# TV Comedies without Laugh Tracks--Recommendations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963 "2013-09-04T04:01:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/1 "2013-09-04T04:01:10Z")
Anyone? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/2 "2013-09-04T05:00:01Z")
I’ve never understood the hate-on so many people have for laugh tracks. That said, I like _Community_ a lot, and it doesn’t have a laugh track. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/3 "2013-09-04T05:03:24Z")
Yes Minister. Yes, Prime Minister. Monty Python’s Flying Circus. And so on. That aside, I literally googled your title [http://www.imdb.com/list/wQ-nTHq5Wl4/](http://www.imdb.com/list/wQ-nTHq5Wl4/) - did you? ---
**Author:** ![Neverending\_Elbow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@Neverending\_Elbow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neverending_Elbow)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/4 "2013-09-04T11:28:49Z")
I really like Scrubs and reccomend it heartily. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/5 "2013-09-04T11:34:39Z")
> [@Neverending\_Elbow](#): > > I really like Scrubs and reccomend it heartily. Yeah - really great show. The episode My Life in Four Cameras does a nice job lampooning the laugh track and other sit-com gimmicks. I’d also recommend Dead Like Me (but it isn’t always a comedy, it’s definitely the combo drama/comedy). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/6 "2013-09-04T13:31:26Z")
Arrested Development ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/7 "2013-09-04T13:46:10Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Monty Python’s Flying Circus. There are plenty of comedies without laugh tracks—pretty much all the [one-camera sitcoms](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_single-camera_sitcoms) from at least the last couple of decades—but Monty Python’s Flying Circus is not one of them. ([see here, for example](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZlBUglE6Hc)) ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/8 "2013-09-04T14:12:07Z")
30 Rock The Middle Modern Family New Girl My Name is Earl 30 Rock (It needs to be mentioned twice) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/9 "2013-09-04T14:17:43Z")
> [@Neverending\_Elbow](#): > > I really like Scrubs and reccomend it heartily. And if you like Scrubs, I’ll always recommend How I Met Your Mother. IMO, they’re very similar shows. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/10 "2013-09-04T15:07:07Z")
The Simpsons ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/11 "2013-09-04T16:15:45Z")
The first three seasons of “Barney Miller”. Even seasons 4-8, whcih did use a laugh track, kept it low key. “Night Court”, Barney’s spiritual successor. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/12 "2013-09-04T16:39:57Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > And if you like Scrubs, I’ll always recommend How I Met Your Mother. IMO, they’re very similar shows. Except that HIMYM does have a laugh track. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/13 "2013-09-04T16:58:35Z")
Not sure if it is still true, but just as a footnote - when I lived in Berlin, many American hit sitcoms dubbed in German and shown on German TV had the laugh tracks removed. It was often odd to watch those shows without the laugh track. I guess in some cases, you don’t miss them until they are gone. Oops - forgot to mention Curb Your Enthusiasm. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/14 "2013-09-04T17:14:47Z")
Sports Night My Name is Earl Curb Your Enthusiasm Modern Family Arrested Development The Office (both versions) Larry Sanders Show Malcolm in the Middle ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/15 "2013-09-04T17:16:58Z")
If you don’t mind animation, King of the Hill. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/16 "2013-09-04T17:44:15Z")
Raising Hope ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/17 "2013-09-04T18:51:56Z")
Parks and Recreation (first season is rough, then it finds its stride) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/18 "2013-09-04T19:09:38Z")
I occ enjoy Big Bang Theory but there the laughtrack drives me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![jrbor76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9e8a1a/32.png) [@jrbor76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrbor76)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/19 "2013-09-04T19:27:18Z")
Second My Name is Earl. Also loved Everybody Hates Chris. Neither one lasted for more than a couple of years in local syndication, which I get because of the DVD/streaming boom, but still a shame. Also, I’ve recently (within the past couple of months) seen a handful of episodes of M_A_S\*H and at least one episode of, believe it or not, Hogan’s Heroes, without laugh tracks. Still plenty funny on their own, and IMHO actually improved because they seemed more like a modern-day movie to me. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/20 "2013-09-04T19:41:01Z")
Are you drawing a distinction between a laugh track and a live audience? IMHO, there’s a major difference. The Big Bang Theory is recorded in front of a live, laughing audience, and does not use a prerecorded laugh track. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963.md?page=2)