Television comedy is a category of broadcasting that has been present since the early days of entertainment media. While there are several genres of comedy, some of the first ones aired were variety shows. One of the first United States television programs was the comedy-variety show Texaco Star Theater , which was most prominent in the years that it featured Milton Berle - from 1948 to 1956. The range of television comedy has become broader, with the addition of sitcoms , improvisational comedy , and stand-up comedy , while also adding comedic aspects into other television genres, including drama and news . Television comedy provides opportunities for viewers to relate the content in these shows to society. Some audience members may have similar views about certain comedic aspects of shows, while others will take different perspectives. This also relates to developing new social norms, sometimes acting as the medium that introduces these transitions.
50-468: Girl Meets World is an American comedy television series created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that premiered on Disney Channel on June 27, 2014. The series ran for three seasons, consisting of 72 episodes, and concluded on January 20, 2017. The series is a spinoff of Boy Meets World and stars Rowan Blanchard , Ben Savage , Sabrina Carpenter , Peyton Meyer , August Maturo , Danielle Fishel , and Corey Fogelmanis. The series centers around
100-623: A few episodes. In March 2012, Strong, Julia Pistell, and Tod Goldberg , started Literary Disco , a podcast about books and writing. In September 2019, Strong debuted Never Ever Land , his play inspired by the 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson , in Los Angeles . Since 2022, Strong has hosted the Boy Meets World rewatch podcast Pod Meets World with Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle . Strong began dating actress Alexandra Barreto after they met while filming
150-733: A firefighter, who are both originally from Pennsylvania. He has English and Irish ancestry. He graduated from Nonesuch School in Sebastopol, California in 1998. His elder brother is Shiloh Strong , an actor and photographer. Strong attended morning classes at Occidental College while still filming for Boy Meets World , accumulating a year's worth of credit before the series ended. In 2004, Strong graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University as an English major. He completed his Master of Fine Arts in fiction and literature in June 2009 at Bennington College . Strong began his acting career at
200-621: A history of prominence in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Before appearing on television, comedy programs were already present on the radio. Several of these programs, including The Day Today and The Mary Whitehouse Experience , eventually transferred over to television. Whose Line is it Anyway? was created in 1988 by The Comedy Store Players , Mike Myers ' improvisation students in London. It began broadcasting in
250-681: A larger entertainment extravaganza. Some gameshows may give the guests a chance to perform stand up comedy to win a round. Examples of this genre in the UK include Have I Got News For You , 8 Out of 10 Cats , Mock the Week , and Never Mind the Buzzcocks . In the US this is a less common genre, Oblivious being one of the few examples. In Japan and South Korea, these comedy gameshows , often with subtitles and word bubbles , are extremely popular. A comedy-drama ,
300-407: A laugh track. They are almost always a half-hour in length, and in some cases, they will film using a multiple-camera setup . Sitcoms are seldom presented as realistic depictions of life, but they can generate honest humour through the relationships between and development of characters. Improvisational comedy is a genre that features actors creating dialogue while in the process of acting. It has
350-454: A secret not ready to be revealed. In June 2013, a Boy Meets World reunion was held with Strong attending along with many of his former cast members. On March 19, 2014, it was confirmed that Strong would reprise his role as Shawn Hunter, the first being a holiday-themed episode along with former cast members Betsy Randle and William Russ . He managed to leverage his reprisal of Shawn on the condition that he and his brother would get to direct
400-574: A staple of variety and late-night talk shows; talk-variety shows such as The Tonight Show traditionally open with a comedy monologue performed by the program host. Television stand-up reached a peak of popularity on British schedules with the ITV programme The Comedians . Their style of comedy was swept away almost entirely in the Britain of the early 1980s when a new generation of stand-ups challenged what they saw as racist and sexist humour and revolutionised
