An important factor of the sitcom format is that there is always a focus on TV. The TV is always an important part of the sitcom set, even if it is only implied and never seen. The TV on the set acts as a link between the viewer's TV in their home and the show, that way viewers can better relate to the characters in the sitcom. Just like the viewers, the characters are very absorbed by the TV. It is a center point in their lives, something solid in the always wacky world of sitcoms.
One of my favorite shows, 30 Rock, takes the importance of TV in sitcoms one step further. The entire show revolves around the production of a television show, which really heightens the importance of TV in these characters' lives. TV not only becomes a center point of their home lives, but of their professional lives as well. One character, Kenneth, lives and breathes television. As a page, he has the lowliest job of any character on the show, but he exudes this childlike (and hilarious) joy just because he works with what he loves: television.
Here's a clip from the show displaying Kenneth's love for TV.
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