A [recording] of [laughter] which is used by [television] [networks] to make [viewers] of [sitcoms] believe that the [shows] they are watching are (A) filmed [live] and (B) wildly [funny]. Sometimes called [canned laughter].

Recorded laughter isn't used on every [comedy] show. Even as far back as the 1950s, there were programs that refused to use laugh tracks, or that eventually stopped using them. In its initial seasons, "[M*A*S*H]," for example, used laugh tracks, but eventually reduced them as the show leaned in harder on its [dramatic] scenes -- and they never used a laugh track at all during scenes in the [operating room]. Other shows choose not to use a laugh track, either because they dislike having to tell the [audience] where the [joke]s are, because they feel there are enough dramatic moments in the show to make the laugh track obnoxious, or because they feel their shows are pitched to an audience that is [mature] and [intelligent] enough not to need a raucous laugh track.

Still, there are lots of shows that love laugh tracks. Even classic comedians like [Bob Hope] and [Milton Berle] liked having laugh tracks on their programs -- their job was to make audiences laugh, and fake laughter was better than no laughter at all.

[Strange]st place for a laugh track: [cartoon]s. Is there an [audience] somewhere watching those poor [animator]s create a live [Scooby Doo] cartoon?

laugh track (thing)