450-589: A whole lot of other stuff I want to do." In 2010, Strong starred in the science fiction-thriller film Darkening Sky alongside Ezra Buzzington , Charley Rossman, Sally Berman, Daniel Kirschner, and LaShan Anderson under the direction of Victor Bornia. He also appeared in Your Lucky Day which premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival that same year. In late 2012, Strong declined an offer to reprise his role as Shawn Hunter in
500-437: Is a common way for young adults to learn about the political news and events of their time. Programs that have accomplished this include The Daily Show and " Weekend Update " on Saturday Night Live . The Daily Show became more well-known when Jon Stewart began hosting in 1999. The award-winning show mocks political events and candidates, and brings in correspondents to report further on these events and people. During
550-531: Is a program that combines humor with more serious dramatic elements, aiming for a considerably more realistic tone than conventional sitcoms. These programs are shot with a single-camera setup and presented without a laugh track, and typically run an hour in length. This can refer to a genre of television or radio drama series. There are different subgenres within this category, such as the medical comedy dramas like M*A*S*H and Grey's Anatomy , legal comedy dramas like Ally McBeal and Boston Legal , and
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#1732877318026600-498: Is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for starring as Shawn Hunter on the ABC sitcom Boy Meets World (1993–2000), which he reprised in its sequel series Girl Meets World (2014–2017). He also headlined the cult classic Cabin Fever (2002) and co-wrote and directed the independent film Irish Twins (2008) with his brother Shiloh . He provided
650-411: The musical comedy drama Glee . Sketch comedy programs differ from sitcoms in that they do not basically feature recurring characters (though some characters and scenarios may be repeated) and often draw upon current events and emphasize satire over character development. Sketch comedy was pioneered by Sid Caesar , whose Your Show of Shows debuted in 1950 and established many conventions of
700-470: The 2000 U.S. presidential election, 435,000 young adults viewed Stewart's coverage, while 459,000 watched traditional news. Despite its satirical approach, journalists have stated that programs such as The Daily Show and " Weekend Update " still broadcast real news, which ensures that its producers are aware of how to cover this news in a way that viewers can gain knowledge. Stand-up comedy has been represented on television. Stand-up comedians have been
750-579: The 2006 television series Pepper Dennis . They became engaged in December 2012, and married on October 20, 2013, in Oregon . The couple have one son, Indigo "Indy" Barreto Strong, born in December 2014. In April 2008, Strong, along with Barreto and his brother Shiloh , co-created a 30-second television ad in support of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama titled, "It Could Happen to You". The ad, submitted to MoveOn , became one of 15 finalists from
800-553: The Doubt . It was not until he was chosen for the role of Shawn Hunter in the ABC series Boy Meets World that he received widespread recognition. During the seven-year run, he was nominated twice for the Young Artist Award and nominated once for The Hollywood Reporter YoungStar Award . He found it difficult coping with his newfound fame, citing at least one breakdown at 15 when he
850-627: The Jury Award and Audience Award at the Woods Hole Film Festival , a Special Jury Prize in the Action/Cut Short Film Competition and Best First-Time Director at DC Shorts. Speaking to Pure Movies in 2010, he expressed that he wanted to expand his writing and directing career: "Acting is always there and I enjoy it but it's kind of got a little unfulfilling lately. You know, I'm in the low-budget horror world. ... I have
900-550: The UK before expanding to the US, with Drew Carey starring in the American version until its cancellation. Some sitcoms may also use improvisation when filming. The actors of Curb Your Enthusiasm had general episode summaries to rely on, but would often create their own lines when they were in front of the camera. News comedy is a genre that brings humour into stories reported on mainstream news, commonly adding this by creating mostly-fictional jokes to summarize true events. It
950-422: The US. Television comedy is described by media scholar Bore as a way to bring audiences to a collective sense in viewing and enjoying commonly-watched programs across societies. One specific way this can be done is through laugh tracks. While some view laugh tracks as ways to allow audiences to lightheartedly poke fun at characters, others see them as ways to restrict viewers to only laugh at certain moments. For
