If this is a comedy series in a shared universe, it might be wise to go over the examples. E.g. Fred and George Weasley from Harry Potter are just regular characters, even if comic relief ones. Indeed, most of the examples are character-based; even accounting for the comic books where the various "series" are mainly character-based in nature.
It's a little more complicated than just being a series and the fact that it's a trope from comics skews it. It is both the work and the characters and events in that work. In most cases with comic books the two are almost interchangeable a lot of the times. Which makes defining it outside of comics harder.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
The Other Troper
Okay, I think we can call this crowner.
I'm on the internet. My arguments are invalid.
Given the support for a rename, I've created a Alt titles crowner here
and filled it with a few suggestions from this thread.
Our future is a madhouse
Not sure about "contrast with darker series" part. It looks like a relative quality, after all. Maybe it needs to become a redirect to Life of the Party, with current Life of the Party moved to Natural Born Jester or something. As in, "fun to be around" and "clown" are sometimes close, but distinct.
edited 24th Feb '12 5:44:29 AM by TBeholder
...And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense - R.W.Wood
Ravenous Sophovore
Clocking the thread. Tick tock, on the clock / But the party don't stop, no...
Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.
Crown Description:
It could use more stressing on that point, I agree.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick