MovieChat Forums > The Thin Blue Line (1995) Discussion > Canned laughter

Canned laughter

posted 16 years ago by groggo
11 replies | jump to latest

Anybody know if this was filmed before a live audience? I think some of it may have been, but it's hard to know. There are a lot of elaborate indoor sets. The laughter just explodes instantly and dies out instantly. This isn't the way human laughter works, it seems to me. There are more than a few exterior scenes, and the laughter is obviously recorded. I find this off-putting. There seems to be a tendency toward 'non-audience' shows (e.g. The Office, Extras, Arrested Development). I prefer that format rather than hearing phony, canned laughter.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] lovedawn 16 years ago

Some shows are recorded first, and later shown to a live audience to get their reaction. Also, Red Dwarf had quite elaborate sets, and that was shot before an audience.
If you think the 'canned laughter' is bad in British sitcoms, try watching an American one!

"I hate MP3 players."

[–] amorrice80 15 years ago

All the WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOS! in US sitcoms make me cringe!

[–] AndreiPavlov 16 years ago

That stupid laughter is just a grim example of fannying about. I wouldn’t worry if “The Thin Blue Line” were one of those run-of-the-mill evening *beep* TV trash. But here one of the brightest sitcoms is on the line. What really hurts is that they did not put their finger out of their arses to make it optional in DVD release. Or, maybe, they don't know that DVD can have more than one soundtrack? Hoity-toity morons!

'Glavnoye v cheloveke ne vneshnost, a vnutrennosti.'

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Sonatine97 15 years ago

I must admit there are some sitcoms that are 10 times better without any laughter at all(canned or otherwise)

The Office, is a good example: I just don't think it would have been half as funny had their been a laughter track added or recorded by a watching studio audience

Another example is the TV wartime classic sitcom of the 70s M*A*S*H. The earlier series had canned laughter and it was dreadful & distracting; the latter series (and certainly on the DVD releases) there was no laughter at all. So the viewer could decide for himself if something in the show was funny.

[–] Stooovie 13 years ago

Well, laughter isn't only there to decide for audience what is funny and what isn't.

Shooting before live audience energizes actors and changes the dynamic entirely. It allows for more natural flow, gives actors immediate feedback from the audience and allows them to act accordingly. If handled well, it makes timing better (see Seinfeld). Writing is different too for shows with or without laughter. You can't just tack a canned laughter on and hope for an improved show.

[–] TopGunSGA 13 years ago

Most BBC sitcoms use live studio audiences for the indoor shots. If outdoor scenes are needed they film that and then show it to a live audience and record the laughter for that scene.

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[–] joey_pesci 13 years ago

Not canned laughter. Was filmed in front of an audience.

[–] laurence01 12 years ago

It is very rare for British sitcoms to use canned laughter.

[–] moxey (141) 6 years ago

Canned laughter tracks don't have applause after some jokes do they? The laughter sounds real to me anyway.