By Martin Horn
2007

Originally broadcast on CBC Radio One’s “Definitely Not The Opera” (DNTO), this pieces explores the meaning and essence of that sitcom staple, the laugh track. It briefly explores the origins of the laugh track before examining the new crop of laugh track-less situation comedies emerging on the airwaves. The piece was written and performed by Martin Horn and produced at CBC studios in Montreal and Winnpeg. It features an interview with Ken Levine, a television writer with credits including Frasier, Cheers, and The Simpsons.

Death of the Laugh Track