Sitcoms

A sitcom is a "comedy arising from a consistent situation," usually in half hour installments once a week. Sitcoms usually involve characters "stuck together in a situation from which they cannot escape, usually family or work," showing the highs and lows of both situations. We need time to "develop an understanding of its protagonists, place, and humor. . .," of a sitcom, so it's disappointing if a sitcom gets cancelled after only two or three episodes.
The purpose of a sitcom is to poke fun of families and workplaces, making fun of social norms by telling us "about the way we live" in a way that is over the top but makes us think about it more. It is also a "promise of laughter" to its audiences, if they tune in each week, through funny characters rather than outrageous plots or stale jokes. Each episode also needs a happy ending to give us hope in the world.
I love sitcoms. It is nice to get away from the drama in our lives and watch people being funny. I especially love the sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, and Friends. It seems like for the last five years, sitcoms were going extinct, with only a couple on each network. It seems like networks prefer reality shows and drama, when sitcoms seem to be cheaper to make than hour long dramas. The ABC and CBS networks really has brought sitcoms back to TV in the past couple years, so hopefully that trend will last.