Do you know what a sitcom is? A sitcom is a genre exclusive to the television industry. That's because it's short for "situation comedy," wherein the jokes need preparation and build-up to elicit laughs. This kind of comedy category is different from the earliest kind of comedy we saw on film and later on TV as well, which is called the "sight gag."

Sight gags were big during the silent film era, since the performers didn't need any sound to elicit laughter. This comedy genre involved being physical, contorting the face for reactions and performing pratfalls or similar antics. A person slipping on a banana peel is an early example of this kind of comedy.

But the advent of sound, and later of television, changed the landscape of comedy. These days, we are very used to having comedy set up for us, via short anecdotes delivered by stand-up comedians for instance, or carefully calculated narrative plot points that reach a comedic climax. So the sitcom derives humor from specific situations that are set up for laughs. 

The '80s are full of these great sitcoms with great set-ups. Thank the writers, actors and everyone else who made these sitcoms possible, because it's the hardest job in the world - to make people laugh! So, can you name these '80s sitcom gems? Give it a whirl and laugh your heart out reminiscing. Happy quiz-taking!