4 ms·
I don't think there's much substance here. Given the constraints of a typical sitcom - 22 minutes, comedy, resets each week (no new characters, no major change
by azakai 12y ago
I don't think there's much substance here.
Given the constraints of a typical sitcom - 22 minutes, comedy, resets each week (no new characters, no major changes to character's lives), the "formula" is basically the only option: You present a problem, you wrestle with the problem, and you resolve the problem (maybe with a subplot or two). What else can you do?
You can avoid having a problem at all. But that loses all the usual dramatic structure and tension that we expect, not just from comedies but from tragedies all the way back to ancient greece.
Or you can have multiple problems, each resolved in turn. This was done by the Simpsons in several seasons (but not in the earliest or latest). One problem would occur, quickly get out of hand, then either get resolved or morph into another problem. It made the Simpsons feel much more "chaotic" and "dense".
Otherwise, the "formula" is basically the only way to do it. Maybe I missed something the article was saying?
- ourmandave 12y agoI remember hearing about the sitcom formula watching an interview with the Simpsons writers. They were kind of reluctant to talk about it the same way a magician wouldn't want to talk about how the tricks are done. The part that stood out was when they said they always reveal the main conflict just before the mid-episode commercial break so you'll stay tuned. From then on I can't help not see it every time I watch a half hour show.
- mikemoka 12y agothere is no question a framework of reference might be used, it has been used for fairy tales as well actually http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Propp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Propp
- cariaso 12y agoIn the USA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell is a later but more familiar example due to his work on the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth
- philwelch 12y agoThe Simpsons also had a few episodes where the initial plot would kind of fizzle out 1/3 of the way through and then suddenly they'd get to the real plot.
- jasonm23 12y agoIn quite a few of those episodes, the fizzled opening plot would be "surprisingly" resolved in the last act.
- d4nt 12y agoI've noticed Family Guy do this quite a lot too. In an episode I saw recently (season 4 episode 4). Meg is turned down by a boy at school and ends up having a makeover at the mall (plot 1). Meanwhile, Peter, Joe, Cleveland and Quagmire try to stop the Clam going out of business and discover Karaoke as a solution (plot 2). So they decide to start a band but their first gig goes badly and so Peters family step in and put on a good performance (plot 3). Peter's family then go on tour and Meg, now the attractive lead singer of the band, lets success go to her head (plot 4). Meanwhile Brian tries to suppress his racism (subplot to plot 4).
- rhizome 12y agoSome of my favorite episodes are like this, such as "When You Dish Upon A Star" and "The Mysterious Voyage of Homer."