When was the last time you spared a thought about sitcom laugh tracks? Probably years. Maybe decades? Sitcoms with background laughter have seemed almost dead, definitely and firmly dying, for a very ...

Audience reactions are a staple of standup specials. But they’re a strange device when you take a closer look.

In the 75 years since it was introduced, the laugh track has conditioned viewers to know when and how much to laugh Some audiences love it, and some audiences hate it, but the laugh track—which ...

In NBC’s “Happy’s Place,” Reba McEntire stars as Bobbie, left, who inherits her father’s bar along with her sister Isabella (Belissa Escobedo). Casey Durkin/NBC/TNS You have questions. I have some ...

You have questions. I have some answers. Q: I used to watch “The Odd Couple.” One season Jack Klugman and Tony Randall both threatened to quit over the use of laugh tracks. The network agreed to run ...

I ran into an old episode of Hogan’s Heroes the other day that stuck me as odd. It didn’t have a laugh track. Ironically, the show was one where two pilots were shown, one with and one without a laugh ...

You have questions. I have some answers. Q: I enjoy the cast and storyline of the new show “Happy Place.” However, I will probably stop watching it because of the annoying laugh track. It is not at ...