Comedy drama

Comedy drama(also known by theportmanteaudramedy)^[1]^[2]is ahybrid genreof works that combine elements ofcomedyanddrama.^[3]In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, illness, betrayal, grief, etc.) are dealt with realism and subtlety, while preserving a humorous tenor.^[4]^[5]

The term "dramedy" began to be used in the television industry in the 1980s.^[6]^[7]^[8]Modern television comedy dramas tend to have more humour integrated into the story than thecomic reliefcommon in drama series, but usually contain a lower joke rate thansitcoms.^{[citation needed]}^{[not verified in body]}

History

InGreek theatre,plays were considered comedies or tragedies (i.e. drama). The former being light stories with a happy ending, and the latter serious stories with a sad ending.^[8]This concept even influencedRoman theatreand theatre of theHellenistic period.Theatre of that era is thought to have long-lasting influence, even in modern narrative works.^[9]

Even today, works are often classified into two broad categories: dramas and comedies. For instance, many awards that recognize achievements in film and television, such as thePrimetime Emmy Awardsand theGolden Globe Awards,^[10]^[11]segregate several awards into these two classifications.

The term "dramedy" is a translation from the French "comédie dramatique".^{[citation needed]}

The 20th century saw a rise in film and television works that could be described as comedy-dramas. In American cinema,The Kid(1921) byCharlie Chaplinis acknowledged as the firstfeature lengthfilm to blend comedy and drama.^[12]^[13]^[14]

Characteristics

In January 2022, Rafael Abreu, writing for the StudioBinder filmmaking blog, defined this genre as follows:^[15]

A dramedy is a movie or program that balances the elements of a drama and a comedy. Also known as a comedy drama, this hybrid genre often deals with real life situations, grounded characters, and believable situations. The ratio between the drama and comedy can vary, but most of the time there is an equal measure of both, with neither side dominating.

Abreu also adds that dramedies often deal with relatable and serious topics such as divorce, illness, hardship, and heartache.^[15]

Notable examples

Film

Examples of comedy dramas in film include:

Name	Year	Country	Notes
8½	1963	Italy
Annie Hall	1977	United States
Asteroid City	2023	United States
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths	2022	Mexico
The Celebration	1998	Denmark
Forrest Gump	1994	United States
Garden State	2004	United States
The Grand Budapest Hotel	2014	United States, Germany
It's Such a Beautiful Day	2012	United States
Lady Bird	2017	United States
Little Miss Sunshine	2006	United States	also considered atragicomedy
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood	2019	United States, United Kingdom
Punch-Drunk Love	2002	United States
The Royal Tenenbaums	2001	United States
A Serious Man	2009	United States, United Kingdom
Trainspotting	1996	United Kingdom
You, the Living	2007	Sweden

Television

Examples of television comedy dramas include:

Name	Year	Country	Notes
Ally McBeal	1997–2002	United States
MASH*	1972–83	United States
Desperate Housewives	2004–12	United States	^[16]
Doogie Howser, M.D.	1989–93	United States
Due South	1994–99	Canada
Fleabag	2016–19	United Kingdom
Hazbin Hotel	2024–present	United States
Hooperman	1987–89	United States	^[6]
The Love Boat	1977–86	United States
Moonlighting	1985–89	United States
Northern Exposure	1990–95	United States
Scrubs	2001–10	United States
Sex and the City	1998–2004	United States
The Wonder Years	1988–93	United States
You’re the Worst	2014–19	United States

References

^"dramedy".Lexico.Oxford University Press.2021. Archived fromthe originalon 8 December 2021.
^"dramedy".Oxford Learner's Dictionaries.Oxford University Press.Retrieved14 December2024.
^"dramedy".Cambridge Dictionary.Cambridge University Press.Retrieved30 May2018.a TV show or movie that is a mixture of drama (= telling serious stories) and comedy (= jokes and situations intended to make you laugh)
^Del Greco, Fabio (2023)."Dramatic Comedy Films to Watch".Indiecinema.Retrieved26 November2024.
^Thorpe, Vanessa (11 May 2019)."Seriously funny: why we fell in love with dramedies".The Guardian.Retrieved6 December2024.
^^a ^bKelley, Bill (23 September 1987)."The Best And The Brightest Abc's Hooperman — The Hands-down Winner Of The Best New Show Of The Year — Introduces A New Format," dramedy, "While Slap Maxwell Reintroduces Dabney Coleman".Sun Sentinel.Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2017.Retrieved24 September2017.
^Press, Joy (5 March 2018)."Meet the dramedy queens: the women who built TV's new golden age".The Guardian.Retrieved7 December2024.
^^a ^bCathcart, Olivia (1 July 2021)."Rethinking the Dramedy: WhatIsIt, Anyway? ".Paste.Retrieved11 April2022.
^Cartwright, Mark (14 July 2016)."Ancient Greek Theatre".World History Encyclopedia.Retrieved20 January2024.
^"2022–2023 Emmy Awards: Category List"(PDF).Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.4 January 2023.Retrieved7 December2024.
^"The Golden Globe Award Categories".Awardsandshows.com.2022.Retrieved7 December2024.
^Vance, Jeffrey (2003). "The Kid (1921)".Chaplin:Genius of the Cinema(PDF)(1st ed.). New York:Harry N. Abrams.p. 109.ISBN 978-0810945326– viaLibrary of Congress.
^McCarrick, Michael (16 June 2021)."How Charlie Chaplin's The Kid Changed Cinema History".CBR.Retrieved6 December2024.
^Travers, James (2009)."The Kid (1921)".FrenchFilms.org.Retrieved6 December2024.
^^a ^bAbreu, Rafael (9 January 2022)."Dramedy Explained — A Study of the Comedy Drama Genre".StudioBinder.Retrieved21 January2024.
^Weiner, Allison Hope (20 December 2004)."Is 'Desperate Housewives' a comedy?".Entertainment Weekly.Retrieved20 November2021.