The Fourth Wall

Sitcoms, or situation comedies, are TV shows that are created in series with several episodes connecting each other. The information from one carries into the next and gradually increases. One key aspect of sitcoms is that generally, not always, they are focused on a particular set sometimes with an audience in the background which is known as the “fourth wall.” The fourth wall can be where an audience is that isn’t seen or just where the camera crew is and all of the technical equipment. However, mainly in a sitcom you only see three walls at a time. For example, has anyone ever seen the right side of Monicas apartment in Friends? I sure haven’t and I obsessively have all the seasons and greatest hits.
The Office is an example of a sitcom. It is cumulative, also known as serial in the TV world, and is a funny extension of the theatre. Different situations arise and are dealt with in a humerous way with star Steve Carell as their leading man. Anyways, when you are watching an episode you never see the camera turn around in a 180 degree angle because there is that sense that the audience is the fourth wall. Having the audience be the fourth wall gives the viewer a sense of peeking in on what is happening as if there is a piece of glass separating the action from the viewer (oh the irony). This gives the audience a feeling of being nosey on an issue that perhaps without they would not have seen.