A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy ) is a genre of comedy that centers on a recurring cast of characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home, workplace, or community. Unlike sketch comedy , which features different characters and settings in each skit , sitcoms typically maintain plot continuity across episodes. This continuity allows for the development of storylines and characters over time, fostering audience engagement and investment in the characters' lives and relationships.
64-401: The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color . The series originated from an episode of The Danny Thomas Show . It stars Andy Griffith as Andy Taylor , the widowed sheriff of Mayberry, North Carolina ,
128-529: A 30-minute time slot. Throughout their history, American sitcoms have often drawn inspiration from British counterparts. Popular shows like All in the Family , Three's Company , and Sanford and Son were adapted from successful British series. More recently, The Office achieved significant popularity in the United States , following the success of its British counterpart. Numerous television networks in
192-399: A Reunion Special which featured Andy Griffith, Don Knotts, Ron Howard, Jim Nabors, George Lindsey, and Jack Dodson. In 2003, four surviving cast members (Griffith, Howard, Knotts, and Nabors) came together for a reunion special that featured the actors reminiscing about each other's time on the show. The production was interspersed with archival footage and short filmed interviews with some of
256-572: A contemporary setting, the show evoked nostalgia, saying in a Today interview, "Well, though we never said it, and though it was shot in the '60s, it had a feeling of the '30s. It was when we were doing it, of a time gone by." The series was never placed lower than seventh in the Nielsen ratings , ending its final season at number one. The only other shows to end their runs at the top of the ratings are I Love Lucy (1957) and Seinfeld (1998). On separate occasions, it has been ranked by TV Guide as
320-544: A core group of characters who interact in a recurring setting, such as a family, workplace, or institution. However, British sitcoms typically consist of shorter series, often six episodes, and are frequently developed by a smaller writing team. The majority of British sitcoms are half-hour comedies recorded in studio settings using a multiple-camera setup. While many adhere to traditional sitcom conventions, some have ventured into more unconventional territory. For example, Blackadder and Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister shifted
384-401: A fictional community of roughly 2,000–5,000 people. Other major characters include Andy's lifelong friend, the well-meaning and enthusiastic but bumbling deputy, Barney Fife ( Don Knotts ), Andy's aunt and housekeeper, Bee Taylor ( Frances Bavier ) and Andy's young son, Opie ( Ron Howard ). The townspeople round out the regular cast. Regarding the tone of the show, Griffith said that despite
448-438: A half million." In 1964, daytime reruns began airing during the fall season and the show has been in syndication since. The reruns were retitled Andy of Mayberry to distinguish the repeat episodes from the new episodes airing in primetime. At the end of season four (May 1964), the backdoor pilot " Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. " aired and the following September, the spinoff series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. debuted with Jim Nabors in
512-544: A heavy-handed country bumpkin, grinning from ear to ear and speaking in a hesitant, frantic manner. The style recalled that used in the delivery of his popular monologues such as " What It Was, Was Football ." He gradually abandoned the "rustic Taylor" and developed a serious and thoughtful characterization. Producer Aaron Ruben recalled: He was being that marvelously funny character from No Time for Sergeants , Will Stockdale [a role Griffith played on stage and in film] ... One day he said, "My God, I just realized that I'm
576-420: A line of canned foods inspired by the series was made available in grocery stores across America. Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina , annually hosts a week-long "Mayberry Days" celebration featuring concerts, parades and appearances by the show's players. In 2003, the country band Rascal Flatts released the song " Mayberry " and many of the lyrics pay tribute to the show. The 1989 song " Floyd
640-479: A similar but canonically different character, Mayor Andy Sawyer. All three characters treated Sawyer as if he were Andy Taylor. The series only lasted ten episodes. In 1986, the reunion telemovie Return to Mayberry was broadcast with several cast members reprising their original roles. Absent, however, was Frances Bavier . She was living in Siler City, North Carolina in ill health and declined to participate. In
704-408: A sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners . These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but the term "sitcom" emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filmed in front of a live studio audience using a multiple-camera setup ,
