The Secret of the Sitcom

About half of the scripted shows on television are designated as “sitcoms”. Though they could easily be referred to in the broader context of comedy, they are not, because the sitcom is something more than a comedy, just like the tragedy is something more than a drama.

Every sitcom follows a particular formula: the protagonist, who has flaws but remains likeable, is trying to do something good. In the process of said well-intentioned act, they manage to heap blame on themselves, and the entire situation concludes slightly worse off.

Try it with your favorite sitcom. Or your least favorite. Or one you’re apathetic about. Look at Lindsay of Freaks and Geeks try to help a mentally disabled student and end up offending him and breaking his arm. Look at Michael Bluth of Arrested Development get arrested for kidnapping after offering a ride to an acquaintance. Everything Liz Lemon does on 30 Rock, everything anyone does on Full House, everything on Community makes the whole situation worse.

But we love them, and we keep watching their shows, for the simple reason that, in our minds, we are them. Each person believes that they have good intentions, and that they are acting in order to make things better. Yet bad things happen to them sometimes, and in general, we see most things in our lives fall short of expectations.

It’s this mirroring that makes the sitcom such a potent storytelling mechanism: the formula reveals something powerful in the human condition. Consider that next time you’re enjoying the protagonist’s antics. Very likely, you are the protagonist.