Skip to main content

Quiz: How Quickly Can You Name the Sitcom By the Episode Title?

Prove your sitcom expertise with our latest quiz.
‘I Love Lucy’
‘I Love Lucy’ | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

TV shows follow different strategies when it comes to their episode titles. Sometimes, they follow a particular methodology, creating something unique for the show itself. In other cases, they’re words uttered from the episodes, or they’re a twist on other popular culture. Just how well do you know the sitcoms from the episode titles? We’re going to put you to the test with our latest quiz!

If you got 8/8 on this quiz, then we’re impressed! This wasn’t an easy one, and it’s definitely one that you’ll want to share with your friends who claim they know everything about TV shows. After that, why not watch the shows you got wrong to remind yourself of the episodes?


Take More Sitcom Quizzes:


The Importance of Episode Titles

TV shows need titles. This isn’t just for fans, but for the actors and the scriptwriters, and it’s also a way to have some fun with the show itself. There’s a discussion in the writers’ room over whether the titles are all going to follow the same format, or if they’re just going to give a clue to what is going to happen during the 30-minute episode.

For example, Friends episode titles all followed a very particular format. They all started with “The One…” and then people would know which episode they were going into. The title would focus on the main storyline for the episode, rather than the B plot that was often added for a little more depth and entertainment.

Other titles would include lines from an episode, and then there would be some sitcoms and dramas that would opt for a take on something else. The risk of a take on other titles out there is that it could date the show. For example, Supernatural would work with song, TV show, and movie titles, which suited the show since there were so many classic rock influences.

The heart of the title should be something that people remember. The idea is that people can remember the events of an episode just based on the specific title, so that they don’t need to read the description. It’s much easier to find the episode that you want to watch, as sitcom episodes can easily be watched out of order thanks to the reset every single 30 minutes.

Want to test your TV knowledge a little more? We deliver daily challenges covering all sorts of pop culture, so make sure you bookmark and revisit the Mental Floss quiz page!


More TV Reads: