I’ve been watching Chewing Gum on Netflix, where the main character often talks to the audience. The other characters go on about their business in the background, then resume their dealings with her when she’s done.
I seem to recall a show from the past ten years or so that did the same thing, only moreso. The lead character would give long talks to the audience, to the point where the other characters would simply wait for him or her to finish, at times glancing briefly at the camera as if to acknowledge that the other character was talking to the audience.
Is this ringing a bell for anyone? I want to say it was Raising Hope that used that conceit, but another part of brain says that’s not it.
Actually, I remember the other characters not even being aware of what he was saying; everybody else would freeze while Zack broke the fourth wall and come back to life when he was done.
I think Modern Family definitely fits. I’m not sure “in universe” who they’re all supposed to be talking to, but there have definitely been scenes where somebody (Haley or Clare I think) has been impatiently waiting for Phil to finish talking to “us”.
Scrubs doesn’t have him talk to the audience, but they did have characters react to JD after he “drifted away” for a while during one of his dream/fantasy sequences.
Frank Underwood talks to the camera, but the characters are unaware of it and he waits until he is alone usually.
I think that, technically, Modern Family doesn’t fit. In the very first episode they established the premise that this was documentary-style show, so they moments when the characters appear to be breaking the fourth wall, they are actually talking to an “in universe” film crew. However, aside from those talking head moments in every episode, I don’t think the show has done anything to acknowledge that this is documentary being filmed since that first episode. So I understand that people may not be aware of that original premise.
In contrast, The Office also used the documentary-style, but it maintained that premise throughout the run of the show. I think there was one scene where Michael looked into the camera and said something to the effect of “Cut. Cut. Don’t film this!” There were time where the characters intentionally shut the door on the film crew. And I believe they even literally showed the “in universe” film crew a time or two.
I was (and am) looking for a specific show, not current examples. None of the ones mentioned so far are the one I’m thinking of, but thanks for trying!
Well, whenever someone says something stupid or unwittingly embarrassing or the like (Phil), it’s not too uncommon for another character to look directly at the camera and grimace in acknowledgment of what just happened (Claire).