I agree wholeheartedly with a point brought up by Professor Becker, in that Miranda “is quite self-consciously framed as uncool, unhip, unedgy, fitting perfectly with Miranda’s awkward character.”
Sure, multi-cam sitcoms are outdated, awkward, old-fashioned, etc… but so is Miranda! Miranda is a bull in a china shop. She is a single, 30-something who trips on her own feet and struggles to interact with the opposite sex. If there is any character who appropriately fits into the multi-cam realm, it is her. Miranda includes enough guttural, funny elements to justify the appropriateness of the multi-cam.
Miranda herself is extremely likeable. Serving as the antithesis to the quintessential (American) young, attractive lead, she is a bit more grotesque. Along with her unorthodox persona comes a comedic timing that propels the entire show. What other element of a sitcom is more important than the comedy, anyways? Betty mentioned the scenes in the doctor’s office and the undeniably awkward “sharing of the pull-out couch” scene as being laugh-out-loud funny, and I agree. Miranda’s commentary to the camera and over-the-top reactions are undeniably truthful. Who hasn’t dreaded some portion of overwhelming, family-driven holidays or gone crazy while awaiting the arrival of a package?
The BBC even admits to Miranda’s shortcomings and rejoices in them. According to the BBC One website, “It doesn’t matter what Miranda attempts in life, whether it’s dating or simply dealing with her overbearing mother, she always seems to fall flat, quite literally.” The show relishes in Miranda’s failures, which are both endearing and entertaining.
In a world where comedic sitcoms are constantly trying to set the trends for the genre, Miranda stands alone. Perhaps rooted in the past, Miranda is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Despite its unique style, I appreciate the fact that the program has still found a home (and quite a successful one) on television.
I completely agree. While I don’t often consider myself a fan of the multicam, something about the way “Miranda” uses it, embracing its stylistic elements to craft something very unique, is incredibly charming. Everything about the show is a little tongue-in-cheek and very self-conscious. But in doing that, and in owning what it is rather than trying to be something “better,” “Miranda” seems to me a really fresh take on an old style. Particularly when it comes to young people, we are so cynical and dismissive of anything we perceive as stale or old. “Miranda” is basically calling us out, saying “Yeah, I’m unhip, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be funny and heartwarming and entertaining and really just enjoyable.” It’s something of a guilty pleasure, but I didn’t find myself feeling that guilty enjoying it. If the show weren’t so meta about what it was trying to do, I don’t know that it would work. But the awareness it brings to the multicam seems to me one of the best, most unique takes I’ve seen on it since the most recent heyday (if only in my personal opinion and not based on ratings) of American multicams in the ’90s.