Good thing Magnum skipped the laugh track, but why did it?

[Algernon Farnsworth]

Magnum P.I. has a lot of humor in it, and I think the reason it aged so well is that it is funny but doesn't try to force it with a laugh track. A lot of other shows of its age were all about laugh tracks; any idea why they decided to skip it? Was it because it mixed comedy and drama within the same episode, and they thought that laugh tracks would spoil the tone? I kind of feel like they worked around this a bit with the music, and of course whenever Magnum breaks the fourth wall; I'd say I prefer this approach except that some shows use laugh tracks so heavily that the characters would just end up talking at you rather than at eachother if they did this...

Any ideas?

[Pahonu]

Magnum P.I. has a lot of humor in it, and I think the reason it aged so well is that it is funny but doesn't try to force it with a laugh track. A lot of other shows of its age were all about laugh tracks; any idea why they decided to skip it? Was it because it mixed comedy and drama within the same episode, and they thought that laugh tracks would spoil the tone? I kind of feel like they worked around this a bit with the music, and of course whenever Magnum breaks the fourth wall; I'd say I prefer this approach except that some shows use laugh tracks so heavily that the characters would just end up talking at you rather than at eachother if they did this...

Any ideas?

Laugh tracks were really only associated with sitcoms and children’s shows, not hour long drama series, even if they had comedic elements as many did. By the 80’s most sitcoms had reverted to live audiences anyway and the laugh track was in decline. Some sitcoms of the 60’s were shot with one camera rather than the multi-camera with audience format, so they relied heavily on laugh tracks. Today such single camera comedies generally skip the laugh track altogether. I’m trying to think of an hour long series that used a laugh track other than variety-type shows such as Carol Burnett’s. Mystery, drama, action-adventure, suspense, crime drama, these didn’t use laugh tracks. Anyone think of an example?

[Mac]

Magnum P.I. has a lot of humor in it, and I think the reason it aged so well is that it is funny but doesn't try to force it with a laugh track. A lot of other shows of its age were all about laugh tracks; any idea why they decided to skip it? Was it because it mixed comedy and drama within the same episode, and they thought that laugh tracks would spoil the tone? I kind of feel like they worked around this a bit with the music, and of course whenever Magnum breaks the fourth wall; I'd say I prefer this approach except that some shows use laugh tracks so heavily that the characters would just end up talking at you rather than at eachother if they did this...

Any ideas?

Laugh tracks were really only associated with sitcoms and children’s shows, not hour long drama series, even if they had comedic elements as many did. By the 80’s most sitcoms had reverted to live audiences anyway and the laugh track was in decline. Some sitcoms of the 60’s were shot with one camera rather than the multi-camera with audience format, so they relied heavily on laugh tracks. Today such single camera comedies generally skip the laugh track altogether. I’m trying to think of an hour long series that used a laugh track other than variety-type shows such as Carol Burnett’s. Mystery, drama, action-adventure, suspense, crime drama, these didn’t use laugh tracks. Anyone think of an example?

The Love Boat?

[Mr. Keoki]

Man... Just thinking of Magnum with a laugh track is maximum cringe. Thank goodness they didn't use one.

Watching some Texas Lightning this morning.

[Pahonu]

Magnum P.I. has a lot of humor in it, and I think the reason it aged so well is that it is funny but doesn't try to force it with a laugh track. A lot of other shows of its age were all about laugh tracks; any idea why they decided to skip it? Was it because it mixed comedy and drama within the same episode, and they thought that laugh tracks would spoil the tone? I kind of feel like they worked around this a bit with the music, and of course whenever Magnum breaks the fourth wall; I'd say I prefer this approach except that some shows use laugh tracks so heavily that the characters would just end up talking at you rather than at eachother if they did this...

Any ideas?

Laugh tracks were really only associated with sitcoms and children’s shows, not hour long drama series, even if they had comedic elements as many did. By the 80’s most sitcoms had reverted to live audiences anyway and the laugh track was in decline. Some sitcoms of the 60’s were shot with one camera rather than the multi-camera with audience format, so they relied heavily on laugh tracks. Today such single camera comedies generally skip the laugh track altogether. I’m trying to think of an hour long series that used a laugh track other than variety-type shows such as Carol Burnett’s. Mystery, drama, action-adventure, suspense, crime drama, these didn’t use laugh tracks. Anyone think of an example?

The Love Boat?

Could be. I don’t recall. Anyway, it was rare except in sitcoms.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Good thing Magnum skipped the laugh track?? I find this an odd statement because why would the show ever have a laugh track in the first place???? Despite comedy elements in it the show was never a comedy and no one ever classifies it as such. It's action/adventure or detective - that's the genre. You wouldn't find it in the comedy section at your local video store - remember those?

Laugh tracks are strictly for sitcoms. MPI is in the same camp as a lot of light-hearted 80s detective fare - SIMON & SIMON, HART TO HART, etc. They never had laugh tracks either. Neither did THE A-TEAM or THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, despite being chock full of comedy elements in every episode.

[metalmoose]

Speaking of The A Team, one of the funniest scenes is when "Murdock" Dwight Shultz releases all of the therapy animals at the VA mental ward where he lives so he can escape. They literally are falling out of cages on top of each other.

[Gorilla Mask]

From my little piece of advice, i just can't Imagine Magnum Pi with laugh tracks in it.

It would have probably ruined the atmosphere of the serie. My guess i that if you want in depth immersion in the drama, thrilling plot or action, you need rather an adequate background music than such a superfluous Gimmick that could reveal itself adverse for the audience, no ?

[Styles Bitchley]

Love Boat, Eight is Enough...that's about it, I think. I can't think of anything more bizarre than Magnum P.I. with a laugh track. Someone more creative than me should put together a video sample just for fun.

I like watching M*A*S*H and I know there has been a lot of debate over the use of the laugh track on that show. They didn't use it in the UK broadcasts and probably other countries also. Here in Canada, like the US, they had the laugh track and if I watch the versions available now via streaming or DVD without the laugh track, it seems like something's missing. Some interesting insights from Larry Gelbart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02m7devejKI

[ConchRepublican]

Man... Just thinking of Magnum with a laugh track is maximum cringe. Thank goodness they didn't use one.

Watching some Texas Lightning this morning.

Agreed . . . I can't imagine it . . . it would have totally ruined the show and made it hokey.