A notable early (1969-1974) example of this genre was the award-winning Room 222, one of the first fully racially integrated television series. The episodes blended comedy with weighty subjects such as race relations, integrity, student smoking and mortality as well as topical issues such as the Vietnam War and the plight of returning war veterans.
Another example was The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, which aired from 1987 to 1991.[citation needed] In fact, the term "dramedy" was coined to describe the late 1980s wave of shows, including Hooperman, Frank's Place, and Doogie Howser, M.D.[citation needed]
These early shows influenced how general TV comedies and series (especially family themed sitcoms) were developed. They often included brief dramatic interludes and more serious subject matter. An example of a successful comedy-drama series that distinguished this genre in television was the series Moonlighting. It generated critical acclaim and was a highly rated series worldwide. Another example of a successful comedy-drama was the television series Eight Is Enough. The show was distinct, because it was not a comedy-drama in the traditional sense. It was an hour-long series that used a laugh track, which was very unusual, but is considered a comedy-drama for the fact that it alternated between drama and comedy.[citation needed]
In the United Kingdom, the format first appeared successfully in 1979 with the long-running series Minder, along with other notable comedy-dramas such as Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Big Deal.
In addition, comedy-drama series have been associated with the single-camera production format.