The Importance of Being the Fourth Wall

            The “fourth wall” is a characteristic of sitcom television, as well as realistic theatre.  By creating a wall between the audience and the actors a barrier is achieved that separates reality from the world, created on stage.  Sitcoms, created out of the world of vaudeville theatre also use this technique to make their viewers forget the worries of their real world and distance themselves from reality.  The fourth wall is also useful for the technical crew of television.  By creating a wall that is never seen by the audience the camera crews are able to have a spot to film.  It also allows for people, such as directors, producers etc., to directly view and control the scene, which is being filmed.  One interesting point that Mr. Tain made was that often times the fourth wall is typically where the television should be in the room; almost as if we are the television, the entertainment for the characters.

One of my favorite sitcoms, That 70’s show uses the fourth wall continuously.  That 70’s Show follows the more traditionally comedy sitcom set up by placing nearly all of the scenes in the settings of homes, the main one being that of the main character- Eric Foreman.  The room probably most essential to the characters lives’, the basement, is set up so the fourth wall is exactly where the television should be.  This set up follows for other rooms such as the Foreman’s living room as well as the Pinciotti’s. By keeping the fourth wall, as well as other traditional styles of sitcoms, the viewers are able to feel as if they really were watching a show from the seventies, instead of one filmed a few years ago.