Pretty Much Pop #145: Growing Up Sitcommed

Mark, Sarahlyn, Lawrence, and guest Landen Celano from the Grunt Work podcast (all about Home Improvement) talk about talk about our ambivalence toward the three-camera, laugh-tracked half-hour comedies that filled our childhoods in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Why did some of these stand the test of time? Are some shows well suited for hate-watching or background watching? Why the Night Court reboot doing so well? We touch on some new shows like Kevin Can F*** Himself and Reboot that reflect on (deconstruct?) sitcom tropes, shows that subverted the format even at the time (Norman Lear), the juggernaut that is Chuck Lorre, catch phrases, and our memories of Three’s Company, Happy Days, Good Times, Saved by the Bell, A Different World, and many other shows.

Follow us @GruntWorkPod, @law_writes, @sarahlynbruck, @MarkLinsenmayer.

Get bonus talking for this and nearly every episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop, or you can sign up directly via Apple Podcasts for a subscription for ad-free and bonus material for three of Mark’s podcasts together on the Mark Lintertainment Podcasts Channel.

This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life podcast network and is curated by openculture.com.

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