----------------------------Original message---------------------------- On Wed, 8 Feb 1995, Matt McAllister wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > I've been noticing > for awhile now, in my opinion, that comedy is much better on TV than at the > movies. I agree, and I offer that one major factor in this equation is the quasi-serial nature of sitcoms: they can slowly build a "joke thread" which may reach fruition several weeks down the line. SEINFELD is a prime example here, as are ROSEANNE and THE SIMPSONS. The downside to this phenomenon, however, is the outright repetition of jokes, a la SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. The three former programs also share a strength in that they derive humor from toying with the enduring conventions of the sitcom form, while cinematic humor lacks a rigorous formula which can be similarly subverted. Just out of curiosity, does anyone out there *disagree* with Matt's statement? John McInnes University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign