Acting schools in New York is multi-ethnic and is a sophisticated city where acting aspirants attend excellent acting schools in New York. The acting schools in New York are not bad placess to start and learn to pursue a career in the theater or the movies. Acting schools in New York may be less costly as compared to acting schools in New York; however, every cent paid to these schools in New York is worth all the expense. In fact, most actors and actresses who made it to Hollywood and the theater started out in the acting schools in New York. If budgets for taking acting classes within acting schools in New York are not problematic, the other dilemmas for an aspiring actor may have are admissions to these schools in New York. There are a lot of acting schools in New York which are rather selective considering the acting students they would accept.

To have a good chance to be accepted in these schools in New York an applicant must have the talent, determination, an excellent grade point average, and have the proper personalities to make flattering recommendation.

Among the number of acting schools in New York that aspirants may apply to is Ted Bardy Studio Inc. which may be found in the Union Square area of New York. Like other acting schools in New York, this institution offers individuals with concentrated and individualized acting lessons. Although every individual whether a newbie, real actors or professionals in new York who may want to hone their skills and talents further and who may want to apply is all right to take part of the acting workshop in acting schools in New York; however, there are only limited slots available to make certain that individualized instruction is provided for this particular institution. Among other acting schools in New York, this institution makes use of the Stanilavski/Meisner method in conducting classes to their students.

One other good institution among acting schools in New York is the East End Ensemble in Brooklyn. This acting school among other acting schools in New York only began operations a few years ago. It was previously set up unlike other acting schools in New York inside a private residence which intends to enhance the capabilities of its adult students in their communications prowess that they may not master in other acting schools in New York. The Acting for Teen or ACTeen has been in operation for practically thirty years in the city. It is the first among acting schools in New York to have on-cam acting instruction for adolescents. This is an acting school appropriate for young learners who want to pursue a career in acting or their artistic craft in the theater.

The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts is among the best acting schools in New York that yearly is in quest for the most ardent and talented young artists in the United States. Lots of young aspirants for acting schools in New York do try their best to pass the audition for this school but only a selected number are eventually accepted. The lucky ones have the best chances to gain experience in the most challenging, all-inclusive, and worthwhile acting training workshop. The institution like other acting schools in New York share all the knowledge and practice that can possibly help their students to become the best actors they can be and take the accomplishments of its students at heart. Like some of the other acting schools in New York, it takes twenty-four long and challenging months for students to graduate wholly set to show their talents and acting skills self-confidently and professionally in every aspect of their career.

Comedy TV shows dominated the 90s with the likes of Friends and Seinfeld. Comedy was king and gave the viewing public much wanted relief from the stress of a multi-tasking existence. What was funny was how much we could relate to the characters and their relationships as they were portrayed on the screen in exaggerated and farcical fashion. At the center of each character or relationship, though, was something real and universal that allowed us to connect and care about the people on screen. Something in them spoke to something in us and drew us into their world. For a disconnected and lonely populous, these characters may have played a role in too many lives that bordered on unhealthy.

But somewhere along the way, comedy TV shows gave way to something darker within our culture. The characters were not enough to sustain the relationship forever.

With the lack of anything substantive following behind, the vacuum was filled with the seedy nastiness of low brow reality TV. We were no longer delighted by characters we could relate to, but became obsessed with real people we were repulsed by. Reality TV is no more real than wrestling of the 70s. it is just as scripted and the characters are no more real than the Undertaker or Cain. The irony of reality TV characters is that if these people were real in our lives we wouldnt have anything to do with them.

Comedy TV shows gave us characters we would like to hang out with: Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Monica, Joey, Chandler, Fraser, Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, Hawkeye, and many others. The characters on TV now make you want to lock your doors and hide your children. The sad thing is that these characters live on past their reality show and become celebrities being booked as guest judges, writing books, given interviews and guest appearances on legitimate shows and gain legitimacy vicariously through them. What message is being received especially by young people? If I want fame and fortune I need to make my private life as sick as possible and film it while I do it.

