Sitcom Analysis: Focusing on "The Big Bang Theory" (USA) and "Home With Kids" (China)

The differences in laugh track insertion points (LIP) between American and Chinese sitcoms were analyzed using the American show The Big Bang Theory and the Chinese show Home With Kids. The results showed that American sitcoms frequently employ interactional patterns such as “roundabout rephrasing,” which are commonly utilized in English-language sitcom production. It is also suggested that the “gap between true feelings and public appearances” functions as a source of entertainment by encouraging viewers to interpret implicit meanings within scripted dialogue. These patterns can be interpreted as reflecting differences in how verbal interaction is utilized within sitcom production contexts, rather than indicating any inherent linguistic superiority. In Chinese sitcoms, there was a tendency to turn a single thing into an LIP by exaggerating it, such as “exaggeration,” and to add gestures and movements to make it more entertaining, such as “strange movements.”