Instead of escapist entertainment, TV has become more troublesome than reality. But, while these topics used to appear as single-episode, easily skipped exceptions to the rule, they now dominate whole seasons. Even the once reliable 'Mad About You' became unmatchable when the show spent half a season dwelling on the couple's potential divorce. Just because certain things happen in real life does not mean they should happen on a sitcom. People lose their jobs and get soaked in divorce settlements, but watching Frasier and Niles suffer makes me uncomfortable.
Most people have plenty of horrendous problems in their own lives.
Because of that, we can tolerate problems in the lives of our sitcom stars, but only as long as they get cleared up in a half hour. Let Drew Carey battle anorexia, or give the whole 'Just Shoot Me' gang a nasty case of athlete's foot, but make sure everything gets fixed before next week. Part of the magic of television comes from its ability to solve everything from a family problem to an international nuclear crisis before the closing credits. While weighty topics have an often essential place in dramas, the basic definition of a sitcom requires the inclusion of comedy. Though shows like 'Suddenly Susan,' 'Caroline in the City' and anything in the UPN lineup have obscured this fact, it nonetheless remains true.