There was a universal innocence that comedy TV shows gave us in the past. It promoted good healthy relationships that worked through conflict and stayed together. Reality TV shows promote judging relationships based on what we can get from the relationship. If I love this bachelor I will get a husband and a million dollars; therefore, I love him. These shows celebrate shallowness and make a mockery of having any resemblance of good character.

Comedy TV shows today are poisoned by this trend of playing down to the most base human behaviors and trying to somehow justify it by saying that is what the people want. One limit on freedom of speech is that the speaker is responsible for what people do as a result of hearing their message. You dont get to put out a message or image and then deny ownership when something goes wrong. Bring back real comedy TV shows, please.

The idea behind writing for comedy is easy enough to understand – make people laugh – but the elements that result in something that is truly funny are complex and varied. Comedy is essentially drama without the laughs, and, just as in drama writing, there are formulas to writing a successful comedy. Humor can be used in almost all aspects of writing: in conflict, in character development, in story structure, and so on.

Conflict in Comedy Writing

Conflict serves as a starting point for your story structure. It is what makes the story lead somewhere; it’s what gives your comedy a point. Conflict not only makes for easy, expandable laughing points; it can serve as motivating factors for the characters as the story develops and takes shape. Much like the three types of conflict in classic dramatic writing (man against nature, man against man, and man against himself), there are three basic types of comic conflict: global conflict, local conflict, and inner conflict.

Global conflict has to do with a character being at war with the world around him or her.

In comedy writing, this can go one of two ways. First, a normal character may be placed into a comic world. For instance, in the television sitcom Arrested Development, the main character Michael stands as the voice of reason in a world that is relentlessly and hilariously against him. Alternately, a comic character can placed into the normal world. For example, the 2003 Will Ferrell film Elf placed a human who has been raised as an elf at the North Pole into real world New York City.

Local conflict has to do with man versus man. There are two ways to most effectively execute local conflict with comedic success: comic character versus a normal character or comic characters in opposition.

Comic character versus a normal character places an outrageous character in opposition with a normal one. A good example of this method is television show Mork and Mindy, where Mork is the comic character and Mindy is just a normal person. Comic characters in opposition place two comically opposite characters in conflict. Perhaps it’s an obvious choice, but The Odd Couple is the perfect example of this type of conflict – their opposing comic personalities clash, making for a funny premise with plenty of room for conflict.

Inner conflict places man versus himself. This is considered by some to be the deepest type of conflict, and that’s no less true of comedy writing. In many cases, a normal character becomes a comic character in this type of conflict. A good example of this is The Mask starring Jim Carrey, where Carrey’s character is a normal person in possession of an artifact that turns him into what is essentially a cartoon character – the two sides of his personality are in conflict over which he should be.

Character Development

All that conflict leads us to where the conflict comes from – comic perspective. The most important part of a comic character is his perspective – what makes him think the things he thinks and do the things he does. It is his unique way of looking at the world. The more exaggerated the comic perspective, the funnier the character is going to be. For instance, a guy who sometimes gets paranoid is not inherently funny. A guy who is so paranoid that he spray paints his car silver (because ‘they’ can’t see silver) and makes a suit of tin foil is a good expansion of that paranoid person’s comic perspective and an effective use of exaggeration.

Exaggeration takes your character’s perspective to the end of the line, which is what will make that character funny. As such, comic perspective and exaggeration go hand in hand.

A good way to build on your character’s personality is to make the character flawed. People are more drawn to characters that have recognizable flaws – nobody is perfect, and if your character is imperfect in a hilarious way, you’ve got relatable humor.

