NBC by Jerry and George. Another example is Jerry's girlfriend Vanessa, who appears in " The Stake Out " and with whom he ends the relationship when things do not work out in " The Stock Tip ". Larry David , the head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons, was praised for keeping a close eye on minor details and ensuring the main characters' lives remained consistent and believable. Curb Your Enthusiasm , David's later comedy series, also had an overarching plot for all but
6566-431: The 1990s these included: Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993), Zabaan Sambhalke (1993), Shrimaan Shrimati (1995), Office Office (2001), Ramani Vs Ramani (Tamil 2001), Amrutham (Telugu 2001–2007), Khichdi (2002), Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (2005) F.I.R. (2006–2015), Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (2008–present), Uppum Mulakum (Malayalam 2015–present), and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain (2015–present). SAB TV
6700-482: The 1990s, sitcoms have since expanded to animated sitcoms , with successful shows of the genre including The Simpsons , King of the Hill , and Family Guy . Critics have debated the exact definition of a sitcom, mostly regarding productions created at the turn of the 21st century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use a single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, instead more resembling documentaries or
6834-482: The 2010s, resulting in a decline in sitcom popularity. Nevertheless, there have been recent efforts to revive the sitcom genre. For instance, Netflix released So Not Worth It in 2021, featuring many creators from popular South Korean sitcoms. Popular South Korean sitcoms include the High Kick series, which has spawned several spin-offs. British sitcoms , like their American counterparts, often revolve around
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#17327649325456968-513: The Americas, New York. The live stand-up comedy performed by Seinfeld at the beginning of most episodes was truly filmed at The Improv, a comedy club at 358 West 44th Street, Manhattan; though it closed in 1993, another comedy club operates at the site today. The Yankee Stadium exterior seen in the show has now been demolished. Most office building establishing shots are real businesses and locations. Various real street locations can be gleaned from
7102-417: The Family , The Golden Girls , and Will & Grace where all the principal actors have won at least one Emmy Award. Sitcoms started appearing on Indian television in the 1980s, with serials like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), Nukkad (1986), and Wagle Ki Duniya (1988) on the state-run Doordarshan channel. Gradually, as private channels were permitted to operate, many more sitcoms followed. In
7236-567: The Huxtables' home features an entirely different living room from subsequent episodes, and different color schemes in the dining room and the master bedroom. Throughout the remainder of the series, the dining room is reserved for more formal occasions. In the early 1980s, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner , two former executives at ABC , left the network to start their own production company: Carsey-Werner . At ABC, they had overseen sitcoms such as Mork & Mindy , Three's Company , and Welcome Back, Kotter . The two partners decided that to get
7370-474: The NBC contract, as she intended to become a full-time music recording artist. Most of the story in the pilot presentation is taken from Bill Cosby's 1983 comedy film Bill Cosby: Himself . Cosby's character is called "Clifford" in the early episodes of the first season, but his name was later switched to "Heathcliff". Additionally, Vanessa refers to Theo as "Teddy" twice in the dining room scene. The interior of
7504-728: The Seven Network. In 1981, Daily at Dawn was the first Australian comedy series to feature a regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie). In 1987, Mother and Son won the Television Drama Award for portraying a woman suffering from senile dementia and her interaction with her family, presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission . In 2007, Kath & Kim ' s first episode of series 4 attracted an Australian audience of 2.521 million nationally. This
7638-604: The Taconic State Parkway exit to the Hopewell Junction, Dutchess County, New York (driving scene in 'The Bubble Boy'), and the Amagansett farmers market, Long Island ('The Hamptons'). The exterior shot used for Jerry's New York apartment building was actually located at 757 S New Hampshire Avenue, Los Angeles. The real-life exterior of Pendant Publishing, Elaine's workplace, is located at 1325 Ave of
7772-588: The United States in 1926 with the radio show Sam 'n' Henry . The subsequent success of Amos 'n' Andy , also created by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll , solidified the sitcom's place in American radio programming. The transition to television brought about significant changes in the sitcom format. Mary Kay and Johnny , which premiered in 1947, became the first American television sitcom. Today, American sitcoms typically run for 22 minutes, allowing for approximately eight minutes of advertising within
