Work

A Great Place: Sitcoms, Apartments, and New York City

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This essay considers how U.S. television sitcoms set in New York City that first circulated on broadcast networks in the 1990s and 2000s generate discourse on apartment living and urban space. Departing from The Friends Experience , an immersive entertainment staged in shopping malls following the twenty-fifth anniversary of Friends (NBC, 1994–2004), the essay considers how the fantasies associated with apartment living became a recognizable programing trend during a specific moment in time, as well as how those programs have lingered in the time since. Programs discussed include Friends , Seinfeld (NBC, 1989–1997), Living Single (Fox, 1993–1998), and Mad About You (NBC, 1992–1999, 2019). Of particular interest: how sitcoms set in New York City apartment buildings during this era both normalize encounters with otherness and educate consumer desire.

Source: Television & New Media

DOI: 10.1177/15274764251396089

Author: Hollis Griffin

Institution: University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Media and Digital Communication

Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650