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#1733126589477768-593: Is Andy's girlfriend in the first season, while Peggy McMillan ( Joanna Moore ) is a nurse who becomes his girlfriend in season 3. In the color seasons, County Clerk Howard Sprague ( Jack Dodson ) and handyman Emmett Clark ( Paul Hartman ) appear regularly, while Barney's replacement deputy Warren Ferguson ( Jack Burns ) appears in about half of season six. Ernest T. Bass made his first appearance in episode #94 ("Mountain Wedding"), as well as four later episodes. The actor who portrayed him, Howard Morris , also played George,
832-598: Is a bed-and-breakfast modeled after the Taylor Home. The Mayberry Cafe in Danville, Indiana , features Aunt Bee's Fried Chicken and a replica of Andy's Ford Galaxie police car. In 2021, the original feature film Mayberry Man was produced by children of actors from The Andy Griffith Show featuring Mayberry tribute artists set in a fictitious modern-day Mayberry. In the late 1980s, Premier Promotions released various episodes on VHS. Most tapes had either two or four episodes. In
896-556: Is one of the leading channels in India, dedicated entirely to Sitcoms. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is the longest-running sitcom of Indian television and is also known as the flagship show of SAB TV . On Tiptoes and Shabhaye Barareh were among the first and most important sitcoms that led to the growth of this type of comedy in Iran, both receiving wide critical and audience acclaim. El Chavo del Ocho , which ran from 1971 to 1980,
960-480: The CBS Home Entertainment label starting in 2006) released all eight seasons as single-season packages on Region 1 DVD. The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series was first released as a 40-disc boxed set in 2007. In addition to all 249 episodes of the series, its bonus features included the episode "Danny Meets Andy Griffith" from The Danny Thomas Show which served as the pilot, the episode "Opie Joins
1024-716: The Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series . In 2020, the sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards . This broke the record for the most Emmy nominations given to a comedy series in its final season. During the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards , the show became the first ever comedy or drama series to sweep the four acting categories ( Outstanding Lead Actor , Outstanding Lead Actress , Outstanding Supporting Actor , Outstanding Supporting Actress for Eugene Levy , Catherine O'Hara , Dan Levy , and Annie Murphy respectively) and one of only four live action shows, along with All in
1088-735: The RTR channel. The "boom" of Russian sitcoms began only in the 2000s, when in 2004, the STS started the highly successful sitcom " My Fair Nanny " (an adaptation of the American sitcom " The Nanny "). Since that time, sitcoms in Russia have been produced by the two largest entertainment channels in the country — STS and TNT . In 2007, the STS released the first original domestic sitcom — " Daddy's Daughters " (there were only adaptations before), and in 2010, TNT released " Interns " —
1152-616: The Series Mania Television Festival in Paris, was praised by critics, and earned numerous awards and nominations. Also in 2013, At Home with Julia was criticized by several social commentators as inappropriately disrespectful to the office of the Prime Minister. The show nevertheless proved very popular with both television audiences and critics, becoming the most-watched Australian scripted comedy series of 2011. It
1216-405: The United States feature sitcoms in their programming. CBS , TBS, Nickelodeon , and Disney Channel are just a few examples of networks that air sitcoms. Aaron Ruben Aaron Ruben (March 1, 1914 – January 30, 2010) was an American television director and producer known for The Andy Griffith Show (1960), Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964), and Sanford and Son (1972). Ruben
1280-417: The public domain after CBS neglected to file copyright renewals on the episodes in 1989, are available on discount DVDs. The 2007 lawsuit CBS Operations Inc v. Reel Funds International Inc. ruled that the episodes in question were derivative works based on the copyrighted episodes even though the episodes themselves were not under copyright and granted CBS indirect copyright over the public domain episodes;
1344-535: The spin-off and committed to it immediately. On October 3, 1960, at 9:30 p.m., The Andy Griffith Show made its debut. The sitcom's production team included producers Aaron Ruben (1960–1965) and Bob Ross (1965–1968). First-season writers (many of whom worked in pairs) included Jack Elinson, Charles Stewart, Arthur Stander and Frank Tarloff (as "David Adler"), Benedict Freedman and John Fenton Murray, Leo Solomon and Ben Gershman, and Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. During season six, Greenbaum and Fritzell left
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#17331265894771408-528: The straight man . I'm playing straight to all these kooks around me." He didn't like himself [in first year reruns] ... and in the next season he changed, becoming this Lincolnesque character. As Griffith stopped portraying some of the sheriff's more unsophisticated character traits and mannerisms, it was impossible for him to create his own problems and troubles in the manner of other central sitcom characters such as Lucy in I Love Lucy or Archie Bunker in All in
