TV shows with canned laughter feel fake. I don't like being told that something is supposed to be funny - if I like a joke, I'll laugh on my own, thank you. Of all the comedy series I've followed to completion, e.g. Scrubs, Futurama, and Family Guy, none have used laugh tracks. I just don't like the stand-up comedy feel.

I don't mind live audience laughter, but canned really takes away from the show...unles you're watching MAS*H.

I actually like laughter. I'm a little slow and clueless, so it helps me know what I should be enjoying.

Actually, I really do like laughter if it feels like a real audience. You can watch some shows and hear the same canned laughter for every joke and it's easy to start listening for the same sounds. Shows that are taped with a live studio audience feel more genuine and funnier. I have heard commentary that indicates that some sitcom editing studios work very hard to mix real audience laughter that was recorded from the taping rather than just plugging in some standard recording.

Personally, I like it without the laughter. However I wouldn't want to change shows that had laughter to a quiet background. I think MASH and Seinfeld with the laughter is part of what makes the show

I think nostalgia is clouding my judgment regarding why I don't mind fake laughter/live-studio-audience laughter.

For new shows, I just prefer my shows--single-camera scripted sitcoms--without laughter. Like many of you, it just feels too fake, unless it is a televised stand-up special, Louie, or a show like SNL.

However, I can sit, watch and enjoy re-runs of Friends, Wings, NewsRadio, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Frasier, Cheers, and Seinfeld (obviously an incomplete list) with laughter.

I hate canned laughter. Live studio audiences can be annoying too. I sometimes watch old sitcoms and the audience literally does laugh after every line! Are they that easily amused?

I'm reminded of listening to the commentary tracks for Futurama: "That four million lines of basic joke, when that was pitched in the writer's room someone said only one percent of the audience would get it and when asked about the other ninety-nine percent, Eric Kaplan said, quote: screw them."
If there's a laugh track, that show can't make jokes that have a limited audience or are harder to notice (like background jokes) because people will be put off when they hear people laughing but they don't know why. I think, therefor, that laugh tracks lead to fewer jokes

Without. I like to add my own laughter.

::insert Stewie forced laughter track here::

@kc6201: I imagine the big 'laughter' sign has something to do with it

Absolutely without. I don't like having the funny stuff pointed out to me. The Office is a prime example of comedy without laugh tracks.

As someone who has had to add canned laughter to a show per request of the producer... ughh.... awful. Adding a laugh in post won't fix a broken punchline.