Sprinkling sugar: "sweetening" laughter tracks

"Canned laughter". As is often emphasised by writers, producers, and directors, it doesn't really exist - at least, not in the UK, and certainly not in adult sitcoms (some children's shows have artificially constructed laughter tracks).

But, as a rule: that laughter you hear on studio audience sitcoms is real, and is almost always an accurate reflection of the reaction "on the night".

Indeed, the process of dubbing a sitcom is just as likely to result in laughter being removed as added: and it's regularly the case that shows which critics dislike, and slate for relying on "fake laughter", were...