Laughing in TV shows

[Laxi]

When you view a real comedy like "The Office" (Brit version) with no canned laugh track and no background music, initially it seems a bit weird, somethings missing.

I couldn't laugh at that program if I was stoned

[Pixie]

It's a cue to let you know when to laugh. American comedies aren't very funny so the audience often misses the fact a joke was made at all. So you need reminding every so often in case you think it's a terribly silly and nonsensical drama.

Why do pom shows have it?

You know, the ones that are always about old codgers waiting to die

[MisterD]

Canned laughter (or, laugh-o-meter) was widely used years ago, and probably still is.

I still remember the day the M*A*S*H episodes screened by Auntie Beeb started retaining their canned laughter - made the funniest thing on TV completely unwatchable.

[Flatcap]

The most annoying is in programs filmed outside, yet there is still canned laughter - are we expected to believe the "Live Studio Audience" has been taken onto location?

[Dave Lobster]

The most annoying is in programs filmed outside, yet there is still canned laughter - are we expected to believe the "Live Studio Audience" has been taken onto location?

That depends on how stupid the intended audience is..

[Usarka]

My funeral is going to have a laugh track. It's in my will.

[xwhatsit]

Why do pom shows have it?

You know, the ones that are always about old codgers waiting to die

Probably for exactly the same reason; the humour is rubbish.

Bittorrent and fast ADSL was the death of television for me and a good chunk of my peers. Why watch the shit that gets handed to you (along with advertising) when you can pick and choose what you want... most of which is never screened locally (esp. not on free-to-air) anyhow.

[Skyryder]

They assume you are sheep. Canned laughter is just that. Follow the sheep.


Skyryder

[Dave Lobster]

They assume you are sheep. Canned laughter is just that. Follow the sheep.

A reasonable assumption in the majority of cases

[Usarka]

baaaaaaaaa.

[Krayy]

A perfect illustration of how it works is in the episode of Family Guy called "Family Guy Viewer Mail #1" where Stewie comments that it "Makes every line you say funny":

STEWIE (keeps turning on canned laughter machine after every line he says)

BRIAN: Where'd you get that thing?

STEWIE: Oh, I got it off the set of "Dharma and Greg".

BRIAN: Really? I'm surprised there's anything left in it.

BRIAN AND STEWIE, to audience: Ooooooh!