Laughtracks have been used with television shows since nearly the beginning of television. Because of that, you tend not to notice all the laughs that were later superimposed onto the show. But in the case of a failed sit-com pilot, "Meet the O'Briens", the laughtrack is noticeable because it was so poorly used...and featured tons of laughs at things that simply weren't funny. I am sure this must have had something to do with why the show never was picked up by the networks.
Why else was it a failed TV pilot about a young couple living with her parents fail? Well, a lot of the jokes are very slapsticky...such as Dave O'Brien falling down the steps or the engine getting torn out of his car by the dopey mechanic (Willie Best) or the father-in-law driving the car through the garage. If you love action, you might like all this. To me, however, it seemed forced and not particularly funny or fun to watch.
Why else was it a failed TV pilot about a young couple living with her parents fail? Well, a lot of the jokes are very slapsticky...such as Dave O'Brien falling down the steps or the engine getting torn out of his car by the dopey mechanic (Willie Best) or the father-in-law driving the car through the garage. If you love action, you might like all this. To me, however, it seemed forced and not particularly funny or fun to watch.