Sunday, October 24, 2010

Full House: The sitcom nitty-gritty



According to Colin Tain's lecture, the sitcom generally follows an episodic, half-hour, three-act structure, with a lesson resolved in the end of the episode. The plot tends to be predictable and introduces a problem, rising action and resolution. Comedy and hyperbolic tendencies are also written within the plot. The family sitcom following a Caucasian, upper-middle class family, "Full House," embodies all of these characteristics, yet I will focus on the predictable, three-act structure.

An episodic sitcom involves a lesson learned, but doesn't really develop the character in the span of the entire show. Characters aren't really developed, but are predictable, much like the plots they are weaved into. The three-act structure resolves a central question or central problem of that episode. The plot follows a very cookie-cutter structure, with a problem, rising action and resolution. The problem tends to change each episode, without regard to lessons from previous episodes. This type is very much classic sitcom, and usually involves comedy to attract viewers.

"Full House," which has a proscenium style (taped and performed infront of a live audience) definitely follows the three-act structure, sometimes mixing comedy and drama.

In the first segment, before the first set of commercials, one of the Tanners faces a predicament, whether it be as silly and hyprebolic as Uncle Jesse and Stephanie getting locked in a car shop before Michelle's birthday or a dramatic problem, such as Joey feeling unappreciated and wanting to move out. The second part of the episode follows the character's attempts at trying to solve the problem, which usually involves slap-stick and dialogue humor, and the problem is amplified. Following the second set of commercials, the conclusion is laid out and the "lesson learned" is brought to the attention of the character as well as the audience.

The conclusion usually wraps around the forgiver forgiving the forgivee, followed by a standard family hug. In the Tanner household, honesty and family dynamics are usually highlighted within the ending dialogue or speech given to resolve the initial problem.

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