Yes! I came across an article that made that point in my thirst to read everything about this series I could get my hands on, and I thought it was really telling. Because we expect conflict and wacky shenanigans and uncomfortable situations from television, especially from sitcoms -- I don't think the trick would have worked nearly as well in any other genre. So, are all the sitcom characters living in hell? It's a fascinating way of looking at the question, anyway.