Sitcommentary: Television Comedies That Changed America by Mark A. Robinson (review)

Mark A. Robinson's Sitcommentary: Television Comedies That Changed America offers a detailed survey of sitcoms that take up social issues—from Mary Kay and Johnny (1947-50) to One Day at a Time (2017-present). Robinson argues that the sitcom is uniquely positioned to influence and reflect social change in American society, since television is the "most accessible form of media entertainment." Additionally, Robinson states that laughter binds us together, so "if you can break it up with laughter, you can explore just about anything" (xv–xvi).

Sitcommentary discusses the sitcoms it covers chronologically; Robinson notes that a thematic organization may have been easier, but he argues that detailing sitcoms through time makes the book something a television fan might find more enjoyable. Robinson's previous works—including The Encyclopedia of Television Theme Songs, The World of Musicals, and Disney Song Encyclopedia (with Thomas S. Hischak)—offer some insight into his methodology. Sitcommentary sits between an encyclopedia or reference book and a thematic overview of sitcoms and social issues. He encourages readers to "not read the book cover to cover" but instead to "jump around in a way that meets their needs and interest" (xi). Though sitcom entries are not cross-referenced, Robinson often links shows to forebearers and heirs to particular social themes—from family to gender roles and from Black to LGBTQIA+ representation.

Each entry in Sitcommentary provides pertinent information about the sitcom, including dates aired, networks, creators, primary cast, and theme song. Robinson argues that the history of sitcoms can be traced to an extent in the changes sitcoms make to these features. Cast changes nearly or completely derailed sitcoms (Head of the Class; Sanford and Son; Laverne & Shirley) or transformed them (M*A*S*H). Cast lists also help the reader trace the careers of some of the most important actors in the genre, such as Mary Tyler Moore and Bea Arthur. Robinson's interest in sitcom theme songs (and opening credits) provides interesting connections that less attentive viewers may miss. With All in the Family, for example, he notes how "Those Were the Days" usefully established the world of Archie and Edith Bunker as one "that was fading and that would be encroached on, episode after episode" by one that was in flux, owing to "social evolution and a progressive way of thinking" (42). The song, he notes, was also deeply ironic and satirical; it poked fun at the pining for the halcyon days of Herbert Hoover. However, the song gets to the tension that drove the show: are audiences laughing with or at Archie Bunker? Robinson's analysis argues that this tension is conveyed in both the show's opening credits and theme song.

Sitcommentary also argues, albeit implicitly, for the importance of production history. Often, television networks have had, at best, an uncomfortable relationship to sitcoms with progressive social messages. For example, the entry for Soap (1977-81) is dominated by network controversy regarding the shows "sexual content, its emphasis on infidelity, and its inclusion of a gay man among the show's recurring characters" (97). Pushback from religious organizations and gay rights organizations led NBC to include a disclaimer in front of episodes in the first season that noted the "adult content" of the show (98). Robinson's linking of depictions of gay and lesbian characters from Soap to later shows such as Ellen, Will & Grace, and Modern Family provides an interesting window into how production factored into the representation of diversity, in this case of LGBTQIA+ characters. Black representation in sitcoms has also been heavily influenced by production. Shows like Amos 'n' Andy engaged in harmful stereotypes, and groundbreaking shows like Julia, featuring Diahann Carroll, were dogged by constant battles between Carroll and white writers regarding her character. Good Times, The Jeffersons, The Cosby Show, and Black-ish subsequently took steps in representing a greater diversity of Black experience on television.

Robinson's selection of sitcoms skews toward shows from the 1970s and 1980s...