Genuine laughter tracks are fine, in fact much humour can be derived simply from recognizing a quirky, individual laugh-giver in a show if it resurfaces often enough.

I can't stand the American-styled 'Canned Laughter', though: it's far too artificial and soulless, even in the context of US TV.

I seem to remember seeing a transmission of Ripping Yarns without a laughter track, and it definitely lost something (and was noticably 'cold'): when it was repeated with newly acquired laughter track, it worked much better.

Quote: Rico El Vista @ January 17 2011, 5:55 PM GMT

Genuine laughter tracks are fine, in fact much humour can be derived simply from recognizing a quirky, individual laugh-giver in a show if it resurfaces often enough.

I can't stand the American-styled 'Canned Laughter', though: it's far too artificial and soulless, even in the context of US TV.

I seem to remember seeing a transmission of Ripping Yarns without a laughter track, and it definitely lost something (and was noticably 'cold'): when it was repeated with newly acquired laughter track, it worked much better.

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I think that basically the laughter track is what put me off Friends.

Quote: Griff @ January 17 2011, 9:40 PM GMT

When they said at the beginning of every episode, 'Friends is filmed in front of a live studio audience', what did you think they meant exactly?

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But they laugh at every bloody thing. Someone comes in - they cheer, blows their nose, they laugh, sit down, they clap. It's just ridiculous.

Quote: Chappers @ January 18 2011, 11:52 AM GMT

But they laugh at every bloody thing. Someone comes in - they cheer, blows their nose, they laugh, sit down, they clap. It's just ridiculous.

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I think there, you're just complaining about Americans...

Americans and 'clap': they appear to go hand-in-hand.

It depends on the sitcom, some sitcoms like Scrubs and The Thick of It audience laughter would seem out of place due to the nature of those shows but for other sitcoms like Miranda or Not Going Out, the audience laughter adds to the show. You don't seem to the same complaints about audience laughter in other forms of comedy like panel shows although it would weird to see a panel show or stand up without laughter.

Red Dwarf: Back to Earth didn't have an audience and it felt odd not having laughter, same with Blackadder Back and Fourth.

Wonder what past sitcoms would have been single camera comedies if they have been made today, Steptoe and Son would have been one due to its dark humour.

It's not just laugh tracks. On the BBC Lotto shows I'm sure there's no audience but they clap like mad things at appropriate moments. Is there an audience?
I know Monkhouse did a quiz show in the late 90s with no audience but with reactions added later.

Quote: Kenneth @ January 11 2011, 6:34 AM GMT

I am quite fond of canned laughter in old cartoon shows, especially Scooby Doo.

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Worst example of a laugh track in the history of television. Wasn't particularly great in the first place, but the laugh track on Scooby made it borderline unwatchable, especially as it was so inconsistent.

Quote: Buddy Sorrel @ January 20 2011, 6:17 AM GMT

It's not just laugh tracks. On the BBC Lotto shows I'm sure there's no audience but they clap like mad things at appropriate moments. Is there an audience?
I know Monkhouse did a quiz show in the late 90s with no audience but with reactions added later.

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The mid-week Lottery Show is one of the few TV shows which actually does still use a tape with recorded laughter on it, if I remember rightly.

Quote: Jonwo @ January 20 2011, 2:53 AM GMT

You don't seem to the same complaints about audience laughter in other forms of comedy like panel shows although it would weird to see a panel show or stand up without laughter.

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Good point! They ended up having to add a laugh track to the HIGNFY webisode extras in the end, as this video explains: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gsYBjAscns

Quote: Buddy Sorrel @ January 20 2011, 6:17 AM GMT

It's not just laugh tracks. On the BBC Lotto shows I'm sure there's no audience but they clap like mad things at appropriate moments. Is there an audience?

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If you mean the gameshows, yes there is an audience.

Quote: Buddy Sorrel @ January 20 2011, 6:17 AM GMT

I know Monkhouse did a quiz show in the late 90s with no audience but with reactions added later.

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That was Wipeout, early afternoon filler; broadcast in the Going for Gold slot.

Quote: Millsy @ January 20 2011, 12:48 PM GMT

Worst example of a laugh track in the history of television. Wasn't particularly great in the first place, but the laugh track on Scooby made it borderline unwatchable, especially as it was so inconsistent.

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All part of the charm. Great formula.

Kenny Everett is a perfect example of canned or enhanced laughter. When he was doing his show on Thames the laughter came from the studio production crew and it worked. But when it transferred to the BBC in front of a live audience, the laughter was turned up and the spontaneity was buried.

M*A*S*H is a great example of being told when laughter is called for, especially when it was the laughter track was the one doing the calling. But the moment the laughter track was removed was the moment the programme truly evolved.

The other thing to ponder is this; If laughter tracks were so vital in helping us to see the funny, then why isn't it used for comedy in films?

Quote: Baumski @ January 31 2011, 12:04 PM GMT

The other thing to ponder is this; If laughter tracks were so vital in helping us to see the funny, then why isn't it used for comedy in films?

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Because we (are intended to) see films in a cinema with a large group of other people, thus providing that laughter track organically.

(And the stance posed in your question isn't really why laughter tracks are there, so I've ignored it. Ahem.)

Quote: Aaron @ January 31 2011, 12:06 PM GMT

(And the stance posed in your question isn't really why laughter tracks are there, so I've ignored it. Ahem.)

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Good for you, Aaron