1472-608: The "Danny Thomas" episodes) to create a pilot show for Griffith, featuring him as justice of the peace and newspaper editor in a small town. At the time, Broadway, film, and radio star Griffith was interested in attempting a television role, and the William Morris Agency told Leonard that Griffith's rural background and previous rustic characterizations were suited to the part. After conferences between Leonard and Griffith in New York City, Griffith flew to Los Angeles and filmed
1536-551: The 1970s and 1980s many British sitcoms also screened on the Seven Network . By 1986, UK comedies Bless This House and Are You Being Served? had been re-screened several times by ABC Television ; they were then acquired and screened by the Seven Network. In 1981, Daily at Dawn was the first Australian comedy series to feature a regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie). In 1987, Mother and Son won
1600-431: The 1990s these included: Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993), Zabaan Sambhalke (1993), Shrimaan Shrimati (1995), Office Office (2001), Ramani Vs Ramani (Tamil 2001), Amrutham (Telugu 2001–2007), Khichdi (2002), Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (2005) F.I.R. (2006–2015), Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (2008–present), Uppum Mulakum (Malayalam 2015–present), and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain (2015–present). SAB TV
1664-477: The 2010s, resulting in a decline in sitcom popularity. Nevertheless, there have been recent efforts to revive the sitcom genre. For instance, Netflix released So Not Worth It in 2021, featuring many creators from popular South Korean sitcoms. Popular South Korean sitcoms include the High Kick series, which has spawned several spin-offs. British sitcoms , like their American counterparts, often revolve around
1728-604: The Barber " by American grunge band Nirvana references multiple characters from the show, including Floyd, Barney, Opie, Andy, and Aunt Bee. Canadian rapper and singer Drake references the show's theme song in his 2009 track " Best I Ever Had" . The cable television network TV Land erected bronze statues of Andy and Opie in Mount Airy and Raleigh, North Carolina ( see: Pullen Park ). The Taylor Home Inn in Clear Lake, Wisconsin ,
1792-521: The Broadway and film versions of No Time for Sergeants ) and had seen The Danny Thomas Show episode, called Griffith during the developmental stages of the show and suggested the Sheriff character needed a deputy and comic sideman; Griffith agreed. Knotts auditioned for the show's creator and executive producer, Sheldon Leonard , and was offered a five-year contract playing Barney Fife. The show's theme music
1856-417: The Family , The Golden Girls , and Will & Grace where all the principal actors have won at least one Emmy Award. Sitcoms started appearing on Indian television in the 1980s, with serials like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), Nukkad (1986), and Wagle Ki Duniya (1988) on the state-run Doordarshan channel. Gradually, as private channels were permitted to operate, many more sitcoms followed. In
1920-511: The Family , whose problems were the result of their temperaments, philosophies, and attitudes. Consequently, the characters around Taylor were employed to create the problems and troubles, with rock-solid Taylor stepping in as problem solver, mediator, advisor, disciplinarian, and counselor. The series revolves around Andy Taylor ( Andy Griffith ), the sheriff of the sleepy, slow-paced fictional community of Mayberry, North Carolina . His laid-back, level-headed approach to law enforcement makes him
1984-452: The Marines" from Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. which featured Ron Howard and the 95-minute, made-for-television comedy film Return to Mayberry . In 2016, The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series was repackaged and released again as a 39-disc set that featured all 249 episodes of the series but did not include the bonus feature disc. The last 16 episodes of the third season, which lapsed into
The Andy Griffith Show - Misplaced Pages Continue
2048-541: The TV movie, Aunt Bee is portrayed as deceased (and in fact, Bavier did die three years later), with Andy visiting her grave. Also absent were Howard McNear, Paul Hartman, Jack Burns, and the cast members who were featured only in the Mayberry RFD seasons. Griffith and Howard reprised their roles a final time for a Funny or Die skit supporting the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama . In 1993, The Andy Griffith Show had
2112-664: The TV series Caesar's Hour (1954). He then directed eleven episodes of The Phil Silvers Show between 1957 and 1959 along with Silvers' CBS TV special, Keep in Step (1959). He later produced The Andy Griffith Show (1960), working on that series for five seasons as producer, writer and story consultant. He went on to create the Andy Griffith spin-off Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964). Other credits include The Headmaster (1970), Sanford and Son (1972), C.P.O. Sharkey (1976) and Teachers Only (1982). Aaron Ruben last did
