The
Four-Man Band is a primarily comedic group, designed for a sitcom or domcom. The four distinct personalities are specifically designed to play off each other so that whatever happens that day,
Hilarity Ensues.
Please note that the
Four-Man Band does
not include
The Hero. The focus is evenly spread between them. If there is a
Main Character (rare) they can easily be any one of the Band, or it can just be switched between episodes to give focus to different characters. Even the four roles can be shuffled around a little.
Compare and contrast
Four Temperament Ensemble. The band most commonly includes:
- Only Sane Man - Or maybe just the guy who comes the closest to being sane most often. Every zany gang must have a straight man, and the other three leads have to share one. While his (or her, although the role is usually male) friends act out, the Normal Guy's role is to Lampshade and be embarassed by their behaviour. He will be more successful with the opposite sex than his friends, notably The Pervert.
- The Smart Guy - More intelligent than his friends. This variant is primarily geared towards Lampshading the relative stupidity for the others and being humiliated for his arrogance. Alternatively he may be a Mad Scientist type, with insane inventions.
- The Pervert - This guy has a perverted mind. He usually takes one of two common forms - the Loveable Sex Maniac whose high sex drive is his most memorable trait, or the Comedic Sociopath, who has bursts of hilarious violence. In lighter examples, certain concepts may be Played for Laughs, whereas in darker examples the character may draw on Black Comedy Rape.
- The Butt Monkey - A character who serves as a target for the others' jokes. There are a few tropes that could make the Band's Butt Monkey; The Ditz, the Extreme Doormat or others. This member has remarkably less charisma than his friends or is a better target for jokes. The others will pick on him frequently and make him the target of practical jokes. Sometimes, however, this character may get one over on his bandmates, and this will thoroughly humiliate the others.
Examples:
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Anime/Manga
Fan Fic
Film
Literature
Live Action TV
The Big Bang Theory
| Only Sane Man | Leonard Hofstadter |
| The Smart Guy | Sheldon Cooper, and how. |
| The Pervert | Howard Wolowitz |
| The Butt Monkey | Raj Koothrappali. He's shy to the point he can't even speak to women unless drunk, and is generally awkward. |
Fringe
| Only Sane Man | Olivia Dunham. Peter sometimes takes a crack at this, especially when Olivia shows up at his apartment at ungodly hours. |
| The Smart Guy | Peter Bishop: IQ 190. |
| The Pervert | Walter Bishop. He would be the smart guy, but he's just too darn insane to function. |
| The Butt Monkey | Astrid. Walter can't even remember her name. |
The Inbetweeners
| Only Sane Man | Simon Cooper. Not, however, the Main Character. |
| The Smart Guy | Will Mackenzie, who speaks French and is something of a high flyer |
| The Pervert | Jay Cartwright, who has been singularly attributed with bringing the word clunge back into the popular lexicon |
| The Butt Monkey | Neil Sutherland. While he is more successful with the opposite sex than the others, he takes The Ditz to extreme levels and is the target of the others' jokes |
Red Dwarf
Los Simuladores /
The Pretenders
The Nanny
Seinfeld
Impractical Jokers
The Young Ones
Shameless
Maguire boys
| Only Sane Man | Paddy Maguire. Frustrated at the failed initiatives and incompetence of his sons |
| The Smart Guy | Jamie Maguire. Generally speaking, the most independent and able of the sons |
| The Pervert | Mickey Maguire. Mainly his obsessive love for gay porn |
| The Butt Monkey | Shane Maguire. Pretty much identified for his lack of common sense or intelligence, early on. |
Happy Days
| Only Sane Man | Richie Cunningham and The Fonz (the roles trade depending on the episode's plot). |
| The Smart Guy | The Fonz and Richie Cunningham (the roles trade depending on the episode's plot). |
| The Pervert | Ralph Malph. |
| The Butt Monkey | Potsie Weber. |
Video Games
Western Animation
Web Comic
