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1A comedian makes it big with a [[RecordedAndStandUpComedy stand-up act]] or a SketchShow, so naturally the executives make him or her the star of a standard SitCom, a rather different style of comedy. Sometimes it works; sometimes it fails badly.
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3A lot of it depends on the effort put into recreating what made the comedian famous in the first place. Many comics have quite a bit of vulgarity and bite in their routine, and when translated to prime-time TV a lot of that can be lost. Other times, the sitcom plot was decided upon long before the comic arrived and it has little resemblance to the routine.
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5And sometimes the sit com character will be more well liked than the comedian. This can lead to disappointment if a fan of the show watches the standup routine.
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7Very often, the comedian's character will share his first name. Expect a [[TheDanza Danza]] or two. Sometimes the show will be named after the comedian's ''last'' name despite it not matching the main character's.
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9May involve one of a DoubleAct or Comic Troupe going solo.
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11Almost all Dawn of Television Era sitcoms evolved from similar programs on the radio (many including much if not all of the original cast) who got their employ on radio from successful careers on Vaudeville. The others were borderline sketch shows in which the bits became progressively longer, usually produced by having Vaudevillians do their acts in front of a camera. It seems to be pretty well split between American sitcoms and a BritishSeries.
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13A title the likes of TheEponymousShow is probable, but by no means the rule.
14----
15!!Examples
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17[[foldercontrol]]
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19[[folder:Real Examples]]
20* The Creator/AbbottAndCostello show was produced by having the film and Vaudeville stars give their performances in camera-equipped area.
21* ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous'', starring Creator/JenniferSaunders -- expanded from the ''Series/FrenchAndSaunders'' sketch "Modern Mother and Daughter".
22* ''Series/AllAmericanGirl1994'', starred Creator/MargaretCho.
23* Paul Rodriguez's short-lived ''AKA Pablo''.
24* ''Series/TheBillEngvallShow'', starred Creator/BillEngvall. Another short-lived example. You'd think they would've learned from ''The Jeff Foxworthy Show'', considering both are in the same comedy troupe.
25* Both Music/BillBailey and Creator/DylanMoran moved into ''Series/BlackBooks'' from successful comedy careers.
26* ''Series/BlueHeaven1994'' was an early sitcom vehicle for Creator/FrankSkinner, who started out as stand-up and is now best known as a TV host/presenter/affable bloke.
27* Creator/BobNewhart: ''Series/TheBobNewhartShow'', ''Series/{{Newhart}}'', ''Series/{{Bob}}'', ''Series/GeorgeAndLeo''
28* Creator/GregGiraldo's short-lived ABC show ''Common Law'' ([[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant NOT]] the 2012 USA Network show of the same name.)
29* ''Series/TheCosbyShow'', ''Series/TheBillCosbyShow'' and ''Cosby'', all starring Creator/BillCosby.
30* Creator/SteveCoogan's stand up character Franchise/AlanPartridge was spun off into ''Series/KnowingMeKnowingYouWithAlanPartridge'' and ''Series/ImAlanPartridge''.
31* ''Series/{{Crashing|US}}'', starring Creator/PeteHolmes, very loosely based on his life getting into comedy
32* ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', an animated prime time series starring Creator/JonLovitz
33* ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm'', as Creator/LarryDavid was a standup comic before he became known as a TV writer.
34* ''Series/{{Dinnerladies}}'', created by and starring Creator/VictoriaWood.
35* Creator/DonRickles: ''C.P.O. Sharkey''
36* ''Series/TheDetectives'', starred Creator/JasperCarrott. [[SpinOff Expanded sketch]] from his Stand-up and Sketch Shows. He would later go on to star in ''Series/AllAboutMe''.
37* ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow''
38* Creator/EllenDeGeneres had two sitcoms on different networks, ''These Friends of Mine / Series/{{Ellen}}'' and the short-lived ''The Ellen Show''.
39* ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'', starring Creator/RayRomano.
40* ''Series/EverybodyHatesChris'', featuring Creator/ChrisRock. Unusually, the show is a fictionalized account of Rock's teenage years, and so Rock is played by a younger actor: Rock himself only provides narration.
41* Creator/SeanLock's ''Series/FifteenStoreysHigh''.
42* ''Series/FatherTed'': Both Creator/DermotMorgan and Ardal O'Hanlan were comedy performers rather than actors. O'Hanlan would later star in ''Series/MyHero2000''.
43* ''Series/FullHouse'' did so well that it singlehandedly destroyed Creator/BobSaget's reputation for working blue; afterwards, it was kind of jarring watching Danny Tanner make a cameo in ''Film/HalfBaked'' talking about how he sucked dick for coke.[[labelnote:*]]I seen him![[/labelnote]]
44* Creator/GeorgeCarlin had a sitcom called ''Series/TheGeorgeCarlinShow''. It was a surprisingly mainstream affair compared to Carlin's subversive comedy, which probably caused its early cancellation.
45* Creator/GeorgeLopez's [[Series/TheGeorgeLopezShow eponymous series]].
46* ''Series/GraceUnderFire'', based on Brett Butler's stand-up routine.
47* ''Series/HomeImprovement'' evolved out of Creator/TimAllen's stand-up routine. It wouldn't be surprising if fans of the family-friendly sitcom who weren't familiar with his stand up were shocked at how dirty his routine actually is.
48* ''Series/TheHoneymooners'', starred Creator/JackieGleason. An expanded sketch from his VarietyShow.
49* ''Series/TheHughleys'', starred Creator/DLHughley.
