Big Bang Theory

[Bearcat]

I did a ctrl-f for 'laugh' and sure enough 10 years ago people were complaining about the laugh track... it's obnoxious.

I've never started Big Bang from the beginning, but just seeing random episodes it seemed like it was just okay.... I just reached the end of Young Sheldon and found that show to be quite a bit funnier, but will probably give BBT a shot one day.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

I did a ctrl-f for 'laugh' and sure enough 10 years ago people were complaining about the laugh track... it's obnoxious.

I've never started Big Bang from the beginning, but just seeing random episodes it seemed like it was just okay.... I just reached the end of Young Sheldon and found that show to be quite a bit funnier, but will probably give BBT a shot one day.

I'm quite sure BBT was filmed in front of a live audience. There's one really funny scene in particular, where Penny gives Sheldon a napkin autographed by Leonard Nimoy, that you can hear somebody in the audience with an obnoxious laugh so loud that it was distracting. No way that was part of a laugh track.

As for Young Sheldon, the commercials for it annoyed me enough that I've never watched a minute of it. That kid is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Of course, I'm a cranky old fart who's never had any kids, so pretty much all kids are like fingernails on a chalkboard.

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by Frazod

I'm quite sure BBT was filmed in front of a live audience. There's one really funny scene in particular, where Penny gives Sheldon a napkin autographed by Leonard Nimoy, that you can hear somebody in the audience with an obnoxious laugh so loud that it was distracting. No way that was part of a laugh track.

As for Young Sheldon, the commercials for it annoyed me enough that I've never watched a minute of it. That kid is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Of course, I'm a cranky old fart who's never had any kids, so pretty much all kids are like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Once in a while shows bring in professional laughers. This may have been overboard.

Yes, it is a thing.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by displacedinMN

Once in a while shows bring in professional laughers. This may have been overboard.

Yes, it is a thing.

It was a funny show. I can't believe they'd bother with that. There was just no need.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Frazod

I'm quite sure BBT was filmed in front of a live audience. There's one really funny scene in particular, where Penny gives Sheldon a napkin autographed by Leonard Nimoy, that you can hear somebody in the audience with an obnoxious laugh so loud that it was distracting. No way that was part of a laugh track.

As for Young Sheldon, the commercials for it annoyed me enough that I've never watched a minute of it. That kid is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Of course, I'm a cranky old fart who's never had any kids, so pretty much all kids are like fingernails on a chalkboard.

They do use a live audience. But they also edit the laugh track by adding and removing noise to fit their needs. Which results in a very overused canned format that is insanely annoying once you notice it. Lots of sitcoms do the same thing, but this show just hammered it mercilessly. You start to notice the actors stopping dialog for no other reason than totally pointless laughter.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Fish

They do use a live audience. But they also edit the laugh track by adding and removing noise to fit their needs. Which results in a very overused canned format that is insanely annoying once you notice it. Lots of sitcoms do the same thing, but this show just hammered it mercilessly. You start to notice the actors stopping dialog for no other reason than totally pointless laughter.

I guess I never really thought about it, but that does make sense. I've seen those scenes on YouTube and it's definitely kind of jarring to hear them without the laughter.

Maybe it's because I'm used to it, or conditioned by decades of laugh tracks, but it just doesn't really bother me. I've seen clips from M*A*S*H that don't have the canned laughter, and they just seen wrong. I'm also not really a fan of modern comedies that don't have it.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Frazod

I guess I never really thought about it, but that does make sense. I've seen those scenes on YouTube and it's definitely kind of jarring to hear them without the laughter.

Maybe it's because I'm used to it, or conditioned by decades of laugh tracks, but it just doesn't really bother me. I've seen clips from M*A*S*H that don't have the canned laughter, and they just seen wrong. I'm also not really a fan of modern comedies that don't have it.

Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

No laugh track.

Funny as hell.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

No laugh track.

Funny as hell.

This. Stated watching that show on a whim a few years back. It’s an amazing and hilarious show

One of my favorite episodes is The Gang desperately Tries to win an award for best bar. But the bar being a metaphor for their actual show. Their show has been on for like 16 seasons yet never won or even nominated for an award if I recall. They’re so confused why their “bar” hasn’t won any awards. There’s a great scene in that episode where to go to a bard Called Sudz, which is basically the bar equivalent of Friends or BBT. There’s even a bell that the bartender rings / goes off to tell everyone to drink. ( ala a laugh track). Such an awesome show.

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by Frazod

I guess I never really thought about it, but that does make sense. I've seen those scenes on YouTube and it's definitely kind of jarring to hear them without the laughter.

Maybe it's because I'm used to it, or conditioned by decades of laugh tracks, but it just doesn't really bother me. I've seen clips from M*A*S*H that don't have the canned laughter, and they just seen wrong. I'm also not really a fan of modern comedies that don't have it.

MASH had some canned laughter, but never in the OR.