1000-528: The age of nine, when he starred as Gavroche in the San Francisco production of Les Misérables , alongside Larisa Oleynik as Young Cosette . After the stage production, he appeared in small screen roles on television. In 1992, Strong received his first regular television series role as Adam MacGuire on Julie . When the series was canceled, Strong made his debut on film as Amy Irving 's son in Benefit of
1050-442: The announcement "sent shockwaves through social media—in part because it meant one less realistic depiction on-screen of what it is to be a young woman". Of the series, TVLine reporter Andy Swift suggested that it "maybe shouldn't have been canceled so soon into its run", and Brandon Katz of Forbes commented "the series laid out countless positive moral lessons for its young viewers". Bustle reporter Sabienna Bowman described
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#17328773180261100-411: The characters aged, the show was beginning to outgrow Disney Channel's target demographic . Jacobs expressed "I don't think Girl should have been cancelled" and stated he would be interested in continuing the series, revealing that the process was in its "beginning stages" with "interested platforms". The cancellation of the series sparked attention in the media. Janelle Okwodu of Vogue reported that
1150-489: The early 1950s, with shows including Hancock's Half Hour in the U.K. (derived from a radio show), and I Love Lucy in the United States, sitcoms have become more prominent among television viewers. I Love Lucy was popular in Nielsen's audience ratings, topping the viewing charts in four out of their six years on the air. Sitcoms will often portray comedic moments through audience laughter, either through live audiences or
1200-437: The early days of comedy, and in shows such as Roseanne and Ellen , ratings could be changed up to TV-14 and receive a "mature content" warning as a result. Ellen DeGeneres famously came out on her show, although ABC cancelled Ellen one year later, with some gay rights groups protesting this decision. I Love Lucy became the first sitcom to have a multilingual couple. Lucy was American and spoke English, while Ricky
1250-573: The episode "Girl Meets I Am Farkle" premiered on Disney Channel in Canada on September 3, 2015, which was before its initial airing in the U.S. on September 11, 2015. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the series an 84% approval rating based on reviews from 19 critics. The site's consensus states: "Though not quite as comical, Girl Meets World sweetly shares the nostalgia of its predecessor, Boy Meets World , with its young audience while providing positive moral values for today's youth." Metacritic gives
1300-407: The form under the banner alternative comedy . In the US, stand-up comedy programs became popular on many cable television channels beginning in the mid-1980s, as such "brick wall" shows (nicknamed for the stereotypical use of a fake brick wall as a backdrop) were cheap to produce and air. Stand-up humour later had mixed fortunes on the small screen, often shunted away to the small hours or as part of
1350-540: The genre. American sketch comedy reached a later peak in the mid-1970s with the debut han Saturday Night Live , originally a variety program but soon devoted mostly to sketches. In the UK, two of the more successful examples are Monty Python's Flying Circus and Little Britain . Animated cartoons have long been a source of comedy on television. Early children's programming often recycled theatrical cartoons; later, low-budget animation produced especially for television dominated Saturday-morning network programming in
1400-470: The idea of two central forms of humour that comedies will use: one prioritizes the joke itself and how it generates laughter from an audience, while the other prioritizes the personal characteristics of whom an actor is impersonating. Comedy has been a television genre prominent for introducing concepts that typically do not align with series' respective social norms. One of these concepts is same-sex intimacy. The appearance of these scenes were not popular in
1450-443: The latter, it can also be seen as collectively taking over the real laughter of viewers watching from home. Another aspect of audience's interpretations of comedy on television refer to how far writers go when poking fun at characters or real-life people. Saturday Night Live found itself in controversy when a sketch was performed, imitating politician David Paterson for both his political abilities and his blindness. This brought up
