# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**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 5, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/41 "2013-09-05T14:18:22Z")
Question for the OP ( **PastTense** ): What did you have in mind—were you looking for comedies without _any_ sounds of laughter, or just comedies without any artificial “canned” laughter? And, given that the laughter of a live studio audience can be “sweetened” and artificially manipulated, while an artificial laugh track can be produced so as to sound as much as possible like a real audience, how much of a difference does it make? ---
**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 5, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/42 "2013-09-05T15:13:46Z")
Portlandia ---
**Author:** ![austerity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@austerity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/austerity)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/43 "2013-09-05T20:07:24Z")
To watch sit-coms without the laugh track, put the show on mute and turn on closed captions. ---
**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 5, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/44 "2013-09-05T21:10:01Z")
> [@austerity](#): > > To watch sit-coms without the laugh track, put the show on mute and turn on closed captions. I hope you’re not serious; but I can’t watch comedies with the captions on, muted or not. So much of comedy depends on timing; and knowing what the characters are going to say before they deliver the lines kills the comedy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/45 "2013-09-05T21:30:49Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Question for the OP ( **PastTense** ): What did you have in mind—were you looking for comedies without _any_ sounds of laughter, or just comedies without any artificial “canned” laughter? > > And, given that the laughter of a live studio audience can be “sweetened” and artificially manipulated, while an artificial laugh track can be produced so as to sound as much as possible like a real audience, how much of a difference does it make? Yes, despite the fact tha TBBT has a studio audience, the laugh track on it is one of the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/46 "2013-09-05T22:41:08Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > At risk of being whooshed: that show had a studio audience. Couldn’t have been, or at least not consistently. Too much of the humour relied on three-camera sight gags like [this one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh1pZqmxvmM). That’s not a fake, that was an actual _Night Court_ bit. ---
**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 6, 2013, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/47 "2013-09-06T06:20:34Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Question for the OP ( **PastTense** ): What did you have in mind—were you looking for comedies without _any_ sounds of laughter, or just comedies without any artificial “canned” laughter? Without any sounds of laughter–like movie comedies. ---
**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 6, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/48 "2013-09-06T14:00:09Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Couldn’t have been, or at least not consistently. Too much of the humour relied on three-camera sight gags like [this one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh1pZqmxvmM). > > That’s not a fake, that was an actual _Night Court_ bit. > [@Ever been in a sitcom's studio audience?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-been-in-a-sitcoms-studio-audience/351764/3): > > I’ve been to tapings of both \*Night Court \* and _Who’s Line Is It Anyway?_ There weren’t any laugh or applause signs, but they did have emcees come on to warm up the crowd. The emcee for \*Who’s Line \* did say that audience reaction was always enthusiastic to the British version of the show, and if we wanted to come second to a bunch of brits, well - > > BTW - it was Harry Anderson’s birthday the day of the \*Night Court \* shoot. Everyone in the audience got cake, Anderson did a little Q&A with us, and John Larroquete saw a cute girl in the fourth row and climbed over the seats to sit next to her. That actually got the biggest laugh of the night. The laugh track seems to be a common misconception, even [the Tropes page](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/NightCourt?from=Main.NightCourt) has a “studio audience” note under that entry. ---
**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 6, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/49 "2013-09-06T14:25:44Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Without any sounds of laughter–like movie comedies. My guess is you’re stuck with “M_A_S\*H” on DVD with the laugh track off. ---
**Author:** ![Neo-Calredic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/96bed5/32.png) [@Neo-Calredic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neo-Calredic)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/50 "2013-09-06T17:02:43Z")
As mentioned above, Parks & Recreation and Archer are both hilarious. A few more suggestions: The League Spaced (British sitcom from the late 90s by the same creative team that made Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End) Mystery Science Theater 3000 ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/51 "2013-09-06T23:10:51Z")
I’m not too familiar with current network TV, but the last true network ‘sitcom’ (as opposed to just a comedy) shot single camera (and therefore w/o an audience or laugh track) that I can think of would be _Malcolm in the Middle_. As opposed to something like \*30 Rock \*which was a great show but not quite what I’d call a true situation comedy, but more of an ensemble piece. Most all of the comedies on **FX** (or now **FXX** ) have no live audience/laugh track: [ul] [li]Louie[/li][li]Legit[/li][li]Maron[/li][li]It’s Always Sunny…[/li][li]Wilfred[/li][li]The League[/li][/ul] They’re all pretty good shows too. ---
**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 6, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/52 "2013-09-06T23:19:17Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > As opposed to something like \*30 Rock \*which was a great show but not quite what I’d call a true situation comedy, but more of an ensemble piece. Why—what’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/53 "2013-09-06T23:22:53Z")
A hilarious (to my taste, anyway) BBC comedy with no laugh track: _Outnumbered_. (Lots of improvisation in that one.) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/54 "2013-09-07T04:12:56Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Why—what’s the difference? I’m also curious what line of demarcation Hails Ants had in mind. _Malcolm in the Middle_ certainly wasn’t the last of a genre. Heck, the short-lived _Sons of Tucson_ was arguably a _Malcolm_ knockoff that just omitted (Disney-like, one might say) the mother character. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/55 "2013-09-13T02:56:46Z")
I guess what I mean is a comedy set in a traditional situation, i.e. a family’s home. _Sons of Tucson_?! Wasn’t that the one with the fat guy from _The Hangover_? That show wasn’t a comedy _ **at all!** _ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/56 "2013-09-13T13:21:43Z")
Seconding The League. Just hilarious, but make sure you don’t watch it with the kiddies - it gets a little blue… ---
**Author:** ![skylyn12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@skylyn12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skylyn12)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/57 "2013-09-13T13:59:23Z")
No has mentioned Workaholics yet? It rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/59 "2013-09-13T16:42:53Z")
My Boys. I don’t know if it’s on anymore, but you can watch it on-line. ---
**Author:** ![televisionguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@televisionguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/televisionguy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963/60 "2014-07-19T02:51:39Z")
I hate laugh tracks :mad: So here are some GREAT non-laugh track tv shows 4 you: traffic light new girl better off ted parks and recreation arrested development the office 30 rock raising hope scrubs Derek the tick todd margaret wilfred heroes undeclared freaks and geeks-not technically a sitcom, but has hilarious moments +is a great show outsourced the guild deadbeat Curb your enthusiasm The middle community the mindy project brooklyn 99 modern family i might be missing some but i watch hella tv so ya. they r available on netflix, hulu plus, hbo go, and cable, depeding on which show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-comedies-without-laugh-tracks-recommendations/667963.md?page=2)