Further development can be made in revealing your character’s humanity. The Comic Toolbox describes humanity as “the sum of a character’s positive human qualities that inspire either sympathy, empathy, or both.” Humanity unites your character with the audience, allowing sympathy and empathy to work at making the viewer care about your character. It’s important in all aspects of writing, but, in comedy, if a joke relies on the audience having any emotional bond with the characters and the humanity is not there, the joke will fall flat and people probably won’t be interested.

Concepts to Build On

Humor and comedy go back as far as writing itself; and, as in any art, most of the groundwork has been laid. It is important to know where the ideas have been developed and which concepts are the most solid ground for expansion, so that you have some direction with your writing and so you don’t wind up reinventing the wheel. Building on the concepts that have already been established as tried and true is the best way to ensure that you will get the most laughs.

Clash of context is one such example of a tried and true comedic concept. In general, the unexpected is what takes us by surprise and makes us laugh – clash of context takes advantage of this effect by taking something from where it belongs and places it where it does not.

There are a few ways to incorporate clash of context into comedy writing. Physical juxtaposition puts the items that clash physically close to one another. Emotional juxtaposition would place something emotional in an impassive setting or vice-versa – for instance, a hot dog vendor selling in the aisles at a funeral. Attitudinal juxtaposition has to do with the aforementioned conflict development strategy comic characters in opposition. The clash of context between the character’s personalities is what makes this strategy humorous.

Exaggeration is another important tool of the comedy writing trade. This one has a lot of range – it can, and should be, incorporated into many of the concepts and strategies discussed here (exaggeration of comic perspective, discussed previously, is one such example). Everything your characters do should have some level of exaggeration -mannerisms, understanding of the world (or lack thereof), responses, and so on – exaggeration keeps the character interesting and makes everything a little bit more outrageous.

In writing jokes, build tension and release. Go over jokes and ensure the payoff is positioned optimally in the joke. “Sometimes when a joke doesn’t work, fixing it is just a matter of rearranging the parts. When in doubt, put the funny word last.” If you give away the punch line of a joke before you’ve built it up, the joke is going to fall flat because there is no element of surprise. The longer you can build to tension without the audience losing interest, the bigger the payoff is going to be.

Tell the truth to comic effect or tell a lie to comic effect. If one way isn’t particularly funny, try the other. Telling the truth to comic effect has to do with pointing out the truth and the pain of a given situation explicitly. Telling a lie to comic effect is a little bit like sarcasm. For example, if a friend were to ask you to accompany him for a day trip to the DMV, you might say, “I can’t think of a better way to spend my day!” Obviously, it doesn’t sound like a very good time at all, but saying the opposite is what’s funny.

The rule of threes is very simple: setup, setup, and payoff. This method is best used in lists. Start with two seemingly normal things that go together and add something completely outrageous as the third. As an example, “I’ve got to run some errands … the bank, the grocery store, and the crack house.” The first two are obviously normal errands, while the third is shocking and takes the reader or viewer by surprise.

As with any kind of writing, the best way to get great results from comedy writing is to begin with a rough draft. Come up with a rough draft of a joke, then go back and ask yourself what the essence, the basic idea behind the joke is. Rewrite with that idea in mind to make the most out of the joke’s potential.

The doorbell effect is when the character has a strong certainty of the outcome of a situation, then his – and the viewer’s – expectations are shattered. A good example of this is in the opening scene of the film Super Troopers, where three stoned teens have a freak out because a police car with its siren on pulls up behind them. The teens experience vast relief when the police car abruptly passes them, but, as they discuss their close call, one notices in the rear view mirror that the same cop has somehow gotten behind them and is approaching the vehicle. The teens expected that the cop had driven away, when their expectations were shattered by the lights in the rear-view.

One concept popular to sitcoms is the running gag – use a joke several times, but tweaked in new directions each time. Tweaking the joke ensures that it is going to stay fresh, and there are ideal ways to go about it. Change some details each time – the circumstances surrounding the joke, the lead-up to the joke, and so on. Escalate the importance of the joke each time it’s told, so that by the end it’s a proper laugh-riot. Lastly, change the source of the joke – have a different character make the joke.

