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Comedy drama

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Comedy (drama).

Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy)[1][2] is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and drama.[3] In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, illness, betrayal, grief, etc.) are dealt with realism and subtlety, while preserving a humorous tenor.[4][5]

The term "dramedy" began to be used in the television industry in the 1980s.[6][7][8] Modern television comedy dramas tend to have more humour integrated into the story than the comic relief common in drama series, but usually contain a lower joke rate than sitcoms.[citation needed][not verified in body]

History

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In Greek theatre, plays were considered comedies or tragedies (i.e. drama). The former being light stories with a happy ending, and the latter serious stories with a sad ending.[8] This concept even influenced Roman theatre and theatre of the Hellenistic period. Theatre of that era is thought to have long-lasting influence, even in modern narrative works.[9]

Even today, works are often classified into two broad categories: dramas and comedies. For instance, many awards that recognize achievements in film and television, such as the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards,[10][11] segregate several awards into these two classifications.

The term "dramedy" is a translation from the French "comédie dramatique".[citation needed]

The 20th century saw a rise in film and television works that could be described as comedy-dramas. In American cinema, The Kid (1921) by Charlie Chaplin is acknowledged as the first feature length film to blend comedy and drama.[12][13][14]

Characteristics

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In January 2022, Rafael Abreu, writing for the StudioBinder filmmaking blog, defined this genre as follows:[15]

A dramedy is a movie or program that balances the elements of a drama and a comedy. Also known as a comedy drama, this hybrid genre often deals with real life situations, grounded characters, and believable situations. The ratio between the drama and comedy can vary, but most of the time there is an equal measure of both, with neither side dominating.

Abreu also adds that dramedies often deal with relatable and serious topics such as divorce, illness, hardship, and heartache.[15]

Notable examples

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Film

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Examples of comedy dramas in film include:

Name Year Country Notes
8½ 1963 Italy
Annie Hall 1977 United States
Forrest Gump 1994 United States
Trainspotting 1996 United Kingdom
The Celebration 1998 Denmark
The Royal Tenenbaums 2001 United States
Punch-Drunk Love 2002 United States
Garden State 2004 United States
Little Miss Sunshine 2006 United States also considered a tragicomedy
You, the Living 2007 Sweden
A Serious Man 2009 United States, United Kingdom
It's Such a Beautiful Day 2012 United States
The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014 United States, Germany
Lady Bird 2017 United States
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood 2019 United States, United Kingdom
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths 2022 Mexico
Asteroid City 2023 United States

Television

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Examples of television comedy dramas include:

Name Year Country Notes
M*A*S*H 1972 United States
The Love Boat 1977 United States
Moonlighting 1985 United States
Hooperman 1987 United States [6]
The Wonder Years 1988 United States
Doogie Howser, M.D. 1989 United States
Northern Exposure 1990 United States
Ally McBeal 1997 United States
Sex and the City 1998 United States
Scrubs 2001 United States
Desperate Housewives 2004 United States [16]
You’re the Worst 2014 United States
Hazbin Hotel 2024 United States

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "dramedy". Lexico. Oxford University Press. 2021. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021.
  2. ^ "dramedy". Oxford Learner's Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  3. ^ "dramedy". Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 30 May 2018. a TV show or movie that is a mixture of drama (= telling serious stories) and comedy (= jokes and situations intended to make you laugh)
  4. ^ Del Greco, Fabio (2023). "Dramatic Comedy Films to Watch". Indiecinema. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  5. ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (11 May 2019). "Seriously funny: why we fell in love with dramedies". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b Kelley, Bill (23 September 1987). "The Best And The Brightest Abc's Hooperman — The Hands-down Winner Of The Best New Show Of The Year — Introduces A New Format, "dramedy," While Slap Maxwell Reintroduces Dabney Coleman". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  7. ^ Press, Joy (5 March 2018). "Meet the dramedy queens: the women who built TV's new golden age". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b Cathcart, Olivia (1 July 2021). "Rethinking the Dramedy: What Is It, Anyway?". Paste. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  9. ^ Cartwright, Mark (14 July 2016). "Ancient Greek Theatre". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  10. ^ "2022–2023 Emmy Awards: Category List" (PDF). Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  11. ^ "The Golden Globe Award Categories". Awardsandshows.com. 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  12. ^ Vance, Jeffrey (2003). "The Kid (1921)". Chaplin:Genius of the Cinema (PDF) (1st ed.). New York: Harry N. Abrams. p. 109. ISBN 978-0810945326 – via Library of Congress.
  13. ^ McCarrick, Michael (16 June 2021). "How Charlie Chaplin's The Kid Changed Cinema History". CBR. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  14. ^ Travers, James (2009). "The Kid (1921)". FrenchFilms.org. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  15. ^ a b Abreu, Rafael (9 January 2022). "Dramedy Explained — A Study of the Comedy Drama Genre". StudioBinder. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  16. ^ Weiner, Allison Hope (20 December 2004). "Is 'Desperate Housewives' a comedy?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 20 November 2021.

Further reading

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