What do I Love Lucy, Seinfeld, Arrested Development, and Rick and Morty have in common? Yes, it’s true that none of them are a small duck named Stanley; but far more interestingly, their plots are all structured according to the same formula.

Almost all sitcoms can be divided into seven segments, each of which sets up or advances the plot in a specific way. As a result, it’s possible to predict at around what minute in an episode the main character will declare their goal, encounter their first obstacle, and succeed or fail at getting what they want. This formula is the reason sitcoms can be written at such a fast rate, and sometimes wind up seeming, well … formulaic. But it’s also the reason many sitcoms are able to find new and groundbreaking ways of being funny.

