(Arrested) Development of Sitcoms

The sitcom is a long-standing fixture of television programming.  You only need compare proscenium sitcoms from today and from the birth of television to be able to see how little has changed aside from the subject matter.  I would like to focus on episodic sitcoms, however, to discuss sitcom characteristics.  Specifically, I'd like to focus on the now-defunct show Arrested Development to show how the episodic story structures function in the sitcom.

The episodic sitcom format is typically defined by a "three-act" structure and at least 2 plot lines which end up resolving in the third act.  However, these are mini-resolutions that don't actually result in much character growth.  This allows the next episode to start from a kind of clean-slate, where another plot line or story can begin without very much hindrance, which is pretty crucial for keeping a season going and for new ideas to be implemented.  While there is significant change over the season as a whole (as one might notice if they watched a season premiere and a season finale), there is very little from episode to episode.

Arrested Development illustrates this very effectively.  You could essentially watch any episode and see the three-act structure with multiple plot lines in action.  Since the premise of the show includes a very large number of characters (No less than 10), there are usually several things happening at once throughout each episode.  Each character's actions will inevitably end up affecting the others in ways that aren't immediately obvious, but once the "third act" occurs, and the episode comes to a climax, the multiple plot lines collide and the resolutions take place.  In one season finale episode, all of the characters unknowingly (in groups who arrive with their own respective motives) converge at a chapel, in which the father and mother figure of the family involved in the show are to be married to renew their vows (it would take a long explanation of the series to explain why this is a big issue).  When the family arrives, all of their problems collide, including one character's feud with another man who happens to be the chaplain at this particular church.  A fight ensues, and, eventually, most issues are resolved.  Though this is the season finale, when compared to the previous episode, there isn't a staggering amount of change involved.  The characters actually all end up where they started the episode (most notably the father character, who is returned to prison, where he spends much of the series).