7906-562: The actors walking in New York were also filmed at CBS Studio Center, on their New York Street backlot . Street scenes and park scenes were filmed in the CBS Studio Centre's New York Street and Central Park backlots, respectively. A source of problems for the cast was the small sets, especially that of Jerry's apartment; Alexander noted, "If you knew you were doing a series for nine years, you would never build that set." Adding to
8040-407: The audience is never made to feel sorry for any of the characters. Even Susan's death in " The Invitations " elicits no genuine emotions from anybody in the show. Seinfeld does not shy away from making light of tough topics, from death to illness to disability. The show frequently engages in fourth-wall-breaking humor and self-satire. One such example is the story arc , where the characters promote
8174-428: The beginning and end of each episode, even functioning as transitions during the show. A few episodes set a benchmark for later seasons. " The Deal " establishes Jerry and Elaine's relationship by setting rules about having sex while remaining friends. " The Parking Garage " was the first episode shot with no audience for the episode and, after " The Chinese Restaurant ", to not show Jerry's apartment. " The Keys " contains
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#17327649325458308-541: The beginning of season eight. The show's portrayal of a successful, stable black family was praised by some for breaking racial stereotypes and showing another part of the African-American experience. However, it was criticized by others, including Henry Louis Gates Jr. , for allowing white audiences to think that racism and poverty were problems of the past. Phylicia Rashad claimed that when she met Nelson Mandela , he told her that he "is eternally grateful for
8442-512: The car windows during driving scenes. By the final season, each episode of the series cost $ 3 million to $ 3.5 million. More than 120 episodes make reference to the Superman franchise . Teri Hatcher, who played Lois Lane on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman , plays Jerry's girlfriend Sidra. Paula Marshall , who played Christina Riley on the Superboy TV series , portrays
8576-836: The cast and characters were predominantly African-American, the program was unusual in that issues of race were rarely mentioned when compared to other situation comedies of the time with predominantly African-American casts, such as The Jeffersons . However, The Cosby Show had African-American themes, such as the Civil rights movement , and it frequently promoted African-American culture and culture of Africa represented by artists and musicians such as Jacob Lawrence , Miles Davis , James Brown , B. B. King , Stevie Wonder , Sammy Davis Jr. , Lena Horne , Duke Ellington , Dizzy Gillespie and Miriam Makeba . The spin-off, A Different World , dealt with racial issues more often. The Cosby Show' s series finale, taped March 6, 1992, aired during
8710-451: The chest the way Abbott would hit Costello." The series includes numerous references to the team. George Costanza's middle name is "Louis", after Costello. " The Old Man " episode features a cantankerous character named "Sid Fields" as a tribute to the landlord on the team's TV show. Kramer's friend is named Mickey Abbott. A copywriter for the J. Peterman catalog is named Eddie Sherman, after the team's longtime agent. In Episode 30, Kramer hears
8844-575: The earlier seasons. Most noticeably, David left the writing crew (but returned to write " The Finale " in 1998), resulting in Seinfeld taking over David's duties as showrunner , and, under the direction of a new writing staff, Seinfeld became a faster-paced show. The show no longer contained extracts of Jerry performing stand-up comedy—Jerry had no time or energy for this with his new responsibilities—and storylines occasionally delved into fantasy and broad humor. For example, in " The Bizarro Jerry ", Elaine
8978-438: The episode would be added to the syndicated rerun package several years later uncut. After nine years on the air, NBC and Seinfeld announced on December 25, 1997, that the series would end production the following spring in 1998. The announcement made the front page of the major New York newspapers, including The New York Times . Seinfeld was featured on the cover of Time magazine's first issue of 1998. The series ended with
9112-455: The episode's events. As a rising comedian in the late 1980s, Jerry Seinfeld was presented with an opportunity to create a show with NBC. He asked Larry David, a fellow comedian and friend, to help create a premise for a sitcom. The series was produced by West-Shapiro Productions and Castle Rock Entertainment and distributed by Columbia Pictures Television . It was largely written by David and Seinfeld and scriptwriters. A favorite among critics,