Comic stories

The center and eccentrics approach to comic stories regards an everyman surrounded by comic characters. The audience relates to the everyman and experiences a bizarre comic world through his eyes.

A “fish out of water” approach places a normal character in a comic world or a comic character in a normal world. With a normal character in a comic world, the viewer experiences life in this new, hilarious world through the eyes of the normal, relatable person. With a comic character in the normal world, the viewer experiences what life is like when you’re new to the everyday.

Character comedy has to do with direct emotional war between strong comic opposites. This incorporates the character conflict “man verses man” into plot development.

Some comedy writing has its emphasis on supernatural powers as a driving comedic factor. The powers are used as a plot device to put the character into unique situations – like in the television sitcom Bewitched. It is important to keep in mind, when writing for powers, not to be hackneyed about it. The same old thing just won’t do because nobody will care, so if a writer chooses to pursue this method it absolutely must be original.

Ensemble Comedy is when there isn’t one main character, but rather the emphasis is on a group and how they interact. This is good for multiple intersecting storylines and is most apparent in sitcoms such as Friends or Seinfeld. While there are main characters to each of these sitcoms, the larger emphasis is placed on interpersonal character interaction.

One of the easiest – and least respected – comic story structures is an emphasis on slapstick. Slapstick is generally thought of as shallow and simple, though there is value in incorporating some slapstick in situations where there is something lacking.

The last type of comic story to be discussed is satire and parody. These can be the most challenging types of stories to make original and hilarious, but the payoff is great if you can pull it off. These are not only funny and relatable, but are oftentimes socially relevant. A good example of this is the wildly popular cartoon South Park, which often satirizes politics and parodies cultural phenomena.

Conclusion

Writing for comedy sounds like a lot of fun, and one might think that because it seems like a lot of fun that it is easy. This is not the case. Like any art, writing for comedy requires practice, patience, and knowledge of the underlying structures that make for quality work. The writer must consider not only what he finds funny, but what the audience will and in what context.

Bibliography
Vorhaud, John. The Comic Toolbox. Silman-James Press, 1994.
Perret, Gene. Comedy Writing Workbook. Sterling Publishing Co.,
Luff, Brian. “Writing Comedy Sketches That Sell”. Planet Comedy. 2008 July 25.

Los Angeles is known the world over for its movie stars and television actors. Yet when “The Theater” is mentioned one immediately thinks of Broadway and not the City of Angels.

However, Los Angeles has a bustling theater scene replete with award winning talent and state-of-the-art venues. After all, actors and directors need to do something in between film projects.

The Pantages Theatre is located on Hollywood Boulevard and is one of the city’s most endearing landmarks. The theater opened in 1930 and was once owned by Howard Hughes.

The theater seats over 2,600 and is a great place to see some of Broadway’s best musicals.

“Rent,” “Grease,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Legally Blonde” and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” are all schedule to perform at the Pantages in 2009.

“Rain: The Beatles Experience,” is a Beatles cover-band that will having you believing it’s 1965 all over again.

The fake fab four has been booked for an extended engagement in April.

The Ahmanson Theatre is located at 135 North Grand Avenue and is one of the premier venues in Los Angeles for plays, musicals, classics and revivals.

The Ahmanson has debut six Neil Simon plays and featured performances by such legends as Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison, and James Earl Jones.

Remodel in 1995, the state-of-the-art theater has a seating capacity of 1,600 to 2,000, depending on size and scope of the production. This historic and versatile venue has the largest subscription base of any theater on the West Coast.

In 2009, you can expect to see “Minksy’s” a musical set in the prohibition era, “Frost/Nixon” starring Stacy Keach, and the Tony Award winning musical “Ain’t Misbehavin.”

Later in the year, the Ahamanson will be visited by Dame Edna, the Ballet Hispanico, and Patti Lupone & Mandy Patinkin.

