The matter is, as far as I'm concerned, is it actually a live audience or a recording?

In the first case, I'm with Lucy, you get the best of both worlds, a live performance AND, since it's recorded anyway, the chance to redo bits that didn't quite work, with the added bonus that you have the audience's "complicity" when you need more than one take, and that can be an added "boost" to actors' performances, indeed!

A recorded laugh-track American-style is, however, a plain insult to the viewer's intelligence, if you ask me...

I often wonder WHY they do it... is it a matter of "tradition", dating back to when all TV shows were recorded live, in the USA as well, so the audience is just used to it and would miss it...

Or is it really because, as some evil-minded folks believe, your average American audience these days wouldn't just know WHEN to laugh themselves, unless prompted, simply because they don't understand the gags?

Next question is, if the latter is true, they don't understand the gags because they're all stoopid, or are the gags themselves simply not funny at all?

In fact, let's make clear that I'm joking, the apparent dumbness and stubborness of the "Wide American Public" I see just as a bloody excuse for greedy producers for making all sorts of dumb shows and horrible remakes of European and/or old B&W movies.

I just can't believe anyone could actually appreciate the remake of "Ladykillers" better than the original, one of the crown jewels of British Comedy in films, together with most of the Ealing comedies, so why not just showing the original again? Because there's no money to be made in that is the only REAL reason, not that Americans wouldn't appreciate a story set in London in the 40s...

However, back on topic, "live" laughters might have some positive effects, as I was saying, but you're also right yourself when pointing out they might be distracting, at times.

Especially if English is not your first language, the darn laughters often wipe out the punch-line of a gag, when the audience can see what's coming and start laughing even before the punch line is delivered. I hate that!