9246-684: The episode. For instance, in "The Betrayal," part of which takes place in India, the theme is heard played on a sitar . The soundtrack was given a digital release on July 2, 2021. All music is composed by Jonathan Wolff. Many characters have made multiple appearances, notably Jerry's parents, Morty and Helen Seinfeld, who reside in Florida; George's parents, the overbearing Frank and Estelle Costanza; George's on-again, off-again fiancée Susan Ross; Jerry's Uncle Leo ; Elaine's variety of bosses, Mr. Lippman, Mr. Pitt and J. Peterman; Elaine's on-again, off-again boyfriend David Puddy; and Kramer's friend, Newman ,
9380-648: The exterior façade was actually of a brownstone townhouse located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village at 10 Leroy Street/ 10 St. Luke's Place. The pilot was filmed in May 1984, with season one's production commencing that July, and the first taping on August 1 ( Goodbye Mr. Goldfish ). During its original NBC run, it was one of five successful sitcoms on the network that featured predominantly African-American casts. The others were 227 (1985–90), Amen (1986–91), Cosby Show spin-off A Different World (1987–93) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–96). Although
9514-435: The famous Abbott and Costello line, "His father was a mudder. His mother was a mudder." Many terms were coined, popularized, or re-popularized in the series' run and have become part of popular culture, including " Yada, yada, yada ", " No soup for you! ", " Master of my domain ", and " Not that there's anything wrong with that ." The lexicon of Seinfeldian code words and recurring phrases that evolved around particular episodes
9648-532: The few series that were shown on both Nick at Nite and TV Land at the same time. The series was also available to stream on Hulu . The French version just called Cosby Show aired on M6 in 1988. In the Italian version of the show, the family name is not Huxtable but Robinson. The whole show is named I Robinson ( The Robinsons ) airing on Canale 5 & K2 from 1986 until 1993. Reruns of The Cosby Show have been pulled from several networks and venues as
9782-560: The finale received mixed reviews from critics and fans of the show. The finale poked fun at the many rumors that were circulating, seeming to move into multiple supposed plots before settling on its actual storyline—a lengthy trial where the gang is prosecuted for violating a " Duty to Rescue " law and sentenced to prison terms. According to Forbes magazine, Seinfeld's earnings from the show in 1998 came to US$ 267 million, including syndication earnings. He refused NBC's offer of $ 5 million per episode, or over $ 100 million total, to continue into
9916-457: The first TV series since Monty Python's Flying Circus to be widely described as postmodern . Seinfeld is an avid Abbott and Costello fan and has cited The Abbott and Costello Show as an influence on Seinfeld : "Everybody on the show knows I'm a fan. We're always joking about how we do stuff from their show. George and I will often get into a riff that has the rhythm from the old Abbott and Costello shows. And sometimes, I'll hit George in
10050-439: The first moments of dialogue or action. They vary throughout each episode and are played in an improvised funk style, matching the timing of Seinfeld's stand-up comedy delivery or transitions in the editing. An additional musical theme with an ensemble, led by a synthesized mid-range brass instrument, ends each episode. In " The Note ," the first episode of Season 3, the bumper music featured a scatting female jazz singer who sang
10184-483: The first season. A major difference between Seinfeld and the sitcoms that preceded it is that the principal characters never learn from their mistakes. In effect, they are indifferent and even callous toward the outside world and sometimes one another. A mantra of the show's producers was "No hugging, no learning." Entertainment Weekly ' s TV critic Ken Tucker has described them as "a group dynamic rooted in jealousy, rage, insecurity, despair, hopelessness, and
10318-647: The first sitcom, filmed as a comedy (unlike dominated "conveyor" sitcoms). Sitcoms, or "시트콤" in Korean, gained significant popularity in South Korea during the 1990s. This popularity was fueled by the success of shows like Dr. Oh's People , LA Arirang , and Men and Women . The use of computer graphics (CG) in sitcoms began to increase in the late 1990s as more broadcasters adopted CG technology. This led to more visually dynamic and creative sitcoms. However, viewer preferences shifted towards dramas and thrillers in
10452-496: The focus from domestic or workplace settings to the world of politics. A more recent development in British comedy is the mockumentary , a style that blends documentary and comedic elements. Shows like The Office , Come Fly with Me , W1A , People Just Do Nothing , and This Country have successfully employed this format to explore a variety of topics and characters. Sitcoms, or situation comedies, made their debut in
10586-511: The following season was revamped, with the addition of director Debbie Allen (Phylicia Rashad's sister) and new characters. Denise later became a recurring character on The Cosby Show for seasons four and five, and a regular again in seasons six and seven. Emmy Award Golden Globe Awards NAACP Image Awards Peabody Award (1986) People's Choice Awards Emmy Awards Golden Globe Awards Two albums were produced that included various theme and background music from