The hilarious musical comedy “Monty Python’s Spamalot” will raise Ahamanson’s curtain as well as the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winning play, “August: Osage County.”

Come 2010, look for performances of “Mary Poppins” and “DreamGirls.”

The Ahamanson Theatre is located within the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the United States.

Besides the Ahamanson Theatre, the Music Center encompasses three other venues: the Mark Taper Forum, the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion used to host the Academy Awards but the last time the Pavilion gave out Oscars was in 1999.

The Pavilion seats 3,197 and is home to the Los Angeles Opera.

Upcoming performances at the Pavilion include the first two operas in Wagner’s ring cycle, “Das Rheingold” and “Die Walkure.” Also on the schedule is Verdi’s classic “La Traviata.”

Also appearing at the Pavilion in 2009 is Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Birds, and the American Ballet Theatre.

The Mark Taper Forum, yet another venue at the L.A. Music Center, also has its share of world-class theater productions. The award winning “Pippin” makes an extended run on its stage, as well as “Lydia,” “Uncle Vanya,” “The Lieutenant of Inishmore,” “Parade,” and “Palestine, New Mexico.”

The Mark Taper Forum opened in 1967 and underwent a million renovation just a few years ago. The Taper is known for staging innovated and risk-taking plays. It was also the host for the world premiere of “Angels in America.”

Pulitzer Prize winning writer Donald Margulies’ new work, “Time Stands Still,” can be seen at the Geffen Playhouse. The low-key drama about journalists covering the Iraqi War stars Alicia Silverstone and Anna Gunn.

The Geffen Playhouse, located in Westwood, was originally built in 1929. In 2001, it was updated with a million remodel. The theater is quite cozy, seating just 525 patrons.

The Ralph Freud Playhouse is yet another destination for theater goers. You can find the theater on the campus of UCLA in the James West Alumni Center.

This year, the intimate theater, and its 586 seats, are schedule to host performances of “Man of La Mancha,” “David Rousseve Reality” and “The Fantasticks”.

It’s quite clear that Los Angeles has a vibrant and diverse theater scene. With its state-of-the-art facilities and its award winning talent, the city of angels produces more than just movies and television shows, it also produces great theater.

Makers of TV shows remain in a constant effort to offer the audiences thrill in a fresh package through the use of different genres. While some of these genres are tried and tested, for instance medical dramas and crime procedural dramas, there are others that have been broached upon rarely. Las Vegas is one TV show that brings life to such an untouched concept, in a manner par-excellence.

The series is based in a place, just a mention of which is enough to unleash boundless drama – a casino! Think Las Vegas, and you’ll think casinos, since they are something that the city is famous for. That makes the title of the series one that’s completely apt for it. As you watch the Las Vegas episodes, you’ll find yourself driven to the extremes of thrill as the series takes you through all the edge, excitement, drama, and intrigue that underlie the facade of fun and frolic in a casino.

All the intensely captivating activities that prevail over the series are based in the fictional Montecito Resort & Casino.

The protagonist of the Las Vegas series over its first four seasons was James Caan, who played the character of Ed Deline, President of Operations and Head of Security of the casino.

Even though Caan was later replaced by Josh Duhamel, who played Danny McCoy as the series protagonist in the last season, there’s always been speculation over whether the culmination of the series could be attributable to the replacement. To decide who of the two better suited the role, you can watch Las Vegas online, since the show is now off air.

One of the most intriguing concepts underlying the series was Ed’s searing past with the CIA, which often haunted him all through the series, ultimately leading to him having to shift base to France, as he finally decided to get back with the CIA. This point in the plot of the series was received with mixed opinions by viewers of the series.

While some were happy with the decision which had been building up over a long period, others were distressed by the void that was left in the casino after Ed’s resignation. Ed’s former protégé, Danny promptly stepped in to fill the void. Could he do justice to the intense responsibility laid upon him? Make your decision after catching all the Las Vegas seasons, which are readily available on the web.