2176-711: The Television Drama Award for portraying a woman suffering from senile dementia and her interaction with her family, presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission . In 2007, Kath & Kim ' s first episode of series 4 attracted an Australian audience of 2.521 million nationally. This was the highest rating for a first episode in the history of Australian television, until the series premiere of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities in 2009, which garnered 2.58 million viewers. In 2013, Please Like Me received an invitation to screen at
2240-581: The United States in 1926 with the radio show Sam 'n' Henry . The subsequent success of Amos 'n' Andy , also created by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll , solidified the sitcom's place in American radio programming. The transition to television brought about significant changes in the sitcom format. Mary Kay and Johnny , which premiered in 1947, became the first American television sitcom. Today, American sitcoms typically run for 22 minutes, allowing for approximately eight minutes of advertising within
2304-433: The early to mid-1990s, United American Video (under license from the show's then-syndicator Viacom Enterprises ) released VHS tapes of various episodes. They either had two or three episodes. These compilations were culled from episodes early in the show's run that had lapsed into the public domain; these episodes continue to be circulated on unofficial video releases. Starting in 2004, Paramount Home Entertainment (under
2368-578: The episode. On February 15, 1960, The Danny Thomas Show episode "Danny Meets Andy Griffith" aired. In the episode, Griffith played the fictional Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry, North Carolina, who arrests Danny Williams (Thomas' character) for running a stop sign. Future players in The Andy Griffith Show, Bavier and Howard, appeared in the episode as townspeople Henrietta Perkins and Opie Taylor (the sheriff's son), respectively. General Foods , sponsor of The Danny Thomas Show, had first access to
2432-428: The first episode with the new title and remained for a few additional episodes before leaving with a move to Raleigh , effectively ending their appearances. After RFD ' s cancellation in 1971, George Lindsey played Goober for many years on the popular country-variety show Hee Haw . Goober, Barney and Emmett all made appearances in the series premiere of The New Andy Griffith Show , which starred Griffith as
2496-817: The first five seasons, Colin Male, portrayed Game Warden Peterson in Episode #140 ("Andy and Helen Have Their Day"). In the series' last few episodes, farmer Sam Jones ( Ken Berry ) debuts and later becomes the lead of the retitled show, Mayberry R.F.D. Don Knotts, Aneta Corsaut, Jack Dodson, and Betty Lynn also appeared on Griffith's later show Matlock . The show comprises eight full seasons and 249 episodes—159 episodes in black and white (seasons 1–5) and 90 in color (seasons 6–8). Griffith appears in all 249 episodes with Howard appearing in 202, Bavier appearing in 175, and Knotts appearing in 141. Only Griffith, Howard, Bavier, Knotts and Hope Summers appeared in all eight seasons. Knotts left
2560-637: The first sitcom, filmed as a comedy (unlike dominated "conveyor" sitcoms). Sitcoms, or "시트콤" in Korean, gained significant popularity in South Korea during the 1990s. This popularity was fueled by the success of shows like Dr. Oh's People , LA Arirang , and Men and Women . The use of computer graphics (CG) in sitcoms began to increase in the late 1990s as more broadcasters adopted CG technology. This led to more visually dynamic and creative sitcoms. However, viewer preferences shifted towards dramas and thrillers in
2624-491: The focus from domestic or workplace settings to the world of politics. A more recent development in British comedy is the mockumentary , a style that blends documentary and comedic elements. Shows like The Office , Come Fly with Me , W1A , People Just Do Nothing , and This Country have successfully employed this format to explore a variety of topics and characters. Sitcoms, or situation comedies, made their debut in
The Andy Griffith Show - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-486: The full uncut versions. The complete series is available on DVD and Blu-ray and intermittently on streaming video services such as Amazon Prime and Paramount+ . Mayberry Days, an annual festival celebrating the sitcom, is held each year in Griffith's hometown, Mount Airy, North Carolina . Sheldon Leonard —producer of The Danny Thomas Show —and Danny Thomas hired veteran comedy writer Arthur Stander (who had written many of
2752-495: The latter of which continues in some modern productions such as The Big Bang Theory and Fuller House . Other formats make use of a laugh track or "canned laughter". Since the 1990s, sitcoms have since expanded to animated sitcoms , with successful shows of the genre including The Simpsons , King of the Hill , and Family Guy . Critics have debated the exact definition of a sitcom, mostly regarding productions created at
