Are laugh tracks necessary on sitcoms.

Mutant z

Are laugh tracks really that essential for sitcoms most of the time they sound forced and fake you either find a scene funny or you dont i dont see how having a laugh track makes any difference to the humour. If anything its a distraction especially the typical forced canned laughter which i generally find quite cringy tbh which just make sitcoms appear more desperate to force a laugh out of the audience. Curb your Enthusiasm doesn't have a laugh track and I've never had any problems skitting laughing at the hilarious scenes on it while shows such as The Big Bang Theory does have a laugh track and which i dont actually find most of the scenes that funny. It just seems seems they put laugh tracks into these shows to somehow make people think they're more funny, which seems pretty pointless you either find a sitcom funny or not why is a laugh track essentially for a shows humour or need to tell someone to laugh at a scene they may not actually find funny.

TheMilkyPirate

Hearing people laugh usually makes you laugh increasing your enjoyment of the show. At least I'd imagine that's what's supposed to happen. For me they're just annoying and have the opposite effect.

The Crowman

“Those are dead people laughing. Don’t you know those people are dead?”


https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=475996

I think they're great. If a show has a laugh track, don't watch it. Handy barometer.

verycool

It's an insult to the audience.

Pavlovian conditioning because you're "too stupid not to find this funny on your own."

Case in point...(warning loud!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il_asp-0lq4

ozmo

Don’t watch it myself but Big Bang doesn’t have a laugh track- it’s filmed live-
it’s supposed get the best sponetaniety out of the actors apparently.

In fact I think most of those shows are nowadays.. I cannot think of one with an added laugh track.

Venom

The script, scene composition and the jokes themselves are designed around laugh tracks for the shows that use them. Take it out and oh boy....

verycool

ozmo wrote: »

Don’t watch it myself but Big Bang doesn’t have a laugh track- it’s filmed live-
it’s supposed get the best sponetaniety out of the actors apparently.

In fact I think most of those shows are nowadays.. I cannot think of one with an added laugh track.

And me being a cynical git I don't believe a word of that.

If you've ever watched the Joel McHale show with Joel McHale, I'm pretty sure the "audience" are prompted to laugh at the hilarious quips.

ozmo

There are lots of behind the scenes videos on YouTube... it like the set of Mrs Brownes Boys.

It’s supposed to be like watching a play rather than movie..

Like being in the audience-

Did you see that Late Late Show in January when it snowed and there was no audience - so dead with the empty seats.

ozmo

Eg. Check this behind scenes out- they did it without the directors knowing- very well played I think..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlW99epieug

ArmaniJeanss

verycool wrote: »

And me being a cynical git I don't believe a word of that.

If you've ever watched the Joel McHale show with Joel McHale, I'm pretty sure the "audience" are prompted to laugh at the hilarious quips.

Perhaps they are drunking up the audience and they may have a flashing light saying 'Laugh Now' for the likes of TBBT, but that still doesn't make it a 'laughter track'.

phonypony

I think it certainly helps to have a live audience recorded laughing to the action, whether they are watching it live or watching a pre-recorded piece, mainly because we have become so accustomed to it. Watching episodes of shows I knew well with the laugh track and then seeing them without (e.g. some episodes of Only Fools...), it's just not the same experience, especially where scenes have been performed with pauses for reaction.

What I find very off-putting is listening to shows where its obvious the studio laughter is being highly supplemented by an added laugh track. It's very noticeable where the dialogue is being recorded in mono and you hear the actual studio audience through those mics, then hear an over-the-top addition of multiple layers of stereo fake laughs on top...