Right from the pilot episode of Las Vegas that introduced us to the riveting world of the casino, to the drama-packed finale, which threatened the death of the owner of Montecito in a plane crash, all the episodes of the series unfailingly managed to bring alive on our screens, superlative entertainment, making the series, one that’s still relished by viewers the world over.

The Improv at Harrah’s is one of the top comedy shows in all of Las Vegas. This show has been ongoing at Harrah’s for more than a decade and has been home to a variety of different comedians. Three different comedians play at each show with a rotating lineup of comedians throughout the year. Among the many comedians who have played here include comedy favorites like Richard Lewis and Mark Curry along with legends like Jerry Seinfeld and Drew Carey.

The Riviera has its own comedy show too. The Riviera Comedy Club has been around since 1987 and has been home to all sorts of comedians.

Three different comedians appear here each week. Among these popular comedians include Riviera regular Tom Simmons, Larry Reeb, Dom Irrera, Pete George and Lisa Mende.

Many individual comedians have ongoing shows at Las Vegas. Noted improvisational comedian and former talk show host Wayne Brady has his own show at the Venetian Showroom. “Wayne Brady: Making It Up!” is a popular show that features a variety of unscripted acts and songs from the former “Whose Line Is It Anyway” star and his noted assistant Jonathan Mangum. Lots of audience participation is featured.

Rita Rudner has been in the field of comedy for decades and she has her own show at the Theater at Harrah’s. This show, which plays six days a week, is a family friendly show featuring all sorts of deadpan bits from the comedic legend.

Comedian and former “Family Feud” host Louie Anderson has his own show at the Thunder From Down Under Showroom at Excalibur. “Louie Anderson: Larger Than Life” is a popular show thanks to Anderson’s humorous stories about growing up and general life.

Even Playboy has its own comedy show. Playboy Comedy, which is at the Lounge at Palms, is a more mature option for Las Vegas entertainment. The club hosts its own unique shows each month. The club, which is hosted by Cort McCown and Paul Hughes, features all sorts of different comedians throughout the year. A different highlight comedian is featured each month too. The popular magazine’s Playmate of the Month is also featured at each show.

These include all sorts of notable comedians with their own ongoing shows and many unique offerings at all sorts of popular venues around the Strip. These Las Vegas comedy shows are among the top choices for Las Vegas entertainment. These are make for some great choices when looking for shows around Las Vegas.

Find out more about Las Vegas shows at http://lasvegasshows.bestreferenceguide.com

If you love the theatre, and by love I mean a deep and abiding love for old and new alike, film and stage, then visiting Seattle might be a great idea for you and your vacation needs. Seattle has so much to offer the theatre buff that it is really frightening that one little town (well not so little really) that far west of New York could support the theatrical community that this city has.

Below I will provide a small sampling of the many theatres that abound in this great city. First of all there’s the 5th Avenue Theatre. With a tradition of vaudeville and silent films this theatre with an interior inspired by Beijing’s Forbidden City, the 5th Avenue Theatre is Seattle’s Premier Showplace. One of the great things about this theatre is that throughout the year they hold behind the scenes spotlight nights where they tell a little bit about the magic of theatre or the story behind the stories they are performing.

These spotlight nights are free of charge and very well received. I highly recommend attending one of these if you have the opportunity.

If you want dinner theatre with a little bit of everything in between, then maybe you should check out Teatre Zin Zanni. This is a three-hour event that is served with a five-course meal. This show seriously has a little bit of everything. From singers and dancers, to acrobats and comedians, this show is sure to dazzle the entire audience. While the show is top notch, the food cannot be described as anything other than gourmet. With a meal like this and great entertainment too, who could really ask for more from a night on the town. And you get all of this in one great place. This is an evening that will definitely be remembered long after your trip has ended.

