Cue card

Man holding cue cards during a monologue on a late night TV show

Cue cards, also known as note cards,[1] are cards with words written on them that help actors and speakers remember what they have to say. They are typically used in television productions where they can be held off-camera and are unseen by the audience. Cue cards are being used on many late night talk shows including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers as well as variety and sketch comedy shows like Saturday Night Live due to the practice of last-minute script changes.[2] Many other TV shows, including game and reality shows, use cue cards due to their mobility, as a teleprompter only allows the actor or broadcaster to look directly into the camera.

  1. ^ Bognár, Desi K. (2000). The International Dictionary of Broadcasting and Film. Boston: Focal Press. ISBN 978-0-585-37622-6.
  2. ^ "Team Coco Podcast #25: Cue Card Master Steve Burm!". Conan (talk show). May 2, 2011. Archived from the original on May 5, 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2011.