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Bing Tv Comedy Quiz: 10 Questions With Answers
Television comedy has evolved from early variety shows to include sitcoms, sketch comedy, improvisational acts, and news satire. This quiz tests your knowledge of the different comedy genres, landmark shows, and how TV comedy has shaped entertainment and society over the decades.
Looking for Microsoft's own quiz? It is on your Microsoft Rewards dashboard. This page is our own practice quiz on the same topic, so you can learn the facts first. For the daily image quiz see today's Bing Homepage Quiz.
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Pick A, B or C for each question. The right answer turns green and a short fact explains it.
All 10 questions and answers
Every question with its answer and explanation. Open “Show answer” after you guess.
1 What was the first television sitcom ever broadcast?
- A Pinwright's Progress from the U.K.
- B I Love Lucy from the US
- C Texaco Star Theater from the US
Show answer
✓ Answer: A. Pinwright's Progress from the U.K.
Did you know? Pinwright's Progress aired from November 1946 to May 1947 in the U.K. with ten episodes broadcast bi-weekly, making it the first television sitcom.
2 Which Milton Berle program is considered one of the first US television comedies?
- A Texaco Star Theater
- B Your Show of Shows
- C The Tonight Show
Show answer
✓ Answer: A. Texaco Star Theater
Did you know? Texaco Star Theater was one of the first US television programs and was most prominent from 1948 to 1956 when it featured Milton Berle.
3 I Love Lucy topped the Nielsen ratings charts how many times out of its six years on the air?
- A Six times
- B Two times
- C Four times
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✓ Answer: C. Four times
Did you know? I Love Lucy was popular in Nielsen's audience ratings, topping the viewing charts in four out of their six years on the air.
4 What type of couple first appeared together on I Love Lucy?
- A A multilingual couple
- B A same-sex couple
- C An interracial couple
Show answer
✓ Answer: A. A multilingual couple
Did you know? I Love Lucy became the first sitcom to have a multilingual couple, with Lucy being American and speaking English, while Ricky was Cuban and spoke Spanish.
5 Which improvisational comedy show was created in 1988 by The Comedy Store Players?
- A The Mary Whitehouse Experience
- B The Daily Show
- C Whose Line is it Anyway?
Show answer
✓ Answer: C. Whose Line is it Anyway?
Did you know? Whose Line is it Anyway? was created in 1988 by The Comedy Store Players, Mike Myers' improvisation students in London.
6 What was unique about how Curb Your Enthusiasm actors performed their scenes?
- A They used a laugh track during filming
- B They had only general episode summaries and often created their own lines
- C They performed entirely unscripted with no preparation
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✓ Answer: B. They had only general episode summaries and often created their own lines
Did you know? The actors of Curb Your Enthusiasm had general episode summaries to rely on, but would often create their own lines when they were in front of the camera.
7 When did The Daily Show become more well-known?
- A When it started in 1996
- B When Jon Stewart began hosting in 1999
- C During the 2000 presidential election
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. When Jon Stewart began hosting in 1999
Did you know? The Daily Show became more well-known when Jon Stewart began hosting in 1999, and the award-winning show mocks political events and candidates.
8 Which sketch comedy show was pioneered by Sid Caesar and debuted in 1950?
- A Saturday Night Live
- B Your Show of Shows
- C Monty Python's Flying Circus
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. Your Show of Shows
Did you know? Sketch comedy was pioneered by Sid Caesar, whose Your Show of Shows debuted in 1950 and established many conventions of the genre.
9 What was the nickname for stand-up comedy shows that became popular on cable in the mid-1980s?
- A Studio sets
- B Brick wall shows
- C Bare stage shows
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. Brick wall shows
Did you know? Stand-up comedy programs became popular on cable channels beginning in the mid-1980s as brick wall shows, nicknamed for the stereotypical use of a fake brick wall as a backdrop, were cheap to produce and air.
10 What distinguishes a comedy-drama from a conventional sitcom?
- A Comedy-dramas use a laugh track
- B Comedy-dramas are always 30 minutes long
- C Comedy-dramas have a more realistic tone and are shot with a single-camera setup
Show answer
✓ Answer: C. Comedy-dramas have a more realistic tone and are shot with a single-camera setup
Did you know? A comedy-drama combines humor with serious dramatic elements and aims for a considerably more realistic tone than conventional sitcoms. These programs are shot with a single-camera setup and presented without a laugh track and typically run an hour in length.
About Tv Comedy
Television comedy has been a staple since the early days of broadcasting. The Texaco Star Theater, featuring Milton Berle from 1948 to 1956, was one of the first major US comedy programs. Over time, the genre expanded to include sitcoms, stand-up comedy, and comedic elements woven into drama and news programming.
Questions and facts checked against the Wikipedia article Television comedy. How we write quizzes: editorial policy.
Tv Comedy Quiz FAQ
Is this the official Bing Tv Comedy Quiz?
No. BingQuiz.net is independent and not affiliated with Microsoft. This is our own free practice quiz on tv comedy, written from the Wikipedia article linked on this page. Microsoft's quiz is on the Microsoft Rewards dashboard.
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