when did this first emerge?
1950s
Sitcom
The terms "situational comedy" or "sitcom" were not commonly used until the 1950s.
when does episode 4 of rick and morty season 3 come out UNANSWERABLE when did this season start airing? April 1, 2017 what genre is this show? Animation, adult animation,  science fiction, sitcom what exactly is the last genre mentioned? It is  clipping for situational comedy, a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who carry over from episode to episode
wiki:8710961
Sitcom [SEP] History
The terms "situational comedy" or "sitcom" were not commonly used until the 1950s. There were prior examples on radio, but the first television sitcom is said to be "Pinwright's Progress", ten episodes being broadcast on the BBC in the United Kingdom between 1946 and 1947. In the United States, director and producer William Asher has been credited with being the "man who invented the sitcom", having directed over two dozen of the leading sitcoms, including "I Love Lucy," from the 1950s through the 1970s.