Unleashing the Ultimate Comedy: 10 Hilarious TV Shows Reimagined Without Laugh Tracks

Summary

Laugh tracks often make jokes feel forced and can ruin the experience of watching a comedy, as it rejects awkward silences and comedic timing.

Modern comedies like

Young Sheldon

have dropped the laugh track, creating a distinction between eras of comedy on television.

The excessive laughter in shows like

The Big Bang Theory

and

Friends

takes away from the humor and can be distracting, leveling all the humor too evenly.

Laugh tracks, once incredibly popular on TV comedies, have become more of a hindrance than a help. It's as if the writers are forcing the audience to find the jokes funny rather than allowing them to discover the humor on their own. This removes any chance of experiencing comedic timing or those delightful awkward silences that can make a comedy truly entertaining.

In the modern era of television, shows like Young Sheldon have made a conscious decision to get rid of the laugh track for this very reason. This has created a distinct contrast between different comedic eras on TV. It's fascinating to consider how beloved comedies from the past would have been without the artificial laughter. One can easily imagine that they would have been even better, as laugh tracks often dilute the effectiveness of truly great comedy.

10 How I Met Your Mother

9 M*A*S*H

The laugh track in How I Met Your Mother is intriguing due to its limited use compared to other sitcoms. This renowned show focuses more on its emotionally charged storyline and impactful character choices, resulting in not every scene being meant to induce laughter. This creates an unusual balance where some moments receive the laugh track treatment while others remain silent, which can be quite distracting when watching at home. Additionally, this approach diminishes the recognition of the exceptional ensemble cast, as the audience doesn't require any prompting to find humor in the show.

Undoubtedly, M*A*S*H revolutionized television comedy, but its early seasons were marred by an obnoxious laugh track, unquestionably the show's weakest element. With plenty of genuinely funny jokes, the audience did not require prompting to find amusement. Therefore, M*A*S*H wisely phased out the laugh track in its 11th season, allowing the show's comedic brilliance to shine without any forced or strained laughter.

8 The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory, a sitcom that has sparked controversy due to its specific brand of humor, has undeniably experienced great success throughout its 12-season run, which concluded in 2019. Throughout those years, the show consistently utilized a laugh track, which contributed to the reason why some viewers failed to resonate with The Big Bang Theory's humor. The excessive laughter often clashed with the rapid-fire delivery of jokes, resulting in a lack of connection for many. Numerous episodes barely allowed for a moment of quietness, hindering the potential elevation of many punchlines.

7 Cheers

Cheers, a popular TV sitcom of the ‘80s, played a significant role in shaping the comedy landscape during a time when laugh tracks were pervasive and adored. Although the series was recorded in front of a live studio audience, their genuine laughter was accompanied by augmented and strategically prompted artificial laughter. This blend, while not entirely unbearable, sometimes detracted from the heartfelt and poignant moments that truly endeared viewers to the show's characters and their stories.

6 That ‘70s Show

5 Frasier

That ‘70s Show serves as an intriguing case study. Although the laugh track frequently detracts from the comedic essence of the jokes, it is nearly indispensable in capturing the quintessential ‘70s television ambiance that permeates the series. Almost every sitcom in the ‘70s relied on laugh tracks, making it seem unnatural for That ‘70s Show to deviate from this convention. However, this does not resolve the issue. Furthermore, the spinoff, That 90’s Show, manages to avoid certain pitfalls of sitcom revivals but falls victim to the usage of a laugh track once again, thereby suffering in its overall quality.

The issues with Frasier's laugh track mirror those of Cheers, which is not unexpected since it is a spinoff. While the show is undoubtedly a comedy, it delves into characters and relationships that have been on the air for multiple decades, making audience reactions sometimes unwelcome during intense emotional or story-driven moments. Furthermore, Frasier possesses a clever and subtle wit that doesn't always align seamlessly with a laugh track.

4 Two And A Half Men

Laugh tracks serve a purpose in many shows, but Two and a Half Men is not one of them. The overly obvious and excessive use of the laugh track in almost every scene undermines the comedic value of the show. While laugh tracks were more common in older sitcoms, they feel out of place in a show like Two and a Half Men, which aired during a time when the use of canned laughter was declining.

3 The IT Crowd

The IT Crowd is considered one of the funniest British shows ever created. However, unlike many other British comedies, it stands out for incorporating a laugh track. This comedic technique, more commonly found in American television, was not widely embraced in Britain. By including the laughter of its live studio audience, The IT Crowd sets itself apart from its peers. However, this choice has resulted in the show not aging as well as its competitors.

Richard Ayoade and Chris O'Dowd deliver brilliant performances in their lead roles, but the humor in the show is often more subtle and dry than the usual laugh-out-loud comedy. Therefore, the inclusion of the laugh track can be quite distracting.

2 Mr. Bean

Mr. Bean is yet another example of a beloved British comedy that incorporates a laugh track. The decision to include the laugh track in Mr. Bean was likely made due to the fact that the main character doesn't speak, and the show would have been quite quiet otherwise. However, the forced laughter ends up detracting from many of the show's funniest moments. Rowan Atkinson's mastery of physical comedy is truly outstanding, and it becomes disappointing when the show feels the need to prompt the audience on when to laugh.

1 Friends

Friends, one of the most popular sitcoms of the '90s, has managed to stand the test of time with its cultural references. The show continues to hold up, delivering an abundance of laughter with its well-preserved humor. However, the one element that has not aged gracefully is the laugh track. In Friends, it is noticeably more exaggerated compared to other sitcoms from that era. After every joke, boisterous laughter follows, detracting from the brilliant one-liners and physical comedy moments by equalizing the humor throughout.