The Humor Index isn't a single number — it's a composite of multiple measurements, each designed to capture a different dimension of comedy.
The Components
Craft Score (40% weight) Every joke is scored on five dimensions: - Originality (25%): How novel is the comedic concept? - Structure (25%): How well-built is the setup/payoff? - Character Integration (20%): Could only THIS character deliver this joke? - Economy (15%): Maximum funny per word? - Earned vs. Cheap (15%): Genuine wit or lazy shortcuts?
We use a top-weighted average: the top 25% of jokes count for 40% of the effective craft score. This means a show with a few brilliant jokes and some mediocre filler can still score well — as long as the peaks are genuine peaks.
Impact Score (35% weight) How big a reaction would this joke get from 100 comedy-savvy viewers? This is adjusted for show format — multi-camera sitcoms with sweetened laugh tracks get a 25% penalty, because the laugh track inflates perceived reactions.
Peak Density (15% weight) What percentage of jokes are genuinely excellent (scoring 7+ on BOTH craft and impact)? This replaces raw jokes-per-minute as our density metric, because it measures quality density, not just volume.
Weighted JPM (10% weight) Impact-weighted jokes per minute. A high-impact joke contributes more to this metric than a throwaway line. This still rewards joke density, but at a lower weight than our original formula.
Memorability Bonus (up to +5 points) The average quotability score of the top 5 jokes, scaled to add up to 5 bonus points. Episodes that produce culturally memorable lines get a bump.
The Display Scale
Raw scores (0-10) are converted to a 100-point display scale using fixed calibration: - 90+: All-time great episode - 80-89: Excellent comedy - 70-79: Good, solid episode - 60-69: Below average - Below 60: Weak
These calibration points are fixed — they won't shift as we add more shows.
See our full [methodology page](/methodology) for additional details.