Comedy drama

Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> is a hybrid genre that combines elements of comedy and drama.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, illness, betrayal, grief, etc.) are handled with realism and subtlety, while preserving a light or humorous tone.<ref name="Greco">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Thorpe">Template:Cite news</ref>

The term "dramedy" began to be used in the television industry in the 1980s.<ref name="Kelley">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Press">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Cathcart">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Modern television comedy dramas tend to have more humour integrated into the story than the comic relief common in drama series, but usually contain a lower joke rate than sitcoms.Template:Citation neededTemplate:Not verified in body

History

In Greek 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.<ref name="Cathcart" /> This concept even influenced Roman theatre and theatre of the Hellenistic period. Theatre of that era is thought to have long-lasting influence, even in modern narrative works.<ref name="Cartwright">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> segregate several awards into these two classifications.

The 20th century saw a rise in film and television works that could be described as comedy-dramas. In American cinema, The Kid (1921) by Charlie Chaplin is acknowledged as the first feature length film to blend comedy and drama.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Characteristics

In January 2022, Rafael Abreu, writing for the StudioBinder filmmaking blog, defined this genre as follows:<ref name="Abreu">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.{{#if:|

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Abreu also adds that dramedies often deal with relatable and serious topics such as divorce, illness, hardship, and heartache.<ref name="Abreu" />

Notable examples

Film

Examples of comedy dramas in film include:

Name	Year	Country	Notes	Refs.
3 Idiots	2009	India
8½	1963	Italy
American Fiction	2023	United States
As Good as It Gets	1997	United States
Asteroid City	2023	United States
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths	2022	Mexico
Birdman	2014	United States
Eighth Grade	2018	United States
Fallen Angels	1995	Hong Kong
Forrest Gump	1994	United States
God Is Brazilian	2003	Brazil
Goodbye, Dragon Inn	2003	Taiwan
Inside Llewyn Davis	2013	United Kingdom United States France
It's Such a Beautiful Day	2012	United States
Jerry Maguire	1996	United States
Juno	2007	United States
Lady Bird	2017	United States
Little Miss Sunshine	2006	United States	also considered a tragicomedy	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Love Exposure	2008	Japan
Manhattan	1979	United States
Moonrise Kingdom	2012	United States
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood	2019	United Kingdom United States China
That Obscure Object of Desire	1977	France, Spain
The Banshees of Inisherin	2022	United States
The Big Short	2015	United States
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros	2005	Philippines
The Celebration	1998	Denmark
The Darjeeling Limited	2007	United States
The Edge of Seventeen	2016	United States
The Grand Budapest Hotel	2014	United States, Germany
The Holdovers	2023	United States
The Illusionist	2010	United Kingdom France
The Kid	1921	United States
The Kids Are All Right	2010	United States
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou	2004	United States
The Man Without a Past	2002	Finland
The Royal Tenenbaums	2001	United States		<ref name=":0" />
The Rules of the Game	1939	France
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri	2017	United States
Trainspotting	1996	United Kingdom
Triangle of Sadness	2022	United States
Up in the Air	2009	United States
You, the Living	2007	Sweden

Television

Examples of television comedy dramas include:

Name	Year	Country	Notes	Refs.
Ally McBeal	1997–2002	United States
Andi Mack	2017–2019	United States
Barry	2018–2023	United States
Desperate Housewives	2004–12	United States		<ref name='Weiner">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Doogie Howser, M.D.	1989–93	United States
Due South	1994–99	Canada
Eight Is Enough	1977–81	United States
Elsbeth	2024–present	United States
Emily in Paris	2020–present	United States
Entourage	2004–2011	United States
Fleabag	2016–19	United Kingdom
Gilmore Girls	2000-2007	United States
Hacks	2021-present	United States
Hooperman	1987–89	United States		<ref name="Kelley" />
Ludwig	2024	United Kingdom
Monk	2002-09	United States
Moonlighting	1985–89	United States
Northern Exposure	1990–95	United States
Only Murders in the Building	2021-present	United States
M*A*S*H	1972–1983	United States
Sex and the City	1998–2004	United States
Shrinking	2023-present	United States
Succession	2018–2023	United States
Ted Lasso	2020-present	United States
The Bear	2022-present	United States
The Big C	2010–2013	United States
The Love Boat	1977–86	United States
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel	2017–2023	United States
The White Lotus	2021-present	United States
The Wonder Years	1988–93	United States
You’re the Worst	2014–19	United States

See also

• List of comedy drama television series
• Black comedy
• Melodrama
• Story structure
• List of genres

Further reading

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