The situation comedy (often abbreviated to "sitcom") has been one of TV's most popular and long-lasting programming formats. A sitcom is generally a half-hour comedy program (twenty-two minutes of programming and eight minutes of commercials). Each program features a recurring group of characters who become involved in humorous situations. Episodes are typically self-contained, meaning viewers do not have to have any previous knowledge of the show to get the jokes. Sitcoms have aired on television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) since the 1950s. Although comedy entertainment on the surface, the shows reflected the nation's changing attitudes toward gender, race relations, sex, the population shift to the suburbs (see entry under 1950s—The Way We Lived in volume 3), and other social concerns. The format has often been criticized as overly simplistic, artistically bankrupt, and appealing to the lowest common denominator of viewer. Although viewers have...