Sitcom

A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home, workplace, or community. Unlike sketch comedy, which features different characters and settings in each skit, sitcoms typically maintain plot continuity across episodes. This continuity allows for the development of storylines and characters over time, fostering audience engagement and investment in the characters' lives and relationships.

The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners. These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but the term sitcom emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s.

Early television sitcoms were often filmed in front of a live studio audience using a multiple-camera setup, the latter of which continues in some modern productions such as The Big Bang Theory and Fuller House. Other formats make use of a laugh track or "canned laughter".

Since the 1990s, sitcoms have expanded to animated sitcoms, with successful shows of the genre including The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Family Guy.

Critics have debated the exact definition of a sitcom, mostly regarding productions created at the turn of the 21st century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use a single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, instead more resembling documentaries or the comedy-dramas of the 1980s and 1990s.

Although there have been few long-running Australian-made sitcoms, many American and British sitcoms have been successful in Australia, since sitcoms are considered a staple of the government broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In the 1970s and 1980s many British sitcoms also screened on the Seven Network. By 1986, UK comedies Bless This House and Are You Being Served? had been re-screened several times by ABC Television; they were then acquired and screened by the Seven Network.

In 1981, Daily at Dawn was the first Australian comedy series to feature a regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie).

In 1987, Mother and Son won the Television Drama Award for portraying a woman suffering from senile dementia and her interaction with her family, presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission.