It is no secret that FTT students are suppose to have sophisticated tastes in film and television and express their pretentious or critical opinions about this show and that movie. Of course I also love the quality television shows and movies that do innovative camera and script work, but I have a special place in my heart for “entertainment for the masses” and Miranda reminded of this.
I grew up watching CBS, so I grew up watching multi-camera sitcoms mixed with “Survivor” and the “Amazing Race”. It was these shows that helped me realize how invested I can become in a television show and characters. I totally gush over shows like “Big Bang Theory” and “How I Met Your Mother”. I do not mind being the fourth wall and I totally fall for the upfront jokes. In this class we have not watched shows with these features, which is great, but I really enjoyed how Miranda brought me back to this style of comedy.
Not all of the jokes were great, not because I did not understand them, but because they simply weren’t funny and there were times when Miranda would look at the camera that seemed a little weird or forced. This being said, I think there was some gold in this episode. The scene in the doctor’s office and the scene when she shares the couch with her “friend” had me laughing out loud, which is not something I have been doing with British comedy. It was in these scenes, when she addressed the audience, that amped up the comedy because not only is what is happening in the story funny, so is what is going on in her mind. On the other hand, looking to the audience and mouthing the word “help” or asking the audience for advice may seem a little remedial, like something that would happen on “Dora the Explorer” and “Blue’s Clues”. As Professor Becker’s post discussed, Miranda is not the most innovative or hip thing on television today, but neither is Miranda herself, she is awkward! Truthfully, I have my fair share of awkward moments, so maybe that’s why I found moments in the show so funny. Miranda does do something unique, however, by bringing viewers back to the multi-cam style, but also breaking the fourth wall throughout which is not an easy task.
All in all, this style of sitcom is a classic that I don’t deny to love.