A satirical look at Victorian manners recounting the experiences of two finishing school graduates, Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley.

A fascinating look at one of the greatest shows of all time. For eleven seasons, Cheers was a critically acclaimed program, ultimately earning more than 100 Emmy nominations and securing 28 wins, including 4 for best comedy series. One of the most popular shows of all time, the series centered on a group of Boston, Massachusetts locals who gathered to drink and socialize. Bar owner Sam Malone was the de facto leader of the group and boss to Carla...

Understanding Comedy through College Comedies explains the nature of comedy through the study of college comedy films, including classics (College, The Freshman); romantic/screwball comedies (Where the Boys Are, Ball of Fire, Sterile Cuckoo); famous comedian comedies (Horse Feathers, The Nutty Professor, The Klumps); intergenerational college comedies (That's My Boy, Back to School, Old School); social comedies (The Graduate, Breaking Away, Risky...

Author Bob Leszczak has been a TV sitcom fanatic since he was still in diapers and just learning to walk (see the photo below). His fascination for the format has never waned. After having ten books published previously, he carefully weighed his next project and said, "Volumes have been written about other popular situation comedies such as I Love Lucy, Cheers, Frasier, M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Taxi, to name a few. However, one of my...

A cultural phenomenon for a decade, Friends ranked in the top ten for every year of its original run, an accomplishment unmatched by any other scripted series. And more than twenty-five years since its theme song promised "I'll be there for you," Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross are still entertaining audiences around the world. As the characters maneuvered their ways through dating, love, and the occasional conflict, their loyalty...

Behind every great television show is a group of professionals working at the top of their games-but no one is more important than the writers. And while writing comedy, especially good comedy, is serious business-fraught with actor egos, demanding producers, and sleepless nights-it also can result in classic lines of dialogue. Sitcom Writers Talk Shop: Behind the Scenes with Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, and Other Geniuses of TV Comedy is a collection...

From its crudely drawn vignettes on The Tracey Ullman Show to its nearly 700 episodes, The Simpsons has evolved from an alternative programming experiment to a worldwide cultural phenomenon. At 30 seasons and counting, The Simpsons boasts the distinction as the longest-running fictional primetime series in the history of American television. Broadcast around the globe, the show's viewers relate to a plethora of iconic characters-from Homer, Marge,...

"Our comedies are not to be laughed at!" A funny line, admittedly, but dead wrong. This quip, supposedly uttered by one of the Stern Brothers, is another example of the legend becoming "fact," and has defined – and tarnished – the lasting reputation of the brothers and their films. In spite of budgetary constraints and a lack of star power, Julius and Abe Stern were responsible for nearly 900 silent comedy shorts over the fifteen year period...

The Simpsons is one of the most successful shows to ever run on television. From its first moment on air, the series's rich characters, subversive themes, and layered humor resounded deeply with audiences both young and old who wanted more from their entertainment than what was being meted out at the time by the likes of Full House, Growing Pains, and Family Matters. Spawned as an animated short on The Tracy Ullman Show-mere filler on the way to commercial...

If your fondest TV memories involve the POWs of Stalag 13 cleverly outwitting their captors, Schultz stammering "I know nothing!" and Hochstetter threatening to send everyone to the Russian front, then this is the book for you. This fun and informative book takes you behind the scenes of the classic 1960s sitcom to reveal: -the story behind the creation, production, and eventual cancellation of the series -the controversy surrounding the show's unlikely...