Cinematography question on AITF

[D-Dey]

Was "All in the Family" the first sitcom to be filmed in the same lighting as most soap operas, sports events, variety shows, and TV News programs(unlike say "Happy Days," or "Will and Grace")? If not, which one was?

[corwayn2]

I don't know, if you mean, a blend of COMEDY-DRAMA-EDUCATION, but, M*A*S*H was BOTH COMEDY AND DRAMA,because the show dealt with surgeons and wounded patients in the KOREAN WAR. If ALL IN THE FAMILY was DEFINITELY a blend of COMEDY-DRAMA, and LESSONS, it could've been the FIRST. As far as I know, it was the KING of shows that dealt with menopause, birth control, rape, and M*A*S*H(the TV series)came after ALL IN THE FAMILY

[D-Dey]

I'm not talking about the subject matter. I'm talking about the lighting and cinematography. M*A*S*H dealt with controversial subjects, but it was shot on film, or at least appeared to be. All in the Family looked like it was shot on videotape with incredibly bright lighting. The topics of each sitcom have nothing to do with the way they were filmed. I just want to know if AITF was the first sitcom to be filmed the way it was.

[TV Guy]

I don't know if it was the first sitcom to be videotaped, rather than filmed, but it was one of the first, and certainly the first successful one. It definitely started a trend, as videotaped sitcoms proliferated throughout the 70s.

[corwayn2]

I was growing up, when ALL IN THE FAMILY FIRST came on the air. To get to your point, it WAS the first show announced to be RECORDED ON TAPE. I didn't know another similar kind of show before it. SANFORD AND SON was the SECOND show i heard about being recorded in the same manner.