10720-475: The hall, Cosmo Kramer ( Michael Richards ). Seinfeld is set mostly in and around the titular character's apartment in Manhattan 's Upper West Side in New York City . It has been described as "a show about nothing", often focusing on the minutiae of daily life . Interspersed in all episodes of the first seven seasons are moments of stand-up comedy from the fictional Jerry Seinfeld, frequently related to
10854-703: The journalist Sharon, who Jerry says reminds him of Lois Lane. Sherman Howard , who played Lex Luthor on Superboy , portrays Roy. Superman logos and figurines frequently appear in Jerry's apartment. Seinfeld and Superman later appear in an American Express commercial. The show was written by David and Seinfeld, along with writers who included Larry Charles , Peter Mehlman , Gregg Kavet , Carol Leifer , David Mandel , Jeff Schaffer , Steve Koren , Jennifer Crittenden , Tom Gammill , Max Pross , Dan O'Keefe , Charlie Rubin , Marjorie Gross , Alec Berg , Elaine Pope , and Spike Feresten . Many Seinfeld episodes are based on
10988-435: The longest without masturbating, the word 'masturbation' is never mentioned. Seinfeld broke several conventions of mainstream television. David is credited with refusing to follow a predictable sitcom formula that would have a romantic relationship develop between Jerry and Elaine. The show offers no growth or reconciliation to its characters and eschews sentimentality. An episode is typically driven by humor interspersed with
11122-636: The matriarch of the Huxtable family, by Phylicia Rashad sparked an international wave of working mothers on television dubbed the "Clair Huxtable effect", and Bill Cosby was nicknamed "America's Dad" for his highly celebrated portrayal of Cliff Huxtable. The colourful sweaters he wore as Cliff became a fashion trend for a time which was temporarily revived in the early 2010s. Another sitcom starring Cosby and Rashad, Cosby , aired on CBS from 1996 to 2000, notable for its differences to The Cosby Show , garnering positive reviews. Since 2014, reruns of The Cosby Show have been pulled from several networks and venues as
11256-593: The memo for several years, but after they became aware of it, they hung it in a bathroom on the set. Seinfeld comments, "We thought, if someone goes in to use this bathroom, this is something they should see. It fits that moment." Around the time the show's pilot was filmed, Castle Rock Entertainment, which produced the show, had also produced another pilot for NBC that featured Ann Jillian in her almost-similarly eponymous TV series. When The Seinfeld Chronicles tested poorly with audiences, Castle Rock focused on Jillian's series, which tested better with audiences and received
11390-418: The middle of Seinfeld episodes was cut. Much publicity followed the controversial episode " The Contest ," an Emmy Award -winning episode written by David, whose subject matter was considered inappropriate for prime-time network TV. To circumvent this taboo, the word " masturbation " was never used in the script, instead substituted for by a variety of oblique references. Midway through that season, Seinfeld
11524-418: The most popular episodes, such as " The Bubble Boy " in which George and the bubble boy argue over Trivial Pursuit , and " The Junior Mint " in which Jerry and Kramer accidentally fumble a mint in the operating room. This was the first season to use a story arc of Jerry and George creating their own sitcom, Jerry . Also, at this time, the use of Jerry's stand-up act slowly declined, and the stand-up segment in
11658-452: The only one with additional music elements. In the commentary of "The Note," Louis-Dreyfus facetiously suggests it was removed because the perceived lyric related closely to the low ratings at the time. In the final three seasons, the bits were tweaked slightly with more frantic rhythms; a bass guitar was added in addition to the sampled bass from earlier seasons. Throughout the show, the main theme could be restyled in different ways depending on
11792-479: The only scripted TV show with a predominantly African-American cast to top the Nielsen ratings, and to do so more than once. Its spinoff, A Different World , also became a ratings hit, featuring in the top 5 of the ratings for four of its six seasons. It launched the extended cast into stardom and Cosby, having already had a successful career on TV, films and stand-up, became the highest paid actor on television. It
11926-475: The part of Sondra due to her college education and background in theater arts. However, Williams had recently been crowned the first Black Miss America and pageant officials would not permit her to play the role while she was representing the Miss America pageant. Whitney Houston was also considered for the role of Denise Huxtable, but was unable to commit to the full-time television production schedule in
12060-489: The pilot Jerry proved unsuccessful. In it, George spends most of the season regretting and trying to get out of the engagement. Along with the regular half-hour episodes, two notable one-hour episodes were " The Cadillac ," in which George plans to date award-winning actress Marisa Tomei , and " The Bottle Deposit ," with Elaine and Sue Ellen Mischke participating in a bidding war to buy JFK's golf clubs in an auction. Seinfeld's final two seasons were considered distinct from
