I feel like everything should have humor, to some degree. Not everything needs to be a comedy, but even the most tragic situations have a place for it. It's a natural human defense mechanism; it makes suffering characters believable. I never heard so many jokes as the night I was with my family at the hospital, watching over my grandmother.

That's how people work.

I think it was described really well by Ron Moore in one of his Battlestar Galactica commentary podcasts (I think in "Battlestar Galactica Roundtable Podcast"). The gist being that, humor is required in the acting, even if none is in the writing. It's important that it's there, even if it's not played up, because otherwise it's not believable.

It just stands to reason that characters must be put in awkward situations, conflicts, etc. Not every dramatically-burst-open door has to lead to someone slitting their wrists. So I'm posing some questions to you folks, and to myself:

1. How much humor is too much in a drama?
2. What are some great examples of humor in drama?
3. Are there any successful dramas with zero humor?
4. Are there any funny dramas which suffer for their levity?
5. Here you can say I'm full of crap, if you need.

(I'd prefer if "dramedy" was left out of this discussion, as I think it's sort of a pointless word; dramas are funny, and comedies have drama. There doesn't really need to be a middle ground, imo, but argue that if you feel it's important--not just semantic--to the discussion.)

1. So long as the humor is tone-appropriate, I'm not sure it can be too pervasive. Slapstick aside, scatological jokes aside, you can write a really funny story that's successful as a drama, not a comedy.
2. Dexter succeeds wildly here, in my opinion. Burn Notice is okay, although Michael's repetitive sarcasm is pretty tiresome. The post-apocalyptic Jericho has many hilarious moments, and Breaking Bad's serious subject matter doesn't stop it from being very, very funny throughout.
3. Battlestar Galactica has humor on occasion, but by and large (other than Baltar) it's pretty straight-faced. The 4400 also had a relatively low occurrence of humor (again, crazy doctor aside), and I loved that show, but I feel like this is a strike against it. It could've been a better drama with the ability to laugh at itself, to show characters that weren't 100% serious all day, everyday. That's one reason I never watched beyond the first season of 24; there was so little character to it.
4. Don't really have an answer for this one.
5. I already know I'm full of crap.

1. I'd scrap the jokes that lighten the tension instead of letting it go for a sec just to grip on tighter. As long as it's relevant, it's good.
2. Edward Albee.
3. Hmmmm. If there ain't any, the audience will invent something just to keep the spirits up.
4. See 1
5. Nah. ;)

1. Personally, I draw the line at slapstick in drama, it really only fits to break a moment of extreame tension but I'm not a fan. In general I think most humour comes from the characters, using humour to lighten the mood, defuse or increase tension or rile an opponant. I think that's the best kind of humour to use because it's natural and easy to relate too.

2. Bones and NCIS for me do it wonderfully well. NCIS in particular, you get a lot of very good very funny interplay between the principle characters but it never detracts or distracts from the plot. The writers know exactly when to inject humour and when to pull it back. Life, as well is excellent for using the quirks of the main character to draw humour into an otherwise proceedural cop show.

3. For my money, no. I don't see the point of producing anything that does not have any humour to it because for me, as a viewer, it's dull.

4. The new series, Leverage, I find is a little tiresome and repetative in their humour. Castle, with Nathan Fillion as well doesn't have quite the mix of comedy and drama yet, I don't think. Then again, there's only been 3 episodes so... ^-^

5. Not full of crap, it's a fair point you're making. Just 2/3 crap ^-^

1. It's too much if there are ZERO grounded characters. I think someone needs to give the views from a non-humorous side to keep things serious.
2. In changeling, the prim and proper MC unrightfully locked up in a psych ward curses the evil doctor in his face. Laura screams over the intercom system in Battlestar, "I'm coming to get you all!" or something like that. Great scene. It works when humor spurts out in the most serious of moments because that humor BECOMES the expression of the seriousness of the moment.
3. I can't remember if it has zero humor, but Ordinary People was an extremely dry movie. But it was a great movie all the same.
4. It's truly a matter of opinion whether something is too light or not. I like very serious dramas but the rest of my family likes it lighthearted. I suppose the writer uses most what he/she likes.
5. All writers are full of crap at various points of their writing day! Hehe.

jade
p.s. All of the above is my own opinion. I'm sure there are those who would disagree with me.

I recommend watching "Little Miss Sunshine" for a great example of humour in a drama. I am pretty sure that the director swears it is not a comedy but I was laughing my butt off the entire time I was watching it.

1. I always like to have one character, main or minor, who has one or two quirky or funny lines it in. I don't take to well to overly dramatic movies or tv shows, so I don't want to write them.
2. Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, uh... Sports movies. Seriously. Remember the Titans is supposed to be some hardcore football movie, and it has all them teenaged boys there.
3. Uhhh. Yes? Well, it depends on the person's sense of humour. And the actors' skill.
4. Burn After Reading. I liked the movie... but I'm not sure what genre to put it in. I don't even know. The Coen Brothers confuse me, most times.
5. Meh. Dunno.