Comedy drama

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Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) [1] [2] is a hybrid genre that combines 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 handled with realism and subtlety, while preserving a light or humorous tone. [4] [5]

Contents

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

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 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

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

Film

Examples of comedy dramas in film include:

NameYearCountryNotesRefs.
3 Idiots 2009India
8½ 1963Italy
American Fiction 2023United States
As Good as It Gets 1997United States
Asteroid City 2023United States
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths 2022Mexico
Birdman 2014United States
Eighth Grade 2018United States
Fallen Angels 1995Hong Kong
Forrest Gump 1994United States
God Is Brazilian 2003Brazil
Goodbye, Dragon Inn 2003Taiwan
Inside Llewyn Davis 2013United Kingdom
United States
France
It's Such a Beautiful Day 2012United States
Jerry Maguire 1996United States
Juno 2007United States
Lady Bird 2017United States
Little Miss Sunshine 2006United Statesalso considered a tragicomedy [16]
Love Exposure 2008Japan
Manhattan 1979United States
Moonrise Kingdom 2012United States
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood 2019United Kingdom
United States
China
That Obscure Object of Desire 1977France, Spain
The Banshees of Inisherin 2022United States
The Big Short 2015United States
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros 2005Philippines
The Celebration 1998Denmark
The Darjeeling Limited 2007United States
The Edge of Seventeen 2016United States
The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014United States, Germany
The Holdovers 2023United States
The Illusionist 2010United Kingdom
France
The Kid 1921United States
The Kids Are All Right 2010United States
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 2004United States
The Man Without a Past 2002Finland
The Royal Tenenbaums 2001United States [16]
The Rules of the Game 1939France
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 2017United States
Trainspotting 1996United Kingdom
Triangle of Sadness 2022United States
Up in the Air 2009United States
You, the Living 2007Sweden

Television

Examples of television comedy dramas include:

NameYearCountryNotesRefs.
Ally McBeal 1997–2002United States
Andi Mack 2017–2019United States
Barry 2018–2023United States
Desperate Housewives 2004–12United States [17]
Doogie Howser, M.D. 1989–93United States
Due South 1994–99Canada
Eight Is Enough 1977–81United States
Elsbeth 2024–presentUnited States
Emily in Paris 2020–presentUnited States
Entourage 2004–2011United States
Fleabag 2016–19United Kingdom
Gilmore Girls 2000-2007United States
Hacks 2021-presentUnited States
Hooperman 1987–89United States [6]
Ludwig 2024United Kingdom
Monk 2002-09United States
Moonlighting 1985–89United States
Northern Exposure 1990–95United States
Only Murders in the Building 2021-presentUnited States
Scrubs 2001–10United States
Sex and the City 1998–2004United States
Shrinking 2023-presentUnited States
Succession 2018–2023United States
Ted Lasso 2020-presentUnited States
The Bear 2022-presentUnited States
The Big C 2010–2013United States
The Love Boat 1977–86United States
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 2017–2023United States
The White Lotus 2021-presentUnited States
The Wonder Years 1988–93United States
You’re the Worst 2014–19United States

See also

References

  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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 Abreu, Rafael (9 January 2022). "Dramedy Explained — A Study of the Comedy Drama Genre". StudioBinder. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  16. 1 2 Caballero, David (12 May 2023). "10 Best Dramedies of the 21st Century, Ranked". Collider. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
  17. ↑ Weiner, Allison Hope (20 December 2004). "Is 'Desperate Housewives' a comedy?". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 20 November 2021.

Further reading


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