As a long-time gamer and connoisseur of all things entertainment, I’ve seen my fair share of comedies and dramas, from the classics like “The Legend of Zelda” to the modern masterpieces like “Red Dead Redemption.” And while the distinction between comedy and drama might seem blurry in the world of TV awards, it’s as clear as day when you’re navigating the vast landscapes of video games.
These labels such as “comedy” and “drama” are generally devoid of significance – except when it comes to television awards, where they can determine whether a program wins or loses, or is nominated or snubbed. Consequently, the residents of Hollywood, who often seek to challenge tradition and norms for the sake of artistic expression throughout the year, become unusually passionate during Emmy season.
Last summer, the yearly discussion about television excellence flared up again when “The Bear” garnered 23 Emmy nominations, breaking the record set by “30 Rock” for the most nominations in a single comedy season. For years, sitcoms had ruled the genre, with “Frasier” taking the lead as the all-time Emmy winner with 37 awards, followed closely by “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Cheers”. Despite the fact that “The Bear” is undeniably a high-quality TV show, demonstrated by its eventual wins in various categories, it’s not particularly lighthearted. Many in the industry interpreted the FX series’ unexpected loss to “Hacks” in the best comedy category as a reflection of its classification.
In this discussion about comedy shows, it’s essential that those who create these programs have the most significant influence. Therefore, when The Hollywood Reporter contacted the individuals included in our yearly list of top TV writer-producers, we sought their opinions on what defines a comedy. To our surprise, over a dozen respondents gave answers like “make it funny” – which Matt found rather flippant. However, many provided more complex insights instead.
According to “The Old Man” series creator, Jonathan E. Steinberg, it’s challenging to differentiate between comedies and dramas for award considerations at the moment. He points out that television has significantly evolved since the time when such distinctions were clear-cut.
The initial difference between dramas and comedies on TV was that dramas were around an hour long (including commercials), while comedies were typically half as long. However, the Television Academy, which oversees the Primetime Emmys, no longer takes runtime into account when classifying series since 2021. Some argue that runtime should replace the comedy and drama labels entirely. Julio Torres, creator-star of Fantasmas, suggests, “I can’t understand why we need to categorize things based on anything other than length.
Among TV’s prominent and witty writer-producers – including one from “The Bear” – these are some humorous, insightful, and sometimes philosophical replies when they were asked to complete the sentence, “For a TV series to be considered ‘comedy,’ it must…
“Pass the Bechdel test” — Lucia Aniello, Hacks
Include a moment where a character listens in on a conversation through a doorway and misunderstands what they hear.” – Paraphrased by Assistant
Mix intense ethical distress with, if not outright laughter, but rather the chuckle we all long for so dearly.” – Issa Lopez, True Detective: Night Country (paraphrased)
According to Aristotle’s perspective, the actions portrayed in comedies are more problematic than real-life situations. Yet, paradoxically, as Shakespeare suggests, these misadventures don’t result in any lasting harm and instead lead to joyful conclusions.” – J.D. Payne, The Rings of Power
“It must risk offense.” — Matthew Read, The Gentlemen
Strive for an average of 9.4 laughs every minute – falling short means it’s a drama, exceeding that makes it more like a circus.” – John Hoffman, Only Murders in the Building
“Make me happy not to be those characters.” — Soo Hugh, Pachinko
As a gaming enthusiast, I’d say it like this: “George Saunders puts it perfectly – humor kicks in when we get the truth straight and fast. For me, a good comedy is all about delivering the truth swiftly and directly.” – Natasha Rothwell, How to Die Alone
Strive to make your characters feel real and relatable by giving them traits that are familiar to us as humans. – Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer
As for my knowledge, ‘The Sopranos’ has brought just as many laughs to me as any other TV series I’ve encountered.” – Eric Newman, Griselda
I don’t want to have to watch a comedy right after this to calm my nerves.” – Jac Shaeffer, Agatha All Along (paraphrased)
Adhere to the audience’s conventions regarding the genre. Comedy isn’t about being rebellious or surprising; it’s about following established guidelines as defined by older gentlemen with trendy, youthful hairstyles.” — Graham Wagner, Fallout
“Be a drama about angry chefs.” — Seth MacFarlane, Ted
“This, please, stop.” — Joanna Calo, The Bear
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2024-10-24 17:55