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 the middle of the narrative or plot

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

Oasis featured for the first time in a Saturday Night Live UK cold open over the weekend, with the Gallagher brothers revealing themselves as Russian spies after almost convincing Prime Minister Andy Burnham to join them. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026

Shots • Good and nasty cold open with Harkness killing Nesmith to tie up loose ends. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

While Ed Sheeran took the stage in concert Saturday night, the SNL UK cold open took aim at him amid the controversy surrounding his tour. — Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2026

Dean’s King Charles returned to kick off the season 2, episode 2 following last week’s cold open mocking Prince Harry and Meghan Markle amid their move back to the United Kingdom. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cold open

• atropine
• reopen