Crista FlanaganOn-Camera Television Comedies – A Starting Place for Comedy Class
There’s not much that tells us more about ourselves and our society than the comedies we watch.
The On-Camera Comedy Class starts soon, so I’ve put together some resources and supplemental information for you funny, funny actors.
There’s not much that tells us more about ourselves and our society than the comedies we watch.
The On-Camera Comedy Class starts soon, so I’ve put together some resources and supplemental information for you funny, funny actors.
One of the things we study in the on-camera comedy class is the history of television comedies. We go back so far as Vaudeville, which had its broadest appeal from the 1880s to the 1920s. Serialized radio shows then stepped in and made their mark from the 1920s to around 1950. And television programs began in 1946, but didn’t really take off until households got their television sets in the early 1950s.
In the on-camera comedy class, we’ll explore how vaudeville and radio influenced the first television series. But how has television and film evolved in terms of style, tone, genre and content throughout the years? And where are we going next?
Take a look at multi-cam comedies and single camera comedies throughout the years. Notice when and where comedy makes moves from multi-cam to single camera, and back again.
Here, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorites. These resources are designed to supplement your education. The list includes title and year it first aired. This is just a place to start and this list is not exhaustive, by any means. Enjoy your journey and happy watching!
Multi-Cam Series
I Love Lucy – 1951
The Goon Show – 1951
The Abbott & Costello Show – 1952
The Ernie Kovacs Show – 1952
The Honeymooners – 1955
The Dick Van Dyke Show – 1961
The Beverly Hillbillies – 1962
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour – 1967
The Carol Burnett Show – 1967
Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In – 1968
The Mary Tyler Moore Show – 1970
All in the Family – 1971
Sanford and Son – 1972
Happy Days – 1974
Fawlty Towers – 1975
The Jeffersons – 1975
Saturday Night Live – 1975
One Day at a Time – 1975
Laverne and Shirley – 1976
SCTV – 1976
The Muppet Show – 1976
Three’s Company – 1977
Mork and Mindy – 1978
Taxi – 1978
WKRP in Cincinnati – 1978
Cheers – 1982
Family Ties – 1982
Newhart – 1982
The Cosby Show – 1984
Night Court – 1984
Full House – 1987
Married With Children – 1987
Roseanne – 1988
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – 1990
In Living Color – 1990
Absolutely Fabulous – 1992
Frasier – 1993
Home Improvement – 1994
Seinfeld – 1994
MadTV – 1995
Everybody Loves Raymond – 1996
Will and Grace – 1998
Friends – 2001
Two and a Half Men – 2003
How I Met Your Mother – 2005
Big Bang Theory – 2007
Last Man Standing – 2011
Mom – 2013
The United States of Al – 2021
Single Camera Series
The Andy Griffith Show – 1960
Gilligan’s Island – 1964
Green Acres – 1965
I Dream of Jeannie – 1965
The Brady Bunch – 1969
M*A*S*H* – 1972
Curb Your Enthusiasm – 2000
Malcolm in the Middle – 2000
The Office – 2001
Reno 911 – 2003
Chapelle’s Show – 2003
Sex and the City – 2004
My Name is Earl – 2005
30 Rock – 2006
Flight of the Conchords – 2007
Community – 2009
Eastbound and Down – 2009
Modern Family – 2009
Parks and Recreation – 2009
New Girl – 2011
Workaholics – 2011
Portlandia – 2011
Key & Peele – 2012
Girls – 2012
Veep – 2012
Arrested Development – 2013
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – 2013
Inside Amy Schumer – 2013
Black-ish – 2014
Broad City – 2014
Silicon Valley – 2014
Catastrophe – 2015
Fresh Off the Boat – 2015
Grace and Frankie – 2015
The Last Man on Earth – 2015
Master of None – 2015
Superstore – 2015
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – 2015
Schitt’s Creek – 2015
The Good Place – 2016
Atlanta – 2016
Baskets – 2016
Fleabag – 2016
Insecure – 2016
Kim’s Convenience – 2016
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – 2017
Barry – 2018
What We Do In the Shadows – 2019
Ramy – 2019
Pen-15
The Great – 2020
Ted Lasso – 2020
Never Have I Ever – 2020
Until next time,
XO
Crista