Comedy drama

In Greek theatre, plays were considered comedies or tragedies (i.e. drama): the former being light stories with a happy ending, and the latter serious stories with a sad ending.^[8] This concept even influenced Roman theatre and theatre of the Hellenistic period. Theatre of that era is thought to have long-lasting influence, even in modern narrative works.^[9]

Even today, works are often classified into two broad categories: dramas and comedies. For instance, many awards that recognize achievements in film and television, such as the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards,^[10][11] segregate several awards into these two classifications.

The 20th century saw a rise in film and television works that could be described as comedy-dramas. In American cinema, The Kid (1921) by Charlie Chaplin is acknowledged as the first feature length film to blend comedy and drama.^[12][13][14]

In January 2022, Rafael Abreu, writing for the StudioBinder filmmaking blog, defined this genre as follows:^[15]

A dramedy is a movie or program that balances the elements of a drama and a comedy. Also known as a comedy drama, this hybrid genre often deals with real life situations, grounded characters, and believable situations. The ratio between the drama and comedy can vary, but most of the time there is an equal measure of both, with neither side dominating.

Abreu also adds that dramedies often deal with relatable and serious topics such as divorce, illness, hardship, and heartache.^[15]

• List of comedy drama television series
• Black comedy
• Seriousness
• Melodrama
• Story structure
• List of genres