The (already canceled) show, Friends With Better Lives, has turned into my guiltiest of pleasures. Not only is the writing and casting as flat as can be, the sets are a laughable stereotype. The extreme conventionality of the living room set inspired me to dig deeper into the sitcom living room, and explain the reasons for some of the conventions.

A residential multi-cam sitcom (Friends, Seinfeld, New Girl, etc.) is focused around the living room because there are infinite plot lines that could take place either in, or passing through, the room.

To maximize the number of story options, you need to maximize the number of ways people can enter and interact with the space. The most versatile sets are the ones that incorporate the largest number of the following: