cold open

noun

variants or less commonly cold opening

plural cold opens also cold openings

: a scene of a film or television episode that precedes the title sequence or opening credits and that typically takes place in medias res

Cold opens are a bold move in any medium. When a movie or TV show drops the audience into its world without so much as a "here's the title," it speaks to a confidence that whatever's about to happen on screen is sufficient enough to immerse, intrigue, and otherwise hook them.

—Alexis Nedd

For fans of NBC's "The Office," the cold open from season five's "Casual Friday"—where Kevin spills his famous chili—is one of the show's most beloved scenes.

—Addy Bink

The film lost me right from the overacted cold opening …

—Alexa Chipman

Examples of cold open in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Saturday Night Live decided to pivot right wing in their first post-election cold open. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024

Harris filmed the show's cold open as a surprise move in her campaign schedule, briefly diverting from battleground states. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

On Sunday, the network reportedly aired a clip of Trump addressing voters during its coverage of the NASCAR Playoffs race, after Harris’ SNL cold open cameo may have violated the FCC’s Equal Time Rule ahead of Election Day on Tuesday. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2024

While Emhoff didn't appear in this week's cold open, that sketch did see another familiar face return to SNL, in the form of Alec Baldwin. —Nicholas Rice, People.com, 20 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above