View all news stories

Would TV be the same if we didnt watch is from the comfort of our sofas?

The 1980s gave birth to breakfast television and an intrinsic part of the studio set up was the use of sofas to seat the presenters and guests. The sofa theme has continued over the years. Most of the major television channels provide a breakfast magazine show, usually consisting of news, sports, current affairs and popular culture and the majority of these shows are fronted by pleasant presenters seated on sofas. The use of sofas in the studio provides an atmosphere of comfort and intimacy, to the extent that the studio appears to be an extension of the viewers’ living space.

Sofas appear less formal than individual chairs, the viewer and the presenter may be sharing the same type of seat, the viewer may be more inclined to linger watching a programme if they are sitting comfortably or perhaps even lying on a sofa. Presenters seated on sofas share the same space as any guests. Perhaps the most famous morning television show with a sofa as a major part of the studio furniture is This Morning. The show is now 21 years old and the presenters still sit on sofas to front the programme. The anniversary show saw the return of the original presenters Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley. The sofa set up was such a success for the couple that they retained the format when they moved to an early evening slot on Channel 4, and then their subsequent satellite station show.

The format of the sofa as the focal point for the presentation of television programmes has been a phenomenal success and has been transferred across numerous shows. Another famous television sofa was the sofa that resided in Central Perk in the American sit com Friends. A sofa is a space to share with others, it enables relationships to form and encourages a sharing of thoughts and opinions but in a non-confrontational way.

The successful morning programmes have succeeded because they appeal to the viewer and make them feel at ease. The decision to furnish a television studio with sofas is very deliberate, television producers are appealing to a very specific audience. Generally sofas are used in shows that want to project a softer image, they want to invite the viewer to enjoy the programme and be comfortable with the presenters. Sofas are comfortable, safe, friendly and intimate, viewers feel at ease when a presenter is seated on a sofa, there is no air of threat or disharmony.