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Film & Television vocabulary · Television Formats and Series

Sitcom

Meaning in film & television, with examples

/ˈsɪtkɒm/nounCore term

In film & television, sitcom means: A comedy series, short for situation comedy, in which the same characters appear in funny situations, usually in a few familiar places such as a home or workplace.

In Turkish: durum komedisi, sitcom

How it is used

Classic US network sitcoms run about 22 minutes for a half-hour slot. A multi-camera sitcom is shot on a studio set, often in front of a live audience or with a laugh track; a single-camera sitcom is shot more like a film.

Example sentences

  1. The sitcom is set in a small dentist's office in Ankara.

  2. We record the sitcom on Friday nights in front of a studio audience.

Common collocations

  • family sitcom
  • workplace sitcom
  • multi-camera sitcom
  • laugh track
  • sitcom writer
  • seriesA TV or streaming programme made of many episodes that share the same characters, subject or story.
  • episodeOne part of a TV series, podcast or web series that is broadcast or released as a separate programme.
  • genreA category of films or TV shows that share a style, subject or set of conventions, such as comedy, horror, western or science fiction.
  • prime timeThe evening hours when the largest number of people watch TV, so channels show their most important programmes and charge the most for adverts.

More terms: Television Formats and Series

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