Today is...Megan Mullally and David Schwimmer's Birthday

Today is Megan Mullally and David Schwimmer’s birthday.

A sitcom is short for situation comedy, a genre of comedy that features characters sharing a common environment, with jokes as part of the dialogue. They can be filmed in front of a live studio audience or with the addition of a laugh track.

The first sitcom was "Sam 'n' Henry", a 15-minute daily radio program that started on January 12, 1926. In 1928 it was renamed "Amon 'n' Andy".

Many of the first televised sitcoms were adaptations of existing radio sitcoms, like "The Jack Benny Program", or vehicles for existing stars, like "The Abbott and Costello Show". Early sitcoms were often broadcast live.

"I Love Lucy" was the first successful use of a multi-camera setup. It was the most watched show in the US in four of its six seasons and ended its run at the top of the Nielsen ratings.

The mid-1960s started high concept sitcoms, including "The Munsters", "The Addams Family", "I Dream of Jeannie", and "Bewitched".

Sitcoms in the 1970s often were a platform for social issues of the time such as women's liberation as seen in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".

"The Simpsons" is the longest-running sitcom in US History, premiering on December 17, 1989.


What is your favorite sitcom?