12194-461: The pilot's performance among the respondents as "weak", which Warren Littlefield , then second-in-command in NBC's entertainment division, called "a dagger to the heart". Comments included, "You can't get too excited about two guys going to the laundromat", "Jerry's loser friend George isn't a forceful character", "Jerry needs a stronger supporting cast", and "Why are they interrupting the stand-up for these stupid stories?" Seinfeld and David did not see
12328-621: The popularity of Seinfeld . American Express created a webisode where Jerry Seinfeld and an animated Superman (voiced by Patrick Warburton , who played the role of Puddy) starred in its commercial. The makers of the Today Sponge created the "Spongeworthy" game on their website, inspired by " The Sponge ." An advertisement featured Jason Alexander in a Chrysler commercial. In this, Alexander acts much like his character George, and his relationship with Lee Iacocca plays on George's relationship with Steinbrenner. Similarly, Michael Richards
12462-409: The problem was that the scripts contained only minimal physical direction, leaving the actors needing help to come up with actions to perform while speaking. Eventually, they got into a routine of directing each other on how to make their movements look natural. Alexander said this helped them build chemistry with each other. Filming usually went long, as the cast and Larry David were perfectionists. If
12596-406: The ratings of the 9:00 p.m. Cheers reruns that spring. The show won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993, beating out its family-oriented, time-slot competitor Home Improvement , which was only in its second season on rival network ABC. Season 5 was an even bigger ratings hit, consisting of popular episodes, such as " The Puffy Shirt " in which Jerry feels embarrassed wearing
12730-489: The remainder of the series. In the pilot, the Huxtables have only four children. Following the pilot, the Huxtables have five children, with the addition of their eldest daughter, Sondra ( Sabrina Le Beauf ), who is mentioned in episode four and appears first in episode 11. The character was created when Bill Cosby wanted the show to express the accomplishment of successfully raising a child who had graduated from college. Bill Cosby originally wanted Vanessa Williams to play
12864-423: The run of the series. For season four, the theme song music was performed by musician Bobby McFerrin . Due to legal complications regarding the background mural, the opening for season seven was filmed on August 17, 1990, at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City , New York was replaced with the one from the previous season. The original season seven opening, with slight modifications, returned to use in
12998-500: The same time, barter syndicator The Program Exchange ceased distributing the show. Bounce TV resumed airing the series in December 2016 but pulled the show on April 26, 2018 — the day Cosby was convicted of sexual assault. TV One began airing reruns of the show in May 2017. It is the only American network to offer the series. The series is available on Amazon Prime Video and Philo . The Cosby Show ' s producers created
13132-719: The series led the Nielsen ratings in Seasons 6 and 9 and finished among the top two (along with ER of the same network) every year from 1994 to 1998. Only two other shows— I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show —finished their runs at the top of the ratings. Seinfeld is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential shows of all time. It has been ranked among television's best shows in publications such as Entertainment Weekly , Rolling Stone , and TV Guide . Its most renowned episodes include " The Chinese Restaurant ", " The Soup Nazi ", " The Parking Garage ", " The Marine Biologist ", and " The Contest ". In 2013,
13266-556: The series until 1995, when it ceased operating as a regional cable superstation and became an affiliate of CBS . TBS , then a national cable superstation, carried the series for nearly a decade beginning in 1999. Fellow superstation WGN America began carrying the series shortly thereafter, and continued to until September 2010. Viacom 's Nick at Nite began airing reruns of the series in March 2002, and its sister network TV Land began airing reruns in 2004, making The Cosby Show one of
13400-454: The series would end. The episode's producers gave false information to the media, spreading a rumor about Newman ending up in the hospital and Jerry and Elaine sitting in a chapel, presumably to marry. The final episode enjoyed a historic audience, estimated at 76.3 million viewers (58% of all viewers that night) making it the fourth-most watched regular series finale in U.S. TV history, behind M*A*S*H , Cheers , and The Fugitive . However,