50* ''Series/TheJeffFoxworthyShow'' is a shorter-lived American example.
51* ''Series/TheJimGaffiganShow'', starring stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan AsHimself.
52* ''Series/TheJoeyBishopShow''
53* ''Series/KenanAndKel'', with Creator/KenanThompson and Creator/KelMitchell, previously of sketch show ''Series/AllThat''.
54* ''Series/TheKingOfQueens'' stars stand-up comic Creator/KevinJames.
55* ''Series/LeadBalloon'' converted Creator/JackDee's miserable stand-up persona into a sitcom.
56* Creator/LouisCK briefly starred in ''Series/LuckyLouie''. More recently, he starred in ''Series/{{Louie}}'' where he plays himself.
57* ''Series/{{Martin}}'', starring Creator/MartinLawrence.
58* ''Series/MasterOfNone'': Creator/AzizAnsari plays a fictionalized version of himself who is an actor and TV show host rather than a comedian.
59* ''Series/{{Miranda}}'', starring Miranda Hart, a recent successful example in the UK.
60* ''Series/{{Mulaney}}'' has Creator/JohnMulaney as a fictionalized version of himself performing standup as part of the show.
61* Joel Hodgson had a fairly successful career as a prop comic and magician before creating ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.
62* ''Series/NotGoingOut'' starring Creator/LeeMack. Also starring Creator/TimVine, who continues the bad puns from his stand-up act.
63* Hugh Dennis went on to feature in ''Series/{{Outnumbered}}''.
64* ''Series/PhoenixNights'', created by and starring Creator/PeterKay, Dave Spikey and Neil Fitzmaurice.
65* ''Series/PleaseLikeMe'', starring (and written by) Josh Thomas.
66* ''Series/{{Porridge}}'' and ''Series/OpenAllHours'', both starred Ronnie Barker from ''Series/TheTwoRonnies''.
67* Creator/ChrisBarrie, Creator/NormanLovett, Hattie Hayridge and Creator/RobertLlewellyn of ''Series/RedDwarf''. Though Barrie had done a bit of TV before this show, including sketch/puppet show ''Series/SpittingImage''. Lovett would later star in the sitcom ''I, Lovett'' whilst Barrie would eventually star in ''Series/TheBrittasEmpire'' and ''Series/APrinceAmongMen''.
68* ''Series/{{Ramy}}'', starring comedian Creator/RamyYoussef.
69* ''Rodney'', starring Southern comedian/singer (and ''Radio/TheBobAndTomShow'' fixture) Rodney Carrington.
70* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', one of the most successful examples.
71* ''Series/SanfordAndSon'' was the first of several of these for Creator/ReddFoxx, including ''The Redd Foxx Show'' and ''The Royal Family''.
72* ''Series/TheSarahSilvermanProgram'' is basically Creator/SarahSilverman's stand-up persona converted in to a sitcom.
73* ''Sean's Show'' was a NoFourthWall sitcom vehicle for Creator/SeanHughes.
74* ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' is one of the first shows to keep the main character's profession as a comedian. The original premise for the show was to examine how a comedian gets his material. The early seasons included clips of Creator/JerrySeinfeld doing his stand-up as segues between scenes as if his character had written a bit based on his experience during the episode.
75* ''Series/{{Sorry}}'' starred Ronnie Corbett from ''Series/TheTwoRonnies''.
76* ''Series/TheSteveHarveyShow'' was Steve Harvey's second, and better-known sitcom. His first, ''Series/MeAndTheBoys'' aired on ABC and was cancelled after a few episodes. It also featured another Sit Comic, Cedric the Entertainer.
77* ''Series/TerryAndJulian'' takes camp comic Creator/JulianClary and puts him in an apartment with a straight bloke. HilarityEnsues.
78* ''Series/{{Titus}}'', based on Creator/ChristopherTitus' one-man show, ''Norman Rockwell is Bleeding'' (his first comedy special, which touched on living with a highly DysfunctionalFamily and his life as a screwed-up person living in a world of "normal" people). Is considered one of the more successful examples of this trope as far as translating a one-man show into an ensemble comedy (even though it was canceled due to ExecutiveMeddling).
79* ''Up the Elephant and Round the Castle'' and it's sequel ''Home James'' starred Creator/JimDavidson.
80* ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'', starring Creator/DawnFrench of ''Series/FrenchAndSaunders''.
81* ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter'', featuring the kids Gabe Kaplan talked about in his stand up routine.
82* ''What a Country!'' was an American adaptation of the British sitcom ''Series/MindYourLanguage'' (about a classroom of immigrants studying English as a second language) tailored to Ukrainian comic Yakov Smirnoff, whose standup act was the TropeCodifier for RussianReversal and whose catchphrase provided the show's title.
83* ''Series/{{Whitney}}'', starring Whitney Cummings.
84* ''Series/TheYoungOnes'' partially evolved from writer/performer Creator/RikMayall's stand-up character and the acts of the other performers. Although it's so busting with skit-based digressions and defiant of continuity, the non-sitcom backgrounds of the writers is very much embraced.
85* Creator/PaulReubens is an odd example, having turned his unexpectedly successful ''adult'' stage parody of children's television shows into an actual Saturday morning kid's show.
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88[[folder:Fictional Examples]]
89* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' had Francine given one of these shows after her successful stand up revival.
90* This ''almost'' happens to the protagonist (a radio shock jock) in ''Film/TheFisherKing''. Twice.
91* On the above-mentioned ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', the boys are developing a sitcom based on Jerry's routine.
92[[/folder]]
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