All In The Modern Family: Why We Need Scripted Comedies

  • Friday, April 27, 2012 / 1:30 PM (PDT)
  • Pollock Theater
  • With Jane Feuer (Film Studies, University of Pittsburgh) , Bambi Haggins (Film and Media Studies, Arizona State University), David Marc (Author), Phil Rosenthal (Executive Producer), & Tom Yellin (Executive Producer)

A panel of scholars, entertainment journalists and people who have worked in comedy explored the social and cultural implications of half-hour scripted television comedies. Panelists discussed: the relationship between economic cycles and the demand for humor and comedies; comedies as a reflection of our society’s anxieties, fears, and hopes; and comedies as political satire. Panel was moderated by Howard Rosenberg, Pulitzer Prize winning former television critic for the Los Angeles Times.

Participants included:

  • Jane Feuer, Professor Film Studies, University of Pittsburgh
  • Bambi Haggins, Professor Film and Media Studies, Arizona State University
  • David Marc, Author, Educator and Associate Editor Syracuse University Magazine
  • Phil Rosenthal, Executive Producer (Everybody Loves Raymond)
  • Tom Yellin, The Documentary Group: Executive Producer (America in Primetime)

This event is sponsored by the Carsey-Wolf Center and the Department of Film & Media Studies.

CWC TV

In recognition of the extraordinary accomplishments of the Center’s namesakes, Dick Wolf and Marcy Carsey, the Carsey-Wolf Center is committed to examining television as an institution, industry, and cultural form. In our post-network, multi-channel, multi-media environment, understanding television demands understanding its past as well as its future, through exploration of individual episodes, mini-series, and documentaries.