The Iniman Theatre goes for a more intimate approach when dealing with the audience. By having smaller performance space with close seating, every member of the audience is allowed a much more up close and personal view of the stage and the drama being performed. Special opportunities are created to allow audience members and patrons to have a more personal behind the scenes look at the production, even allowing some to sit in on technical rehearsals or post-play discussions. This is a great way to build a bond between the actors and the audience, particularly if the audience is made up largely of patrons or members who come to the theatre on a regular basis.

The Paramount is a different and unique theater. One of the special things about this particular theater is the phenomenal architecture. This theater has a fully automated adjustable floor that allows easy conversion from theater auditorium seating to ballroom seating. This means that those planning events here have more options available for seating guests. On the first Saturday of every month the Seattle Theatre Group gives public tours of the theatre, which allows the public to get a behind the scenes look at how this great theatre operates these tours are free. Another really cool thing about this particular theatre is Silent Movie Mondays. On Monday nights you can see different silent movies playing throughout the year.

Theatre has played an important role in the lives of many and if you are one who really has a passion for good theatre, then Seattle really is your city. You won’t have the prices to deal with that you would have in certain other cities, but you will still be able to appreciate the best that local talent has to offer and more as some of these theatres have traveling shows that have played on or slightly off Broadway that will travel the country in order to increase interest in their shows in New York. Regardless of whether you are getting local talent or the big guns, you are most likely in for quite a night of fun.

What is Japanese drama? From a relative standpoint, Japan dramas are more than just a Japanese series with Japanese people acting. It is a window into the Japanese culture both past and present and even to some extent, the future. For those that don’t normally watch Japanese dramas the humor involved in some dramas may seem rather weird or misunderstood. As in any culture, there are some things that can only be expressed in their particular language and not the one we know. Japanese dramas are as diverse as Japan’s culture.

Unlike the TV based series in America where shows go on for season after season year after year, Japanese dramas are short lived. Short and sweet so to speak. Japanese dramas or “J-doramas” as referred to by the enthusiasts, are usually kept at around 10 to 13 episodes in general and if the series happens to be more than a success another season or seasons will usually follow and there goes another new Japanese drama.

There is a broad spectrum of Japanese dramas including comedy, romance, and mystery.

There’s something for everyone. The most popular genre is usually the comedy romance. The best of these dramas are able to maintain a good laughter throughout the series and hold on to its romantic value while at the same time keeping the consistency of the main plot. It’s easy to see why this genre has such a huge following.

Japanese dramas to an American may take a bit of getting used to since the elements involved in a Japanese drama is usually different from that of American TV series. Japanese dramas tend to be more emotionally involved than American ones and some Americans may find it somewhat uninteresting since the story doesn’t really start to pick up at least until the second or third episodes. However, if you give it a chance Japanese series can be very addicting and once you get into it, it can be very addicting.

This is what makes Japanese dramas so unique. Once you get into the story, the meat of it all so to speak, it is very easy to fall into the “Jdorama” craze. As if you were bit by the Jdorama bug, you just want to watch one new Japanese drama after another.

In respects to other TV series fans throughout the world, most Jdorama fans often fall victims to this bug due to the emotional attachment they have to the characters and the story. Especially if the actors or actresses are very charming. One example is Horikita Maki, she has a following in the millions all over the world due to sweet and adorable features it is easy to see why many fans can be attached to a particular series just for this reason. Usually these type of fans will watch every movie their favorite actors play a role in and some even end up watching a series even if they play a small part.

In essence, Japanese dramas turn out to be more than just watching a series for the sake of watching it. It is an outward expression of the Japanese culture and the people.

To get free expert Japan dramas and movie reviews checkout my review blog on Japan dramas.

