Television comedy

Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them. Similarly, many early United States television programs were variety shows including the Texaco Star Theater featuring Milton Berle; comedy acts often taken from vaudeville were staples of such shows.

The range of television comedy is extremely broad to the extent that anything under the heading comedy can be put before an audience through the medium of television. However, it is true to say that certain genres of comedy transfer to the small screen more successfully than others. Many cartoon television comedies have been produced and aired. These include the likes of The Simpsons, South Park, Futurama and Family Guy.

Sitcom

Britt Robertson

Brittany Leanna "Britt" Robertson (born April 18, 1990) is an American actress. Her film debut was in The Ghost Club (2003), for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award. Her subsequent films include Keeping Up with the Steins (2006), Dan in Real Life (2007), The Tenth Circle (2008), Mother and Child (2009), Avalon High (2010), Scream 4 (2011), The First Time (2011), Delivery Man (2013), Ask Me Anything (2014), The Longest Ride (2015) and Tomorrowland (2015). Her television series work includes Swingtown (2008), Life Unexpected (2010–11), The Secret Circle (2011–12), and Under the Dome (2013–14).

Early life

Robertson was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, the daughter of Beverly (née Hayes) and Ryan Robertson. Robertson grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the oldest of seven children; her mother and stepfather have three children (2 girls, 1 boy) and her father and stepmother also have three children (1 girl, 2 boys).

When she was 14 years old, Robertson moved from North Carolina to Los Angeles to audition for TV pilots. Her grandmother, Shuler Robertson, came with her. Robertson said that they would knit together during down-time on set. She has been living on her own since her grandmother returned to North Carolina when Robertson was sixteen. They remain close. She also stayed in Chester, South Carolina with her grandparents, Shuler and Jerry, for a couple of months while filming The Ghost Club.

Cobie Smulders

Jacoba Francisca Maria "Cobie" Smulders (born April 3, 1982) is a Canadian actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Robin Scherbatsky on the television series How I Met Your Mother (2005–14) and Maria Hill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Early life

Smulders was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to a Dutch father and an English mother. She was named after her great-aunt, from whom she gained the nickname "Cobie". Smulders describes herself as "a fluent listener" of French.

Smulders worked in modeling, which she later said she "kind of hated", adding that the experience made her hesitant about pursuing acting as a career: "You know you go into these rooms, and I've had the experience of people judging you physically for so long and I was over that. But then it was like, 'Oh no, I have to actually perform. I have to do well, and I have to have a voice, and I have to have thoughts now.'"

As a youth, Smulders aspired to be a marine biologist. Describing her transition to her eventual professions, she said,