Sitcoms have provided casual comfort to fans for more than 70 years. A lot has changed throughout sitcoms' rich history, and naturally, some clichés have gone out of style. Tropes can add a lot to a story but when creators overuse them, they become repetitive and predictable.

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As a genre, sitcoms rely on formulas, but that doesn't mean they always have to use the same ones. As time passes, some jokes become less and less funny. In fact, the best sitcoms tend to give these outdated tropes a little twist – providing familiarity and something ostensibly new.

10 Laugh Tracks Are Cringey In The 21st Century

Raj, Howard, Leonard, Bernadette, Penny, Sheldon, and Amy on the couch in The Big Bang Theory

At the beginning of sitcoms, series usually had a laugh audio in the background that came from the live audience watching the show's taping. By the end of the '50s, Charles Douglas invented the laugh track, used to "sweeten" the recording if a joke didn't land properly with the live audience.

Eventually, most laugh tracks were canned laughter, but more contemporary audiences find this incredibly annoying. Canned laughter is a lazy resource sitcoms only use when they aren't confident in their jokes. Adding a laugh track is one of the things no sitcom should ever do because no one needs the show to tell them when to laugh.

9 "Nice Guys" Aren't As Nice As They Think

Ted comes to Robin with the Blue French Horn in How I Met Your Mother finale

Sitcoms that revolve around romance usually have the same archetype as their male lead. He's usually a geeky, apparently sweet man with an inferiority complex, and a very romantic soul, like Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother.

The problem with this archetype is that it sets a very low standard. These characters are always compared to actual jerks, so they seem nice but they're often as problematic as their antagonists. Series need to include more actually lovable geeky characters, like Ben in Parks & Recreation, and discard this standard model.

8 Fathers Are The Fun Parents, While Mothers Are The Killjoys

Claire looking at Phil upset

After decades of sitcoms relying on the bitter husband and unhappy wife, in more recent decades, sitcoms shook the dynamic. They started creating loving husbands like Hal Wilkerson, Phil Dunphy, and Chandler Bing. Unfortunately, they also made them childish. On top of that, their wives are always the responsible ones that ruin the party.

These characters were a huge step into a less toxic representation of marriage, but they still have a long way to go. Phil Dunphy is an exceptional father but barely an authoritative figure, leaving all the household responsibility to Claire. These man-child attitudes are often abused in sitcoms, and they only perpetuate terrible marriage dynamics.

7 Mismatched Pairings Are Predictable

Charlie and Alan Harper in Two and a Half Men

One of the most basic storylines in sitcoms is the unfortunate combination of two entirely incompatible characters. These pairings are usually made of a laid-back, chill person and an uptight nitpicky one who has to deal with the other. The humor in these series usually relies on the desperation of the sensible one in front of the lack of common sense of the other.

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Some examples are Alan and Charlie Harper (Two and a Half Men), Max and Caroline (2 Broke Girls), and Leonard and Sheldon (The Big Bang Theory). It can be found almost in any show, and it's not only predictable but also tiresome. On top of everything, it's unrealistic since people tend to hang out with people they consider similar to them.

6 Even The Most Dramatic Love Stories Are Predictable

Rachel kisses Ross after Watching prom video in Friends

Although they explore the lives of many characters, sitcoms usually revolve around specific couples, like Ted and Robin, Ross and Rachel, and Nick and Jess. The problem with these relationships is that they're incredibly unstable, but they're also portrayed as the best love stories.

During many seasons, these characters fight, make up, ruin their group dynamic, and go back to each other without truly reflecting on what they're doing. It's tiresome, mainly because the audience knows they'll end up together. So it's refreshing to watch sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, where the main couple's relationship develops organically and isn't just there for drama.

5 There's Always A Token Straight Beautiful Tomboy

Donna, Kelso, and Eric sitting on the couch in That '70s Show

As of 2022, proper television representation has become a must, but some sitcoms still do the bare minimum. For instance, it's very common that these shows only have one female character, who incidentally is a victim of internalized misogyny.

Characters like Robin in How I Met Your Mother or Donna in That '70 Show, who, together with the boys, make fun of feminine girls. These "I'm not like the other girls" kinds of women are yet another sexist trope that forces women to be either one of the other.

4 Bad Traits Are Usually Reduced Over Time Or Simply Ignored

Jeff Winger from Community

Since sitcoms always aim to be comfort shows, antagonists rarely remain on the wrong side. One of the most common tropes in comedy series is the way most characters shed their unlikable traits with almost no reflection on the topic. Even if, in the beginning, they were the worst, they end up winning over the other characters as well as the fans.

All sitcoms have these unlikeable characters. For example, Jeff in Community is arrogant, lazy, and cynical, but the study group loves him. Ron Swanson is paranoid, prone to violent outbursts, and full of prejudice, but since he's also incredibly loyal and charming these elements fade into the character's background.

3 Whenever Things Seem To Get Better, They Don't

George Constanza laughing in Seinfeld

One of the worst things about sitcoms is the way they rely on others' misfortunes to make audiences laugh. Because of this, characters rarely get a break. For example, George Constanza's storylines on Seinfeld always depend on him being a loser. Even if things seem to be improving, by the end of the episode, something always ruins it.

This kind of plot is evidence of lazy writing. Relying on the same joke for a character means they won't develop. Over the course of a couple of seasons, this can be okay. However, a show where everyone acts the same and never learns anything gets stale.

2 Dumb Characters Aren't Funny, Just Random

Haley in Modern Family

One of the most unambitious ways to create comedy is through a stupid character. A random person spewing nonsense will usually audiences laugh. However, jokes for the sake of jokes show a lack of creativity.

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On top of this, this trope can also fall into sexist territory. When the character in question is male, he's usually lazy and unemployed, like Joey in Friends or Andy in Parks & Recreation. When they're a woman, they're usually a very attractive woman with child-like attitudes, such as Rachel in the first few seasons of Friends, Haley in Modern Family, and Jackie in the first seasons of That '70s Show.

1 The Wacky Neighbor

Agatha Harkness smiling in WandaVision in black and white

Since sitcoms try to be relatable, they often make the audience believe that the main characters are more like them than anyone else. Generally, this means strange-but-stereotypical people surround the heroes. The humor relies on how viewers would feel if they were caught in those weird interactions.

The easiest way to include these bizarre characters is through neighbors since protagonists are forced to interact with them. There's a limit to how weird things can get, but sitcoms go the extra mile, such as with Mr. Heckles and the Naked Guy in Friends, or Kramer and Newman in Seinfeld. This is so common that even WandaVision parodied it with its main villain, Agatha Harkness.

NEXT: 10 Worst Sitcoms With The Best First Impressions