Synopsis

Over fifty million people tune in to situation comedies every night. They help shape the way we look at ourselves and allow us the chance to escape the monotony of day-to-day life. In sitcoms, jobs last only a few hours, the coffee pot is always full and friends are always dropping by. But who are the minds behind the shows? Go behind the scenes on the sets of the networks' most popular shows and into the meetings of their most powerful people. We see how stars are created... and destroyed. We see all of the blood, sweat, tears and lunches involved in the creation of our cherished nighttime friends and neighbors.

Get the inside story on the most popular sitcoms, past and present: "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "Friends," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Murphy Brown." Hear how shows that almost never made it to air went on to become some of the most unforgettable programs in television history. Travel the creative highways from production meetings to writers' rooms and out onto the set. Follow the script into the rehearsal and watch stars Ray Romano, Holly Robinson Peete and Christina Applegate bring life to words on the page. See the prep work that goes into getting tonight's show on tape; and pace the halls with the actors pumping up for their moment of truth.

We hear from the writers of "The Simpson's" and "King of the Hill" and learn the secrets to longevity and how they keep their humor so fresh and topical with such a long production schedule. Watch the illustrators bring color to Springfield and focus to Arlen, Texas. Never has it looked brighter for the genre, but the changes that will take place over the next twenty years will be sweeping.