Shows like "The Office" and "Modern Family" took the idea of mockumentary filmmaking and ran with it, but it seems that this filming and storytelling technique is getting a little old. I am going to make a bold statement and say that it's time rebuild the fourth wall. Characters are talking to their audience all the time and it's leading a loss in the specialness of the act.
The act itself was used back as far as Shakespearean storytelling, but it was used sparingly because it was meant to be a shocking thing, something odd and out of place. There is a growing overuse of it, and can sometimes lead to a laziness in writing and acting. Now the characters inner thoughts are privy to the entire audience, and loses some of the magic of the entertainment value of the show or movie. The sign of great acting and great storytelling is conveying feelings without having to tell the audience how you feel.
To all the writers out there, it's time to go back to the basics.
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