Although situation comedies (sitcoms) are a staple source of entertainment in America, their content is controlled by "gatekeepers" in all three phases of production. Gatekeepers are those individuals who are able to control the content of material that appears in the sitcom. Production occurs in three phases called, pre-production, production, and post-production. Gatekeeper influence starts in pre-production.

Pre-production starts many months before any studio set is built, or actors are hired. The first gatekeeper is the production company. They have the right to decide which ideas are worth sending in to production. They decide if the premise and context of the proposed show will resonate with audiences. Pushing the boundaries of acceptability may be a way to generate new audiences or alienate an existing audience. Production companies must make that call. One example of pushing the boundaries of acceptability occurred back in the 70's with a sitcom called, "All in The Family". This show depicted a working class man, named Archie Bunker, and the ups and downs of his average blue-collar family. While very controversial at the time, the show was later seen as one of the first shows to realistically address racial integration and racial tension and the foolishness of bigotry. Once the show is funded then writers are hired to begin working on scripts for the show. Writers work with the executive producer to develop a story line. The executive producer is another gatekeeper. She or he has the broad authority, usually as the show's creator, to decide how their vision is developed and portrayed to the public. Once pre-production work is completed, the sitcom moves in to the production phase. Production of a sitcom involves building a set, hiring actors, and assembling a production team. At this stage, the executive producer still has authority to change aspects