On many sitcoms, the laugh track's not on us anymore

When ''M*A*S*H" and ''Seinfeld" came to TV, their creators lobbied for quiet. They wanted their comedies to unfold without the shrill manipulations of the dreaded laugh track. But Hollywood wasn't ready to let TV viewers chuckle on their own like big boys and girls. It preferred to prod us with fierce aural peer pressure to find its shows screamingly hysterical. (Full article: 792 words)

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