The quick style of editing and type of humor would work very well without any "help" from the laugh track. I actually think the fake laughs hurt the show, now that comedies don't necessarily use them.
Isn't the laugh track kept separate on the film elements, and could be removed?
I don't know if it could be removed or not, but you're right about the laugh track in general. It made this show worse, not better. Every show with a laugh track, in my opinion, would be better without it.
shareOh definitly!!!! I think shows like this are a lot funnier without a laughtrack.
If you ever watch shows like Mary Hartman Mary HArtman, Police Squad, and things like that, they have no laugh-trackand are hillarious. But TV shows like Soap are not as funny and I think it's b/cof the laugh track partly.
Question your prejudices.
Weird, but I like the Laugh Track......
You Have a Hard Lip, Herbert..
Better Living Thru Chemistry
I also think shows like Get Smart would be funnier without the laugh track. The comdey on Green Acres is subtle in many ways and people get different jokes at different times, sometimes it's hard to know where to put the laughs in lol
Just because we lose today's battle doesn't mean we've lost tommorow's war.
Laugh tracks are such a weird artifact - stupid and intrusive, but I can't actually picture these old sitcoms without them.
This show was always so meta, I believe the word is - someone's often aware of the screen credits running under them ("Who's Dick Chevillat, Oliver?") or hearing the fife music under one of Oliver's grandiose speeches - so did they ever notice that laughter coming out of nowhere?
They should have, it would have been fitting for THIS style of comedy, like if they noticed the change in Dorris Ziffle when she was portrayed by a different actress.
Just because we lose today's battle doesn't mean we've lost tommorow's war.
<<<so did they ever notice that laughter coming out of nowhere?
Whether they mentioned the laughter or laugh track on the show or not, I would say they did notice it since it was shown the characters were aware that audiences at home were watching them.
Yes, the characters on Green Acres were aware of even that.
They knew they were a tv show.
On a show that was filmed without an audience, the laugh track is a separate element -- but the only show I can think of where it's subsequently been removed is "My Mother the Car" (it's been stripped from most of the remastered episodes, anyway). That show plays better without the canned laughter and I surmise this one would too... but considering they haven't even issued half the series on disc, we'll probably never get a stripped soundtrack.
share<<<That show plays better without the canned laughter and I surmise this one would too...
I have to disagree. Green Acres definitely would not play better without the laugh track.
Because as I recall, there were several references (jokes) made within the show about the laugh track.
Some characters could hear the laugh track and wondered where the laughter was coming from.
Some characters were aware that the laughing they heard (on the laugh track) was the audience watching them at home laughing.
And those weren't the only times, as I recall.
Those jokes don't work and fall flat if the laugh track is removed.
They work and are funny if the laugh track is left in as it was meant to be.
It was a self-aware show.
<<<On a show that was filmed without an audience, the laugh track is a separate element
correction. On a normal sitcom, the laugh track is a separate element.
On "Green Acres", the laugh track was NOT a separate element.
Characters on the show even refer to it ocassionally.
Such as when the characters can hear the laugh track.
and the music track.
Several episodes show the characters hearing the music track. I think it was EVERY character except Oliver who could hear the music track while Oliver gave his speeches.
There might have even been some episodes where Oliver could hear it, although I can't remember if that happened or not.
The characters even see the opening credits, except Oliver. However, even Oliver saw the opening credits himself, occasionally.
And the characters are even aware of the opening theme song. Eb lip synching Eva Gabor's part of the theme song. Hilarious, imo.
I cant even remember laugh tracks when I watch Green Acres on local tv, i'll have to double check when it comes on again at 5am. And f^k sitcoms these days when someone says something supposedly funny or tells a joke its HIT LAUGH TRACK BUTTON which they do like every 5secs.
Edit: watching it now, does have laughs but they are low and short not like the annoying laugh tracks in today sitcoms
This is Miami Pal, but lately its starting to look a lot like Disney Land!
I flat out disagree. Fake or not, the laugh track on ONE-CAMERA shows
creates a rhythm that garnishes the humor. This is why Return to
Green Acres and the Get Smart reunion TV movies don't work. The lines
fall flat. Dated though the practice may be, the show would SUCK
without it.