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Critically reviled. Hopelessly dated. Forever near extinction. Yet in a TV landscape full of brutally realistic hits, sitcoms with background laughter are not only still popular, but have become ...

The laugh track was once considered revolutionary, shaping how audiences consumed television comedy. But over time, it became one of the most mocked and controversial parts of TV history. This is the ...

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 ...