A sitcom is a funny television show where the same characters appear in each episode, usually facing new problems or misadventures in familiar settings. The word is short for “situation comedy,” meaning the humor comes from the situations the characters find themselves in.

Classic sitcoms like I Love Lucy or The Brady Bunch followed families or groups of friends through everyday challenges: burned dinners, misunderstandings, embarrassing moments, and silly schemes. Modern sitcoms like The Office or Brooklyn Nine-Nine do the same thing, just in workplaces instead of homes. Each episode tells a complete story that wraps up in about 20 to 30 minutes, though the characters grow and change over many seasons.

What makes a show a sitcom rather than just a comedy is that structure: same characters, same general setting, and a new situation each week. You know the people, you know their world, and you tune in to see what predicament they'll face next. Sitcoms often film in front of live audiences or add laugh tracks (recorded laughter) to signal the funny moments, though not all modern sitcoms do this anymore.