13534-567: The series, and has done so since 1997. In the United States, The Cosby Show began its television syndication run in September 1988 in broadcast syndication, shortly before the show's fifth-season premiere, and was at the time distributed by Viacom; many stations that carried the series were Big Three television networks affiliates. As time went on, this moved to lower-profile timeslots, independent station and minor network affiliates. Fort Worth, Texas –based independent station KTVT carried
13668-512: The series. Many characters were based primarily on Seinfeld's and David's real-life acquaintances. Two prominent recurring characters were fictional depictions of actual well-known people: Jacopo Peterman of the J. Peterman catalog (based on John Peterman ) and George Steinbrenner , owner of the New York Yankees . Many characters were introduced as new writers got involved with Seinfeld . Other characters based on real people include
13802-556: The setting, characters, prior discourse, relationships of the characters, and the topic." Specifically, Magnotta and Strohl focus on " The Marine Biologist ", where George is embroiled in yet another lie, and on " The Red Dot ," where George tries to save a few dollars at Elaine's expense by giving her a marked-down cashmere sweater. Television sitcom The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners . These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but
13936-512: The show and its influence on Apartheid and us Black people. [The inmates in prison] watched the show while in prison." As a result of the Bill Cosby sexual assault cases , Malcolm-Jamal Warner has stated that the show's legacy is "tarnished". The Cosby Show had generated $ 2.5 billion in television revenue, including $ 1 billion from television advertisement , and $ 1.5 billion from syndication . The Cosby Show aired on Thursdays at 8:00 pm for all eight seasons. In its first season,
14070-532: The show has earned an estimated $ 1 billion in syndication fees alone for Televisa . Gliding On , a popular sitcom in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won multiple awards during its run including Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Direction at the Feltex Awards . The first Russian sitcom series was "Strawberry", which resembled "Duty Pharmacy" in a Spanish format. It was aired from 1996 to 1997 on
14204-416: The show sometimes involves serious subjects, like Theo's experiences dealing with dyslexia , inspired by Cosby's dyslexic son, Ennis. and teenage pregnancy when Denise's friend Veronica ( Lela Rochon ) becomes pregnant. The Cosby Show pilot episode uses the same title sequence as the rest of the first season, and is widely regarded as the first episode. However, it contains a number of differences from
14338-495: The show was the beginning of a Thursday NBC schedule that was followed by Family Ties , Cheers , Night Court , and Hill Street Blues . The Cosby Show is one of three television programs ( All in the Family and American Idol being the others) that were number one in the Nielsen ratings for five consecutive seasons. The Carsey-Werner Company handles domestic distribution, while Paramount Global's unit CBS Media Ventures handles international distribution of
14472-521: The show would work. A Jewish man from New York himself, Tartikoff characterized it as "Too New York, too Jewish" (a sentiment which would also lead to the Cosmo character's later surname change from the more Jewish-sounding Kessler to Kramer). Test audiences were even harsher. NBC's practice at the time was to recruit 400 households by phone to ask them to evaluate pilots it aired on an unused channel on its cable system. An NBC research department memo summarized
14606-460: The show, prompting a pitch to rival network, NBC . Outside of his work on his cartoon series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids , Cosby was doing little in film or television, but Carsey and Werner were fans of Cosby's stand-up comedy and thought it would be the perfect material for a family sitcom. Cosby originally proposed that the couple should both have blue-collar jobs, with the father
14740-407: The show, the real pitch, when Larry and I went to NBC in 1988, was [that] we want to show how a comedian gets his material. The show "about nothing" was just a joke in an episode many years later, and Larry and I to this day are surprised that it caught on as a way that people describe the show because, to us, it's the opposite of that." David similarly commented: "I like taking the worst qualities that
14874-580: The show. One DVD reviewer, Britt Gillette, wrote that "this initial episode exhibits the flashes of brilliance that made Seinfeld a cultural phenomenon." Other than the pilot, the series was filmed at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, Los Angeles . The first three seasons were filmed on Soundstage 19; it then moved to the larger Stage 9 for the remainder of its production. Despite numerous establishing shots taken in New York City, all scenes of
15008-605: The show. The albums were presented by longtime Cosby collaborator Stu Gardner . They were: In the Philippines, the show aired on GMA Network from 1985 to 1991, PTV-4 in from 1992 to 1996, and ABC-5 from 1997 to 2001 (Tagalized). In the United Kingdom it was broadcast on Channel 4 . All eight seasons of The Cosby Show have been released on DVD in Region 1 . Seasons one and two were released by UrbanWorks which
