"HAPPY DAYS IS FILMED BEFORE A STUDIO AUDIENCE"

[nightfly61]

I always wondered if they needed that disclaimer or not & was Happy Days the show who rotated the most of the cast into each cutting one? I know the Jeffersons cast had theirs during closing credits.

 

[WMC2006]

I vaguely recall (REALLY vaguely) that various members of "Laverne & Shirley" each told us at various times that their show was filmed before a studio audience.

I believe All in the Family was taped and then shown to "a studio audience for live responses" or something to that effect. I only recall Carroll O'Connor telling us that one.

 

[tlyle]

A bigger question: How much are laugh tracks used if a studio audience is also there? In other words, do they enhance the laugh more than the audience reaction?

 

[WMC2006]

I would say probably, yes, in post-production. But I'm sure someone from the tv/technical field can give a much better and long-winded technical answer. ;D

 

[Stanislav]

I believe All in the Family was taped and then shown to "a studio audience for live responses" or something to that effect. I only recall Carroll O'Connor telling us that one.

Originally, the announcement was "AITF is recorded on tape in front of a studio audience" or words to that effect. In the later years of the show (and into Archie Bunker's Place), they changed the practice to taping and editing the show without an audience, THEN showing the results to a live audience (usually as a "bonus" when a live audience was around for another show), and their responses recorded and added to the audio track: thus, it became "played to a studio audience for live responses" in the disclaimer.

 

[Stanislav]

A bigger question: How much are laugh tracks used if a studio audience is also there? In other words, do they enhance the laugh more than the audience reaction?

I would say probably, yes, in post-production. But I'm sure someone from the tv/technical field can give a much better and long-winded technical answer. ;D

I am not a techie, though I do sometimes give long-winded answers. Most shows that film/tape with an audience at some point "sweeten" the audio track for one reason or another. It might be a joke that didn't come off quite as well as they thought, or perhaps the audience is just not very responsive on a particular night. (There's the famous story of one of the Fawlty Towers episodes seemingly falling rather flat in front of the live audience....then they learned that a bunch of the people in the seats were from an Icelandic tour group with limited understanding of English.)

Some series used to also tape the dress rehearsal with a studio audience, so if a scene or bit worked better in dress than in the actual performance, they can substitute. (Though that can make for continuity problems -- there's an episode of AITF with Edith's drag queen friend Beverly LaSalle in which he/she sneaks up behind Archie and kisses him on the head. There is an obvious jump in the position of the resulting garish lipstick print, indicating that although the show was taped "live," they must have cut in a close-up reaction from dress for that episode.)

Sometimes both dress and the "official" taping don't go well for a particular bit, either because of difficulty with the timing or logistics, or problems with the actor's lines, especially when something strikes them as funny, and they get into one of those repeated giggling fits like you see on the "Bloopers" shows. When that sort of thing happens, they will sometimes do "pick-ups" of specific bits after the audience has left, and edit the best take into the finished episode -- in that case, they might well use some sort of "canned" laughter.

It's like the famous I Love Lucy "mirror" bit with Harpo Marx. Even though most of the content of those shows was filmed with a live audience, that bit just proved to be too troublesome. Harpo had just recently had heart surgery, and his timing was a little off, and even with the combined talents of he and Lucy, it's a damn hard routine to perfect. (Plus, reportedly, Harpo kept changing the routine as they did more takes, adding in new schtick.) What you see on the finished episode is the product of many takes that were later edited together and "sweetened" with canned laughter. (But they should not be ashamed -- obviously, you can tell that the original version with Groucho and Chico in "Duck Soup" was most certainly NOT done in one, uninterrupted continuous take!)

 

[RicoGregg]

Here's a "dirty little secret" that they don't tell you:

Sitcoms filmed or taped before a live audience employ "paid laughers" who are located at strategic places within the audience. Utilizing the theory that when someone coughs or clear their throats, others will follow, the laughers start guffawing at designated parts of the show that they've been tipped off to, and more often than not, other audience members follow.

An unemployed actor I know has been doing this in between acting gigs for years. They usually get around $50 a show for their services.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

With regards to "Happy Days", I thought the show was not as good with the "live audience" laughs added; however it was done.

 

[radiorob2.0]

Those disclaimers are traced back to the early days of radio. Believe it or not, it was a sin to air recorded material. I don't believe it was a FCC rule as much as protocol for an announcement a program was recorded. By the mid seventies, shows placed the disclaimer in the closing credits. I don't believe there is even a mention anymore.

On a similar subject, KHJ's daily disclaimer about airing recorded material is used at the beginning of Everclear's AM Radio

 

[Stanislav]

Those disclaimers are traced back to the early days of radio. Believe it or not, it was a sin to air recorded material. I don't believe it was a FCC rule as much as protocol for an announcement a program was recorded. By the mid seventies, shows placed the disclaimer in the closing credits. I don't believe there is even a mention anymore.

