In a time of political correctness and inclusivity, comedy television viewers are looking for shows that not only provide them with entertainment but also problematic free punch lines. Brooklyn Nine-Nine cold opens have been delivering top notch buddy-cop comedy without making characters use the stereotypical or obvious punchline. This is relevant to how as a society we are moving toward a movement of comedy that will use a character’s race, gender, or sexuality to enhance character depth and the range of comedy available instead of using it to keep the less represented groups quiet. The use of cold opens in Brooklyn Nine-Nine allows viewers to be engaged in the first sixty to ninety seconds of each episode, while characters deal with current societal issues without taking away from the enjoy ability of the show.
To understand how writers are able to work in comedy and societal commentary without taking away from an enjoyable show, this presentation will present three factors of why these cold opens are successful- the use of introducing characters each episode, making a casual point about a central subject, the viewer building an emotional attachment to both these cold opens and the characters’ popularity within the genre. By the end of this presentation, I will argue that Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s use of cold opens is necessary and successful because of the comedic elements not putting down or promoting a specific group of people/stereotypes. This approach to television comedy raises the bar of network comedies, while at the very least, providing entertainment to a wide range of audiences.
*I’ll be doing this project as a 5-7 minute presentation in class*