History of the Sitcom
Examines how sitcoms have evolved to reflect the changing face of American families.
- 2021-2021
- 1 season
- CNN
- Documentary
- TV-14
Examines how sitcoms have evolved to reflect the changing face of American families.
Season 1 Episode Guide
8 Episodes 2021
Episode 1
A Family Matter
Sun, Jul 11, 2021 45 mins
Moms, dads, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters - more than just a hilarious reflection of people to grow up and old with, sitcoms have opened the hearts of many to a more inclusive vision of what family can mean.
Episode 2
Sex & The Sitcom
Sun, Jul 11, 2021 45 mins
Since America has long found it easier to laugh about sex than talk seriously about it, sitcom humor has had a critical role ushering in a new era of openness, not just forwards sex, but towards women's rights and gender identity.
Episode 3
Just Friends
Sun, Jul 18, 2021 42 mins
When Americans look beyond family or work for their identity, the "hanging out with friends" sitcom hilariously redefines the genre while also revealing television's challenging quest for inclusivity and authentic representation.
Episode 4
Working for Laughs
Sun, Jul 25, 2021 45 mins
Work families can be even funnier than our biological ones, since the endless array of wacky sitcom characters on the job offers hilarious insights into the state of the American workplace.
Episode 5
Facing Race
Sun, Aug 1, 2021 45 mins
In many homes, difficult conversations about race and diversity have first happened on the sitcom screen, helping pave the way for progress with hilarity and laughter.
Episode 6
Movin' on Up
Sun, Aug 8, 2021 45 mins
Upward mobility, the American Dream, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps--sitcom laughs have helped generations of Americans come to grips with their place in a supposed "classless" society.
Episode 7
Freaks, Geeks & Outsiders
Sun, Aug 15, 2021 45 mins
Aliens, geeks, monsters, immigrants, witches - the fresh perspective of sitcom fish-out-of-water give us funny new insights into the ever-changing face of America.
Episode 8
Escaping Reality
Sun, Aug 22, 2021 45 mins
Sitcoms have long been the ultimate comedy comfort food, but what sitcoms offer escape from - and what they offer escape to - reveal a lot about the state of the American mind, and the state of sitcom form itself.