In the 75 years since it was introduced, the laugh track has conditioned viewers to know when and how much to laugh Some audiences love it, and some audiences hate it, but the laugh track—which ...

The laugh track. When used correctly, it can be effective, an element of the sitcom that adds to the experience, seen and heard on shows like Seinfeld or Mom. When it isn't used correctly, it's ...

You have questions. I have some answers. Q: I enjoy the cast and storyline of the new show “Happy Place.” However, I will probably stop watching it because of the annoying laugh track. It is not at ...

When American viewers flipped open the July 2, 1966, edition of TV Guide, they were treated to a bombshell story. This was the first installment of a two-part series on “the most taboo topic in TV,” ...

Critically reviled. Hopelessly dated. Forever near extinction. Yet in a TV landscape full of brutally realistic hits, sitcoms with background laughter are not only still popular, but have become ...

Over years of watching television, fans have almost tuned out the tracks of laughter that are played over the scenes. If they come to think about it, are laugh tracks really necessary for sitcoms? Or ...

In NBC’s “Happy’s Place,” Reba McEntire stars as Bobbie, left, who inherits her father’s bar along with her sister Isabella (Belissa Escobedo). Casey Durkin/NBC/TNS You have questions. I have some ...