Is House a dramedy? A TV Squad poll

Please get rid of the preposterous "dramedy" category. It's a meaningless distinction that just makes your navigation system more confusing.

All of those shows are "Drama". Just because they're funny sometimes doesn't put them into a unique category. "Lost" is funny sometimes. "Criminal Minds" is funny quite often. Just like real life, all believable drama has a bit of humor in it.

"Monk" is the closest thing to a real "Dramedy", and yet you have it in the "Drama" category. "Psych" is another, and it's in the "Comedy" category for some reason. What, does a dead body on "Monk" count as drama but on "Psych" it's humor?

We could argue all day, or you could just do the sensible thing and get rid of the category. Before, if I wanted to find "Monk", I'd have to check two of your categories. Now I have to check three. Where's the improvement?

With regard to Bones, the issues dealt with on this show are entirely too serious for it to be considered a comedy, and since the comedic elements in each episode are merely the dramatic device known as comic relief (that is, "occasional humor inserted into an otherwise serious work to relieve tension in the audience due to sadness, suspense, horror, etc."), they are not nearly enough to change the show's category to comedy, either.

I recall there was actually one episode where my cheeks and fingers ached at the end because I had been clenching my jaws and clutching the chair's arm rests the entire final segment. Bones is no more a comedy than ER is.

I'm surprised that half the people think "House" is a dramedy. The show is called "House" because it focuses on the main character, who is a uniquely complex individual played by a uniquely talented actor. It's not called "Princeton-Plainsboro TH" with all the actors taking turns at their schtick. It WORKS as a unique DRAMA because of Hugh Laurie's exquisite portrayal of a man with many powerful sides to his personality, some of which are quite funny. If this show were to be classified as a dramedy, we'd have to put up with lesser talents having to "be funny" more often than they do. I LOVE all the actors in this show, but Hugh Laurie is the shining star, and his great dramatic complexity is what makes the humorous touches so wonderful!

I'd differentiate by Jane Espsenson's test: If characters tell jokes to make the audience laugh: comedy. If they tell jokes to make each other laugh: drama.

By this estimation House is safely in the drama category, Scrubs clearly a comedy, etc.

Honestly I love the closer but I don't think of it as being that funny.

Oy vey!261 to 258 drama/dramedy for House as of this comment's writing. That's not helping the TVSquad staff any, I think *laugh*

I'm with Brian the half hour vs hour designation making the most sense. Some of these shows are tough to define (though I personally would only count Rescue Me and Desperate Housewives as dramedys on that list... from what I've seen of the fall it might get trickier with stuff like Pushing Daisies), so you'll get people confused if they think something belongs in one category and can't find it. Of course, then the Office will go and have a bunch of hour long episodes, and make even the 30/60 minute designation confusing.

If we go by that Evan than Will and Grace would have to be a dramedy because the last few episodes (sucked0 and were "dramic".

I agree with Vito, has to be an hour long comedy. Boston Legal, Gilmore Girls, those are.

MASH may have been a dramedy, but my point stands. The only other show I agree with is Psych. Its more comedic than dramatic. If Rescue Me is dramedy, then Scrubs definitely is and Roseanne and the special "friends death" episode of Family Ties and a very special episode of Different Strokes and the category is so wide it ceases to have any value.

I would actually add "Scrubs" to the list of dramedies. Though the show is quite goofy and cartoonish at times (particularly in the recent seasons), its dramatic moments can be quite emotional and poignant. Let's just say it's certainly in a different tier than pure comedies like a "Two and a Half Men" or a "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

I was shocked with the outcome of Rescue Me. I agree with #5 Sean. I think that show is a perfect example of a Dramady. Two words. Spank Bank.