15142-431: The show. The series remained well regarded and produced some of its most famous episodes, such as " The Beard ", in which Jerry is put through a lie detector test to make him admit that he watched Melrose Place ; " The Switch ", in which Kramer's mom, Babs, reveals that his first name is Cosmo; and " The Understudy ", in which Elaine meets J. Peterman for the first time. Story arcs used in this season were Elaine working as
15276-553: The story arc, Kramer creates and promotes his coffee table book . The show was again nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, but lost to the Cheers spin-off Frasier , then in its first season. Seinfeld was nominated for the same award every year for its entire run but, after its win at the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1994, always lost to Frasier , which went on to win a record 39 Emmy Awards in its 11-season run. In Season 6, Andy Ackerman replaced Tom Cherones as director of
15410-508: The superficial conflicts of characters with peculiar dispositions. Many episodes revolve around the characters' involvement in the lives of others, with typically disastrous results. On the set, the notion that the characters should not develop or improve throughout the series was expressed as the "no hugging, no learning" rule. The characters are "thirty-something singles with vague identities, no roots, and conscious indifference to morals." Also unlike most sitcoms, there are no moments of pathos ;
15544-434: The term "sitcom" emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filmed in front of a live studio audience using a multiple-camera setup , the latter of which continues in some modern productions such as The Big Bang Theory and Fuller House . Other formats make use of a laugh track or "canned laughter". Since
15678-505: The wake of appearing in the film Angel Heart , which contained explicit sexual scenes with actor Mickey Rourke . Cosby strongly disapproved of Bonet's role, but allowed her to continue on World until returning to Cosby after her pregnancy. Tensions remained, however, and Bonet was eventually fired in April 1991. The show's theme music, "Kiss Me", was composed by Stu Gardner and Bill Cosby. Seven versions of this theme were used during
15812-405: The writers' real-life experiences, with the experiences reinterpreted for the characters' storylines. For example, George's storyline in " The Revenge " is based on Larry David's experience at Saturday Night Live . " The Contest " is also based on David's experiences. " The Smelly Car " storyline is based on Peter Mehlman's lawyer friend, who could not get a bad smell out of his car. " The Strike "
15946-406: Was a mix of Seinfeld's stand-up comedy routines and idiosyncratic, conversational scenes focusing on mundane aspects of everyday life like laundry, the buttoning of the top button on one's shirt, and the effort by men to interpret the intent of women spending the night in Seinfeld's apartment. The pilot was filmed at Stage 8 of Desilu Cahuenga studios, the same studio where The Dick Van Dyke Show
16080-421: Was a very low order number for a new series—and the smallest sitcom order in TV history—Castle Rock failed to find any other buyers when it shopped the show to other networks, and accepted the order. Seinfeld did not return to the airwaves until May 30, 1990, and it was another three years before it became a Top 5-rated show. Preston Beckman, in charge of NBC's research department at the time, reminisced, "The show
16214-449: Was also an international hit, garnering a following from across the world being a regular fixture in markets previously considered unattainable for African-American leads, such as Europe, where the show became a ratings and commercial hit and cemented itself as an international icon of 1980s pop culture. Its effects on Black American portrayal and gender politics on television were a major part of its success. The portrayal of Clair Huxtable ,
16348-479: Was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to the series. They have subsequently re released all eight seasons on DVD. On September 1, 2015, Mill Creek released a sixteen disc complete series set entitled The Cosby Show – The Complete Series . In Region 4, Magna Pacific has released all eight seasons on DVD in Australia and New Zealand . The first two seasons have similar artwork to
16482-496: Was bumped off its scheduled premiere of January 16, 1991, due to the outbreak of the Persian Gulf War . It settled into a regular time slot on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. and eventually flipped with veteran series Night Court to 9 p.m. TV critics championed Seinfeld in its early seasons, even as it was slow to cultivate a substantial audience. For the first three seasons, Jerry's stand-up comedy act would bookend at
