Sitcom vs. Series — What's the Difference?

Sitcom humor often arises from misunderstandings, quirky characters, or social faux pas.

A series is a television show produced in a sequence of episodes.

A sitcom is a genre of comedy television series with a recurring set of characters.

Series can be ongoing with multiple seasons, or limited with a planned conclusion.

Sitcoms often feature laugh tracks and are filmed in front of live audiences.

Series storytelling ranges from complex narratives to simple plots.

Sitcom episodes typically reset, with characters and settings unchanged by the end.

A number of objects or events arranged or coming one after the other in succession.

Sitcoms have a long tradition on television, originating from radio comedy.

A set of stamps, coins, or currency issued in a particular period.

A sitcom, clipping for situational comedy (situation comedy in the U.S.), is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new characters in each sketch, and stand-up comedy, where a comedian tells jokes and stories to an audience.

Physics & Chemistry A group of objects related by linearly varying successive differences in form or configuration

See situation comedy.

(Mathematics) The sum of a sequentially ordered finite or infinite set of terms.

Situation comedy.

(Geology) A group of rock formations closely related in time of origin and distinct as a group from other formations.

A situation comedy

(Grammar) A succession of coordinate elements in a sentence.

A succession of publications that present an extended narrative, such as a comic book series, or that have similar subjects or similar formats, such as a series of cookbooks.

A succession of individual programs presented as parts of a unified whole, such as the set of episodes of a television show or a podcast.

(Sports) A number of games played by the same two teams, often in succession.

(Baseball) The World Series.

(Linguistics) A set of vowels or diphthongs related by ablaut, as in sing, sang, sung, and song.

A number of things that follow on one after the other or are connected one after the other.

(broadcasting) A television or radio program which consists of several episodes that are broadcast in regular intervals

(mathematics) The sequence of partial sums $\backslash sum\_\{i=1\}^n\{a\_i\}$ of a given sequence a_i.

A group of matches between two sides, with the aim being to win more matches than the opposition.

(zoology) An unranked taxon.

(botany) A subdivision of a genus, a taxonomic rank below that of section (and subsection) but above that of species.

(commerce) A parcel of rough diamonds of assorted qualities.

(phonology) A set of consonants that share a particular phonetic or phonological feature.

(electronics) Connected one after the other in a circuit, in series.

A number of things or events standing or succeeding in order, and connected by a like relation; sequence; order; course; a succession of things; as, a continuous series of calamitous events.

Any comprehensive group of animals or plants including several subordinate related groups.

In Engler's system of plant classification, a group of families showing certain structural or morphological relationships. It corresponds to the cohort of some writers, and to the order of many modern systematists.

An indefinite number of terms succeeding one another, each of which is derived from one or more of the preceding by a fixed law, called the law of the series; as, an arithmetical series; a geometrical series.

A mode of arranging the separate parts of a circuit by connecting them successively end to end to form a single path for the current; - opposed to parallel. The parts so arranged are said to be in series.

A parcel of rough diamonds of assorted qualities.

Similar things placed in order or happening one after another;

A serialized set of programs;

A periodical that appears at scheduled times

(sports) several contests played successively by the same teams;

A group of postage stamps having a common theme or a group of coins or currency selected as a group for study or collection;

(mathematics) the sum of a finite or infinite sequence of expressions

(electronics) connection of components in such a manner that current flows first through one and then through the other;

A television series can adapt various formats, including miniseries and web series.

Series often build upon the previous episodes, developing characters and plot over time.

Sitcom stands for situational comedy.

Yes, a sitcom is a specific type of series.

Yes, humor is a defining characteristic of sitcoms.

No, not all sitcoms use laugh tracks; some are filmed without them.

Absolutely, a series can span various genres, including drama.

Some are filmed before a live audience, while others are not.

Yes, recurring characters are typical in sitcoms.

Traditionally, yes, but there are exceptions.

No, a series refers to the entire show, while a season is a set of episodes within a series.

Yes, some series are based on or inspired by true events.

A series can run from a single season to many over several years.