2816-405: The ninth- and thirteenth-best series in American television history . Though neither Griffith nor the show won awards during its eight-season run, co-stars Knotts and Bavier accumulated a combined total of six Emmy Awards . The series spawned its own spin-off — Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964–1969) – and a reunion telemovie, Return to Mayberry (1986). After the eighth season, when Griffith left
2880-484: The other by Bill Fraccio . In 2004, copies in near-mint condition were priced in excess of $ 500 each. There was also a soundtrack album , two coloring books, and a 1966 Grape-Nuts cereal box with a photo of Griffith in character as Sheriff Andy Taylor beside a lemon pie recipe on the back. The show's enduring popularity has spawned considerable merchandise during the decades following its cancellation, including board games, bobblehead dolls, kitchenware, and books. In 2007,
2944-438: The other surviving cast members. This special was called The Andy Griffith Show: Back to Mayberry. The Andy Griffith Show was a top ten hit through its entire run, never ranking lower than seventh place in the yearly ratings. A Nielsen study conducted during the show's final season (1967–68) indicated the show ranked number one among blue collar workers followed by The Lucy Show and Gunsmoke . Among white collar workers,
3008-666: The role in the 1960 episode "Stranger in Town"), service station attendants and cousins Gomer Pyle ( Jim Nabors ) and Goober Pyle ( George Lindsey ), and local drunkard Otis Campbell ( Hal Smith ). There are two mayors over the course of the series: Mayor Pike ( Dick Elliott ) is more relaxed, but often indecisive, while Mayor Roy Stoner ( Parley Baer ) has a more assertive personality. Other semi-regulars include townswoman Clara Edwards ( Hope Summers ), Barney's sweetheart Thelma Lou ( Betty Lynn ) and Andy's schoolteacher sweetheart Helen Crump ( Aneta Corsaut ). Ellie Walker ( Elinor Donahue )
3072-448: The role of Gomer and Frank Sutton as drill instructor Sergeant Vince Carter. In the last episodes of the eighth season, as Griffith was preparing to leave, the character Sam Jones, played by Ken Berry , was introduced as the new star and the series was retitled Mayberry R.F.D. Most of the cast members continued their original roles, with Bavier becoming Sam's housekeeper. To create a smooth transition, Andy and Helen were married in
3136-607: The ruling enjoined Reel Funds International, a public domain distributor, from selling DVDs with those episodes within the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas . Note: The Region 1 release of The Third Season contains two episodes edited for syndication: "The Darlings Are Coming"—which had several scenes cut—and "Barney Mends a Broken Heart", which had its epilogue cut. Sitcom The structure and concept of
3200-780: The scourge of local moonshiners and out-of-town criminals, while his abilities to settle community problems with common-sense advice, mediation, and conciliation make him popular with his fellow citizens. His professional life, however, is complicated by the repeated gaffes of his inept deputy, Barney Fife ( Don Knotts ). Barney is Andy's cousin and best friend. At home, widower Andy raises his young son Opie ( Ronny Howard ), assisted by his maiden aunt and housekeeper, Aunt Bee ( Frances Bavier ). Opie tests his father's parenting skills season after season, and Aunt Bee's ill-considered romances and adventures cause her nephew concern. Andy's friends and neighbors include, at various times, barber Floyd Lawson ( Howard McNear ; Walter Baldwin portrayed
3264-424: The series, it was retitled Mayberry, R.F.D. , with Ken Berry and Buddy Foster replacing Griffith and Howard in new roles. In the new format, it ran for 78 episodes , ending in 1971 after three seasons. Reruns of The Andy Griffith Show are often shown on TV Land , MeTV , The CW , and SundanceTV . On those channels, the episodes are edited to make room for more commercials, but some airings on SundanceTV air
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#17331265894773328-551: The show at the end of season five to pursue a career in films (on the show, it is explained that he takes a job as a detective with the Raleigh Police Department ) but returned to make five guest appearances as Barney in seasons six through eight. His last appearance is in the final season, in a story about a summit meeting with Soviet dignitaries "ranked eleventh among single comedy programs most watched in television between 1960 and 1984, with an audience of thirty-three and
3392-519: The show has earned an estimated $ 1 billion in syndication fees alone for Televisa . Gliding On , a popular sitcom in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won multiple awards during its run including Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Direction at the Feltex Awards . The first Russian sitcom series was "Strawberry", which resembled "Duty Pharmacy" in a Spanish format. It was aired from 1996 to 1997 on
3456-480: The show ranked third, following Saturday Movies and The Dean Martin Show . The final season of The Andy Griffith Show was the number one ranked show on television. Other shows to have accomplished this include I Love Lucy and Seinfeld. In 1998, the year Seinfeld ended, more than five million people a day watched the show's reruns on 120 stations. 1961 1962 1963 1966 1967 Very little merchandise