16616-927: Was criticized by several social commentators as inappropriately disrespectful to the office of the Prime Minister. The show nevertheless proved very popular with both television audiences and critics, becoming the most-watched Australian scripted comedy series of 2011. It was nominated at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Television Comedy Series. Although there have been several notable exceptions, relatively few Canadian sitcoms attained notable success in Canada or internationally. Canadian television has had much greater success with sketch comedy and dramedy series. The popular show King of Kensington aired from 1975 to 1980, at its peak garnering an average of 1.5 to 1.8 million viewers weekly. The 1999 movie Trailer Park Boys
16750-460: Was different. Nobody had seen anything like it. It wasn't unusual for poor-testing shows to get on the air, but it was very rare that they became hits." When the program was first repeated on July 5, 1990, it received a rating of 13.9/26. These ratings were high enough to secure a second season. NBC research showed that the show was popular with young male adults, a demographic sought after by advertisers. This gave NBC an incentive to keep broadcasting
16884-510: Was filmed (seen by the crew as a good omen), and was recorded at Ren-Mar Studios in Hollywood . The pilot was first screened to a group of two dozen NBC executives in Burbank, California , in early 1989. It did not yield the explosion of laughter garnered by the pilots for the decade's previous NBC successes like The Cosby Show and The Golden Girls . Brandon Tartikoff was not convinced
17018-601: Was filmed at 10 St. Luke's Place near 7th Avenue in Manhattan 's Greenwich Village (although in the show, the residence was the fictional "10 Stigwood Avenue"). Early episodes were videotaped at NBC's Brooklyn studios (subsequently JC Studios ). The network later sold that building, and production moved to the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens . Even though the show was set to take place in Brooklyn,
17152-530: Was followed up by a television series of the same name that ran from 2001 to 2018, airing in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Corner Gas , which ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009, became an instant hit, averaging one million viewers per episode. It has been the recipient of six Gemini Awards and has been nominated almost 70 times for various awards. Other noteworthy recent sitcoms have included: Call Me Fitz , Schitt's Creek , Letterkenny , and Kim's Convenience , all of which have been winners of
17286-445: Was moved from its original 9:00 p.m. time slot on Wednesdays to 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays, following Cheers again, which gave the show even more popularity. Ratings also sparked the move, as Tim Allen 's sitcom Home Improvement on ABC had aired at the same time, and Home Improvement kept beating Seinfeld in the ratings. NBC moved the series after Ted Danson announced the end of Cheers and Seinfeld quickly surpassed
17420-659: Was subsequently acquired by First Look Studios , who then released the remaining six seasons. Seasons One and Two contain special features, including the ninety minute retrospective documentary entitled The Cosby Show: A Look Back , which aired on NBC in May 2002. It contains interviews with cast members, bloopers, deleted scenes and audition footage. In December 2010, First Look Studios filed bankruptcy, and all its assets were subsequently acquired by Millennium Entertainment , who also took over distribution of The Cosby Show DVD releases. As of 2013, these releases have been discontinued, and are now out of print. On November 5, 2013, it
17554-452: Was the first episode since the finale of season 7, " The Invitations ", to feature opening and closing stand-up comedy acts by Seinfeld. The finale was filmed before an audience of NBC executives and friends of the show. The press and public were shut out of the taping to keep its plot secret; those who attended the shoot of the final episode were required to sign written "vows of silence". The secrecy only seemed to increase speculation about how
17688-441: Was the focus of a series of advertisements for Vodafone , which ran in Australia , where he dressed and acted precisely like Kramer, including the trademark bumbling pratfalls. In addition, the show occasionally incorporated fictional products like a Scotch brand called "Hennigan's" (a blend of " Hennessy " and " Brannigans ") and a canned meat product called "Beef-a-reeno" (a parody of " Beef-a-roni "). A signature of Seinfeld
17822-559: Was the highest rating for a first episode in the history of Australian television, until the series premiere of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities in 2009, which garnered 2.58 million viewers. In 2013, Please Like Me received an invitation to screen at the Series Mania Television Festival in Paris, was praised by critics, and earned numerous awards and nominations. Also in 2013, At Home with Julia
17956-546: Was the most-watched show on Mexican television and had a Latin-American audience of 350 million viewers per episode at its popularity peak during the mid-1970s. The show continues to be popular in Central America as well as in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, the United States, and other countries. Syndicated episodes average 91 million daily viewers in all its American markets. Since it ceased production in 1992,
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