Why So Many Sitcoms Look the Same

When the question in the title is posed, they aren't talking about the laugh track, the jokes, the plot, or even the sets. This is about the three-camera technique, which was developed by German filmmaker Karl Freund, and worked so well that eventually all sitcoms used it. It's not just the cameras, but also the studio audience and the lighting that give it a particular style. Vox explains the three-camera technique, why it works, and how it became so ubiquitous. (via Laughing Squid)