1500-693: The life of Riley and her friends and family, particularly their school life, in which Cory is their history teacher. Riley shares a strong relationship with her best friend Maya Hart, who assists her in learning to cope with social and personal issues of adolescence. Several Boy Meets World cast members reprise their roles in the series. It has been several years since Cory and Topanga Matthews moved to New York City. The series follows their daughter, Riley Matthews, and her best friend, Maya Hart, as they navigate challenges of life and school. Following along with them are their classmates Lucas Friar and Farkle Minkus and Riley's younger brother Auggie. In November 2012, it
1550-420: The new series. On June 17, 2013, Disney Channel officially greenlit a series order for Girl Meets World , which began production that summer. On January 23, 2014, the first season order was increased from its initial 13-episode count to 20 in order to make a full season. On May 2, 2014, a full trailer for Girl Meets World was released. On May 21, 2014, the pilot episode became available as a preview to users on
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1600-403: The old gang got back together again!" On October 5, 2013, Teo Halm announced on Twitter that he was no longer involved with the series. A report by TVLine suggested the series was undergoing creative changes after the pilot and his character was ultimately written out of the series. On March 12, 2014, it was announced that Lee Norris would reprise his role of Stuart Minkus. On March 18, 2014, it
1650-411: The program as a "landmark show", stating, " Girl Meets World captured the hearts of the bright, socially aware generation who have grown up in the age of social media", while commending how it dealt with issues centered around young women. After four months of searching for a viable network, on May 3, 2017, co-creator Jacobs confirmed that he was unable to come to an agreement with any outlet to continue
1700-466: The series "does its job of bringing tween-based family viewing into the 2010s". Television comedy The situation comedy , or sitcom , has become one of the most commonly-watched types of television comedy. As the name suggests, these programs feature recurring characters placed in humorous situations. The first television sitcom was the U.K.'s Pinwright's Progress , ten episodes being broadcast bi-weekly from November 1946 to May 1947. Since
1750-469: The series a score of 64 based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The series premiere received positive reviews. Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast called it a "perfectly pleasant Disney Channel show". Rob Owen of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said it was "a cute half-hour that capably introduces new characters and sets the table for the new series". Diane Werts of Newsday said
1800-722: The show, thus effectively ending the series. The series originally premiered in the United States on Disney Channel and in Canada on Family Channel on June 27, 2014. The series premiered on Disney Channel in Australia on August 25, 2014, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on August 29, 2014. In the Balkan countries, Greece, the Middle East and Africa, the series began airing on Disney Channel on November 15, 2014. The series started airing on Disney Channel in Canada on September 1, 2015;
1850-558: The spinoff, Girl Meets World . However, during production of the pilot in March 2013, Strong along with other cast members, who were also unconfirmed to return, appeared on the set sparking rumors of a cameo or return to the new series. Creator Michael Jacobs stated "I think there's more than a chance, I think there's a strong chance" when commenting on Strong and other original series cast members returning. Other current cast members commented on Strong's return indicating that his return might be
1900-477: The transferring shows to The CW . That same year, Strong recorded a reading for the audio version of the Anthony Kiedis biography Scar Tissue . He had a brief cameo appearance in 2009's Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever , the sequel to Cabin Fever . Along with his brother Shiloh, Strong wrote and directed the short film Irish Twins , which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival . It went on to win both
1950-467: The university. Strong took one semester off to star as Paul in the indie horror film Cabin Fever (2002), directed by Eli Roth . He took another semester off to star in a Broadway production of The Graduate , opposite Jerry Hall as Mrs. Robinson. In 2006, Strong returned to television for a regular series role in Pepper Dennis on The WB . The show was short-lived and was not chosen as one of
2000-509: The various Watch Disney Channel mobile and television apps which require TV Everywhere authentication to watch. Following the TV premiere of the pilot, the episode "Girl Meets Sneak Attack" was made available via the apps. On June 13, 2014, the pilot was made available for free on iTunes. On August 6, 2014, Girl Meets World was renewed for a second season by Disney Channel. The second season premiered on May 11, 2015. The third season of Girl Meets World