On a similar subject, KHJ's daily disclaimer about airing recorded material is used at the beginning of Everclear's AM Radio

Um...wrong thread? (I think you meant to post in this one?)

Happens to the best of us. Even I've been known to make a goof or two posting here. Well...more than a couple. All right...a lot! (Fat fingers and an aging brain.....) ;D

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Originally, the announcement was "AITF is recorded on tape in front of
a studio audience" or words to that effect.

Wasn't it Meathead who voiced this announcement, at least
for a couple of seasons?

And didn't Weezie do the honors for The Jeffersons?

 

[Stanislav]

Originally, the announcement was "AITF is recorded on tape in front of
a studio audience" or words to that effect.

Wasn't it Meathead who voiced this announcement, at least
for a couple of seasons?

Rob Reiner did the original announcement; Carroll O'Connor did the later, revised one.

 

[LABreeze]

Originally, the announcement was "AITF is recorded on tape in front of
a studio audience" or words to that effect.

Wasn't it Meathead who voiced this announcement, at least
for a couple of seasons?

And didn't Weezie do the honors for The Jeffersons?

Isabel Sanford who plays "Weezy" on The Jeffersons did the audio honors on there and I think Sherman Hemsley (George) did some about maybe by the 8th season or something like that.

 

[nightfly61]

Getting back to the "Happy Days" thought, I wonder if they just had them all do them at once & cart 'em up for post production (or reel) or if they went around & got them to go into a sound studio to cut them like what we used to do with office Christmas greetings. I even remember Chachi & I think even Jennie Piccolo doing one. Howard Cunningham's is the most remembered though.

Laverne & Shirley did the same with Carmine, Edna & Frank. I don't recall Lenny & Squiggy doing one though.

On a similar note, since I've never been to a taping of ANY show so I'm curious:
Say you've got someone irate in the audience of a taping of Conan or Leno. Do people have to sign anything when they go sit in the audience to say you can't interrupt the flow of the show? What if someone has a bad cold & are coughing through the entire taping? I know the audience isn't that far from the stage that the stage mics can't pick up interference. I just picture sitting watching Family Feud & someone having an allergic reaction to the lady's perfume sitting behind them & going into a sneezing fit with John O' Hurley having to stop & wait 'til they escort the sneezer out the door. Or John McCain's on Letterman & someone that's not a fan starts "fake coughing" to interrupt the taping/filming(whatever).
You'd think weirdos in New York that have nothing better to do would go down to the NBC building & sit in & try to make distinct noise to go home & tell their friends about & to get ready to listen for their stupidity, come 12:30. I also think it's cool Conan's the only show that leaves the crowd mics up right off the bat while Joel Godard is doing the intro.

 

[radiorob2.0]

Those disclaimers are traced back to the early days of radio. Believe it or not, it was a sin to air recorded material. I don't believe it was a FCC rule as much as protocol for an announcement a program was recorded. By the mid seventies, shows placed the disclaimer in the closing credits. I don't believe there is even a mention anymore.

On a similar subject, KHJ's daily disclaimer about airing recorded material is used at the beginning of Everclear's AM Radio

Um...wrong thread? (I think you meant to post in this one?)

Happens to the best of us. Even I've been known to make a goof or two posting here. Well...more than a couple. All right...a lot! (Fat fingers and an aging brain.....) ;D

I was addressing the announcement mentioned in this post, but the other thread is along the same lines.

 

[Grindlfan]

With regards to "Happy Days", I thought the show was not as good with the "live audience" laughs added; however it was done.

I agree completely. The live studio audience reactions were annoying when Happy Days began to film live. Shreaks whenever one of the cast members, especially Henry Winkler would enter a scene, or the Ooooooooooooh's and Ahhhhhhhhhhh's whenever something big would occur. This still happens today with live audiences, though we have so few scripted sitcoms anymore, well ones worth tuning in to anyway.

Off topic, I also think making The Fonz the center of nearly every episode on Happy Days also ruined that show. I bought only season one of Happy Days on DVD. That was the only season I feel was truly good and untainted.

 

[YEKIMI]

I'm waiting to here "[name of show] was taped in front of a stupid old audience"

 

[Prais]

Or (to be fair here) "taped in front of a bunch of giggly 16 year old girls who would laugh at anything."

 

[nightfly61]

Saved By the Bell was one of the worst for ooh-ing & aaahhh-ing teenie-boppers in the audience. I'd cringe every time a kissing scene came on or when the guys (not Screech) came on in muscle shirts. :

 

[Stanislav]

Saved By the Bell was one of the worst for ooh-ing & aaahhh-ing teenie-boppers in the audience. I'd cringe every time a kissing scene came on or when the guys (not Screech) came on in muscle shirts. :

Frankly, the mere mention of that show is enough to make ME cringe.....