外国人最想和你聊的文化话题：美剧

　Realize US TV Series　认识美剧

     1　美国情景剧
     Although the concept of sitcoms had its inception in the Radio broadcasting section, it is those popular television sitcoms that still linger in our memories. The sitcoms that made us laugh, made us cry but most of all, sitcoms allowed everyone of us to see ourselves within the complex yet real characters. Suppose if every one of us were asked to list down the most popular sitcoms, there would be countless different and varied lists. However there are a few popular ones that always feature in every list. Let's have a look at some of the most popular sitcoms, which we followed religiously and loved thoroughly...
     One of the most popular sitcoms in America which ran into 11 successful seasons and was known for its catchy jingle Where Everybody Knows Your Name. Almost all of the episodes happened in the front room of a bar and created some legendary characters like Sam, Carla, Rebecca, Norm, Dianne, and of course the most popular -Dr. Frasier. Cheers had several running gags, which included Norm arriving in the bar greeted by a loud Norm! Years of laughter and jokes that can still be enjoyed on re-runs and even DVDS, Well Cheers to that!
     Perhaps the longest running and most successful sitcom that ran into ten seasons from 1993 to 2004 that revolved around Dr. Frasier Crane, the character from the popular sitcom Cheers. The sitcom Frasier won 37 Emmy awards during its 11 year run. In this sitcom, Dr. Frasier Crane returned his hometown of Seattle, Washington, after a broken marriage in Boston. The show portrayed Frasier's struggle to live a bachelor's life in presence of his father, an ex-police officer Martin Crane, A frequent visitor to the Frasier apartment is his younger brother Niles, who is also a psychiatrist. The Simpsons was the most popular animated American sitcom ever. It was a burlesque spoof on the conventional American family, which always conveyed some social message without sounding didactic. The Simpsons were portrayed as the classic American dysfunctional family complete with Homer, Marge Lisa and Bart and Maggie.
     2　美剧常用术语的表达方式
     Columbia Broadcasting System　（CBS）哥伦比亚广播公司
     CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS) is a major US television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System.
     National Broadcasting Company　（NBC） 全国广播公司
     The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank, California and Chicago, Illinois.
     FOX　福克斯广播公司
     Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as simply Fox(and stylized as FOX), is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
     哥伦比亚及华纳兄弟联合电视网（CW）
     美国广播公司 （ABC=American Broadcasting Company）
     家庭电视广播网 （HBO=Home Box Office）
     Prime time　　 　　　　　　　 黄金时段
     Season　　　　 　　　　　　　 季
     episode　　　　 　　　　　　　集
     spin-off　　　　　　　　　　　衍生剧集
     Rating　　　　　　　　　　　　抽样收视率
     Transcript　　　　　　　　　　剧本
     soundtrack　　　　　　　　　　电视电影的配乐（通常我们叫原声碟）
     美剧的许多传统得以逐步立，其中"季"的运营模式最为现代中国观众所了解。"季"是各大电视网播出新作品的季节，一般从9月中旬开始到次年4月下旬，时长约30周。每年秋季，美国电视网纷纷推出自己的新剧，或者延续之前已经获得成功的经典剧集。这段时间天气较冷，人们一般较少外出，电视的开机率和收视率大幅提升。通过这种每年固定的播出时段，我们可以在许多长寿的美剧中找寻美国社会变迁的轨迹。