2050-771: The voices of Brick Flagg in Kim Possible (2002–2004) and Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama (2005), and Tom Lucitor in Star vs. the Forces of Evil (2015–2019). In 2015, Strong was honored with the Young Artist Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award . Strong was born in San Francisco, California , the second of two boys born to Lin ( née Warner), a teacher and nutritionist, and King Arthur Strong,
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2100-555: Was Cuban and spoke Spanish. The relationship between spouses in sitcoms has also changed throughout history. In earlier shows, the women would be the ones who made comedic errors, while the men, having more dominance, would become upset at their wives. Some more recent shows, such as The King of Queens , would have the opposite roles, with the male characters making more mistakes, while their more sophisticated wives would become upset at their husbands for their actions. Rider Strong Rider King Strong (born December 11, 1979)
2150-405: Was announced on November 25, 2015. The third season premiered on June 3, 2016. Auditions began in mid-November 2012 for the lead roles of Riley Matthews, the daughter of Cory and Topanga, Maya, a witty friend of Riley's who has a troubled past, and Elliot, Riley's older brother. By the end of January 2013, Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter were cast as Riley and Maya, respectively. Teo Halm
2200-431: Was announced that Anthony Tyler Quinn would reprise his role as Jonathan Turner . On June 5, 2015, it was announced that Matthew Lawrence would reprise his role as Jack Hunter . On April 1, 2016, it was announced that Reginald VelJohnson would guest star in an episode as a police officer, a nod to VelJohnson's previous role in a different TGIF sitcom, officer Carl Winslow of Family Matters . On July 28, 2016, it
2250-419: Was announced that Lily Nicksay and Lindsay Ridgeway, both of whom portrayed Morgan Matthews , would appear in the season three finale. On January 4, 2017, the series' writers stated on their group Twitter account that they were informed by Disney Channel that the series would not be renewed for a fourth season. Viewers of the series led a fan campaign appealing to Netflix to renew the program, noting that as
2300-462: Was announced that Rider Strong would reprise his role of Shawn Hunter. On December 3, 2014, it was announced that Will Friedle would reprise his role of Eric Matthews, beginning with the second season, along with William Daniels reprising his role as George Feeny in a larger role. On February 3, 2015, it was announced that Trina McGee would reprise her role as Angela Moore and Blake Clark would reprise his role of Chet Hunter. On April 7, 2015, it
2350-607: Was on a "Sail With the Stars" charity cruise. However, in a later interview, Strong also stated that he was inconsiderate with his power, having previously set up weekly six hour roundtrip commutes back to Sonoma with his mother and brother. Strong permanently moved to Los Angeles at 16 and later attended morning classes at Occidental College . After Boy Meets World ended in 2000, he moved to New York to attend Columbia University. At that time, actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Julia Stiles , and Anna Paquin were all registered students at
2400-471: Was reported that Disney Channel was in the early stages of development of a follow-up series titled Girl Meets World , which would center on Cory and Topanga's 12-year-old daughter Riley. The original idea for the series was developed by Corey Marsh, an executive director at Disney Channel , who approached Michael Jacobs, co-creator of Boy Meets World , to produce a similar series for a new generation of children as executive producer and showrunner . The idea
2450-462: Was tapped for the role of Elliot in early March. Filming of the pilot began on March 20, 2013, and concluded on March 22, 2013. Rider Strong and Will Friedle made a surprise visit to the set, sparking rumors of a return, or at least a cameo appearance, in the upcoming series. Maitland Ward also made a visit to the set and was asked about the return of her character, Rachel McGuire. Ward said, "I can't really share any show info, but it would be fun if
2500-403: Was to create a modern version of the show from a different perspective to the original. On November 26, 2012, it was confirmed by Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel that they would be reprising their roles as Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence-Matthews in the series. In February 2013, it was announced that Michael Jacobs had reached out to all of the former Boy Meets World cast members to take part in
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