I was brought up on the second wave of black and white comedies to come over to the UK from America and thence the colour ones. Besides I Love Lucy which my mother thought hilarious (and some of the stuff Lucille did took a huge amount of practice and stage craft) I was a child of Rhoda, Happy Days, M.A.S.H, Mork and Mindy and many others.
The art of writing scenarios that make people laugh has been honed down in recent years to one funny line every three. Whilst this works for character’s like Blanche in Golden Girls or Woody in Cheers where the character can always be relied upon to deliver the funny line (think Chandler in Friends) the real skill of humour is to traverse a half hour with such hilarity you move in your seat, you almost cover your eyes at the ludicrous, nutty things going on with the characters you have come to enjoy living with.
It is hard enough to write to a formula but to build up to punch lines is a rare event in today’s comedies and the minute of outright laughter the audience engage in as Lucille comes on stage dressed as a clown, or with her hair ruined, has all but gone. Now the laughs must last as long as a few seconds for even the audience response is timed.
The greatest laughter of all is the comedian who comes on, says one line and has you rolling until you cry. They should bring them back.