situation comedy

Word family

• sitcom
  nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Situation comedy' is the full term for a humorous radio or television series that keeps the same main characters and puts them into a new ordinary problem in each episode. In everyday speech, most people simply say 'sitcom'. 'Comedy series' is wider and can include other formats besides sitcoms, while a 'sketch show' usually changes characters and settings from one sketch to the next. 'TV comedy' is the loosest label and does not by itself tell you whether the cast continues across episodes.

Common collocations

Etymology

The term joins 'situation' and 'comedy'. It became common in the mid-20th century for radio and later television programmes whose humour comes from the same characters meeting new everyday troubles from week to week. The shorter form 'sitcom' later became the usual everyday word.