Situation comedy

Main article: Situation comedy

The situation comedy, or sitcom, has been the most common, successful and culturally significant type of television comedy. As the name suggests, these programs feature recurring characters placed in humorous situations. Since the early 1950s with I Love Lucy in the US and Hancock’s Half Hour in Britain, sitcoms have always had a special place in the hearts of viewers and gathered highly devoted followers, as the familiar characters often become beloved. Often performed before a live audience (or, in some cases, a simulated live audience in the form of a laugh track), usually filmed or taped with a multiple-camera setup, and almost always a half-hour in length, sitcoms are seldom presented as realistic depictions of life but often generate honest humor through the relationships between and ongoing development of characters.

Since the debut of I Love Lucy television has never been without sitcoms and they have often been the most popular and lucrative of all program types. Even in the early 2000s, the cast of the NBC sitcom Friends were among television’s highest paid performers.

Comedy-drama

Main article: Comedy-drama

A comedy-drama, sometimes known as a dramedy, is a program that combines humor with more serious dramatic elements, aiming for a considerably more realistic tone than conventional sitcoms. These programs are shot with a single-camera setup and presented without a laugh track, and typically run an hour in length. This can refer to a genre of television or radio drama series.

Sketch comedy

Main article: Sketch comedy

Sketch comedy programs differ from sitcoms in that they do not basically feature recurring characters (though some characters and scenarios may be repeated) and often draw upon current events and emphasize satire over character development. Sketch comedy was pioneered by Sid Caesar, whose Your Show of Shows debuted in 1950 and established many conventions of the genre. American sketch comedy reached a later peak in the mid-1970s with the debut of Saturday Night Live, originally a variety program but soon devoted mostly to sketches. In the UK, two of the more successful examples are Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Little Britain.

Stand-up comedy

Main article: Stand-up comedy

Stand-up comedy has been fairly well represented on television. Stand-up comedians have long been a staple of variety and late-night talk shows; indeed, talk-variety shows such as The Tonight Show traditionally open with a comedy monologue performed by the program host. Television stand-up reached a peak of popularity on British schedules with the immensely popular ITV programme The Comedians. Their style of comedy was swept away almost entirely in the Britain of the early 1980s when a new generation of stand-ups challenged what they saw as racist and sexist humour and revolutionised the form under the banner alternative comedy. In the US, stand-up comedy programs became popular on many cable television channels beginning in the mid-1980s, as such “brick wall” shows (nicknamed for the stereotypical use of a fake brick wall as a backdrop) were cheap to produce and air. Stand-up humour later had mixed fortunes on the small screen, often shunted away to the small hours or as part of a larger entertainment extravaganza.

Improvisational comedy

Main article: Improvisational comedy

Improvisational comedy has recently been popular with television audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, most notably with both British and American versions of the program Whose Line is it Anyway?.

Gameshow comedy

There are many UK comedies in which the format is that of a gameshow, and may give the guests a chance to perform stand up comedy to win a round. Examples of this genre include Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Mock the Week and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Animated cartoon

Main article: Animated cartoon

Animated cartoons have long been a source of comedy on television. Early children’s programming often recycled theatrical cartoons; later, low-budget animation produced especially for television dominated Saturday-morning network programming in the US. A few prime-time animated comedies, notably The Flintstones, The Simpsons, Family Guy, successfully mixed attributes of traditional cartoons and sitcoms.

In addition to broad comedy program types, comedy often appears on television in much more subtle forms. Comedy is often a necessary part of other programming, particularly drama. Attempts at mixing comedy and drama in various combinations (sometimes known as dramedy) have been attempted over time.

See also

Britcom – list of British sitcoms

German television comedy

List of comedies

Further reading

Rannow, Jerry (2000). Writing Television Comedy. 

External links

A History of Comedy on Television: Beginning to 1970 – by Richard F. Taflinger

A Bibliography of Books and Articles about television comedy – UC Berkeley Libraries

Categories: Television genres | Comedy television seriesHidden categories: Articles lacking sources from January 2010 | All articles lacking sources

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