3520-669: The show. Ruben departed for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. , a show he owned in part. Writer Harvey Bullock left after season six. Bob Sweeney directed the first three seasons save the premiere. The show was filmed at Desilu Studios , with exteriors filmed at Forty Acres in Culver City, California. Woodsy locales were filmed north of Beverly Hills at Franklin Canyon , including the opening credits and closing credits with Andy and Opie walking to and from "the fishin' hole". Don Knotts , who knew Griffith professionally (they had appeared together in both
3584-447: The television repairman in episode #140 ("Andy and Helen Have Their Day") and two uncredited voice roles, as Leonard Blush and a radio announcer. Morris also directed a total of eight episodes of the show, none while portraying Ernest T. Bass. Unseen characters such as telephone operator Sarah, and Barney's love interest, local diner waitress Juanita Beasley, as mentioned in the first season, are often referenced. The show's announcer for
3648-440: The theme was renamed "The Fishin' Hole" and first appeared on an LP album of music from the show. One of the show's tunes, "The Mayberry March", was reworked several times in different tempo, styles and orchestrations as background music. The show's sole sponsor was General Foods , with promotional consideration paid for (in the form of cars) by Ford Motor Company (mentioned in the credits). Initially, Griffith played Taylor as
3712-518: The turn of the 21st century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use a single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, instead more resembling documentaries or the comedy-dramas of the 1980s and 1990s. Although there have been few long-running Australian-made sitcoms, many American and British sitcoms have been successful in Australia, since sitcoms are considered a staple of the government broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In
3776-689: Was born in Chicago , Illinois, the son of Polish Jewish immigrants. He grew up on the West Side of Chicago and attended Lewis Institute but did not graduate. He was involved in theater in Chicago after leaving college. After service in the military he worked for studios and wrote for radio programs including those of Dinah Shore , George Burns and Gracie Allen , and Fred Allen . He co-wrote Milton Berle 's 1947-48 radio series with Nat Hiken . Ruben started his TV producing and directing career in 1954 when he directed
3840-511: Was composed by Earle Hagen , who also performed the whistling in the opening and closing credits. Herbert Spencer was credited by the BMI as "co-composer", but was not involved with the composition of the theme. In 1961, actor Everett Sloane , who also guest starred as Jubal Foster in the episode "The Keeper of the Flame", wrote lyrics for the theme after he learned it did not have any. This vocal version of
3904-579: Was followed up by a television series of the same name that ran from 2001 to 2018, airing in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Corner Gas , which ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009, became an instant hit, averaging one million viewers per episode. It has been the recipient of six Gemini Awards and has been nominated almost 70 times for various awards. Other noteworthy recent sitcoms have included: Call Me Fitz , Schitt's Creek , Letterkenny , and Kim's Convenience , all of which have been winners of
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#17331265894773968-531: Was nominated at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Television Comedy Series. Although there have been several notable exceptions, relatively few Canadian sitcoms attained notable success in Canada or internationally. Canadian television has had much greater success with sketch comedy and dramedy series. The popular show King of Kensington aired from 1975 to 1980, at its peak garnering an average of 1.5 to 1.8 million viewers weekly. The 1999 movie Trailer Park Boys
4032-516: Was produced for The Andy Griffith Show during its original run, a peculiarity for a hit TV show in the 1960s. One theory for the lack of merchandise is that the show's producers, Griffith in particular, wanted to protect its image as a realistic and thoughtful offering and keep the public's focus on the show itself rather than its branding. Among the handful of merchandise released during the show's first run, Dell Comics published two The Andy Griffith Show comic books , one drawn by Henry Scarpelli ,
4096-534: Was the most-watched show on Mexican television and had a Latin-American audience of 350 million viewers per episode at its popularity peak during the mid-1970s. The show continues to be popular in Central America as well as in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, the United States, and other countries. Syndicated episodes average 91 million daily viewers in all its American markets. Since it ceased production in 1992,
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