laugh-track
Prerecorded audience amusement
A laugh-track is prerecorded laughter added to a comedy program during post-production, cueing viewers when something is meant to be funny.
The technique became standard in American sitcoms from the 1950s onward: The jokes weren't landing, but the laugh-track kept rolling.
A show filmed before a live audience may still use a laugh-track to sweeten or replace audience reactions.
Episodic TV comedy series
- comedyWork meant to amuse
- punchlineHumor's final delivery
- timingArt of choosing moments
- setupHow something is arranged
joke · gag · CBS · NBC · network · primetime · syndication · rerun
Sealed for preservation
- pre-recordedCaptured beforehand for playback
- fakeNot the real thing
- syntheticProduced artificially, not natural
- simulatedMade to imitate reality
manufactured · sweetening · looped · overdubbed · dubbed · inserted · edited · added
Causing mild irritation
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
- condescendingSuperior and dismissive manner
- insultingShowing contempt through words
- outdatedNo longer in use
unnecessary · lazy · cheap · alienating · off-putting · jarring · unfunny · cringe
sitcom
Episodic TV comedy series
setup · joke · gag · CBS · NBC · network · primetime · syndication · rerun · episode
canned
Sealed for preservation
- pre-recordedCaptured beforehand for playback
- fakeNot the real thing
- syntheticProduced artificially, not natural
simulated · manufactured · sweetening · looped · overdubbed · dubbed · inserted · edited · added · stock
annoying
Causing mild irritation
- manipulativeSkilled at controlling others
- condescendingSuperior and dismissive manner
- insultingShowing contempt through words
outdated · unnecessary · lazy · cheap · alienating · off-putting · jarring · unfunny · cringe · pandering
live
To exist or dwell
warm-up · prompted · coached · recorded · enhanced · boosted · amplified · augmented · mixed · blended