I'm writing a Sitcom - what do you enjoy about them?

Raymond Lin said:
settings wise...you have

Cafe (Friends, Frasier), dinner (Seinfeld), bookshop (Ellen), A Flat/Living room (all Sitcom), Hospital (Although Scrubs has the exception of having quite a big set and with frequent external shots), a bar (Cheers - Thou Cheers have a bigger Cast than most Sitcoms).

One things...do you have one stupid character? as in Joey, Kramer, Todd (in scrubs)..he'll do all the fart jokes. There's always a character who's good with women, think Couplings (you have Patrick, Friends you have Joey). Then the balance of the sex is also important, need at least 1 female to 3 guys max.
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I have a reasonably original setting. Its something, like i said, that most people will be able to relate to, in some way.

My characters are fairly, well, blatant. The environment which they are in will will lend to their development too.

I think i'm onto a winner - but it seems so obvious to me. Maybe I should run it past you guys? Still worried mind.
 
Throw some really un-pc jokes in there that push it to the limit, that'll get you in the Daily Mail and then all the other papers will run stories about it but saying its a good thing so they go against the Daily Mail, and bingo free advertising :D
 
Well un-pc jokes may get me free advertising so i'll bear that in mind. :D

Its based on my personal experiences of my 'profession' (I'm not a magician by day before you say anything :p)

Recently comedy situations based around various places of employment seem to have been fairly successful. The Office, Scrubs and 40 year old virgin to name a few.
 
A good sight gag is worth a thousand one liners. Black Books was always good for that.

Target an audience. Whether it's a cosy, inoffensive family friendly script (My Family) , stuffed full of hip, pop culture references (Spaced) or subverting every cliche in the book (Hyperdrive). Don't try and please everyone because you'll disappoint them all.

Oh and catchphrases are soooooo out of fashion. Unless a character is trying really too hard to make a really awful catchphrase for themselves. That would be funny.

If you're willing I'd like to give your script a once over when you're happy with it. :cool:
 
Most recent almost sit com that really made me giggle was Father of the Pride. Obviously the humour was just too dificult for the US audience to take ;o(

If you think it's really funny, then chances are at least SOME other people are going to find the same. My problem has always been that I can be really funny ohh about once every 6 weeks or so ;o)
 
Pumpkinstew said:
A good sight gag is worth a thousand one liners. Black Books was always good for that.

Target an audience. Whether it's a cosy, inoffensive family friendly script (My Family) , stuffed full of hip, pop culture references (Spaced) or subverting every cliche in the book (Hyperdrive). Don't try and please everyone because you'll disappoint them all.

Oh and catchphrases are soooooo out of fashion. Unless a character is trying really too hard to make a really awful catchphrase for themselves. That would be funny.

If you're willing I'd like to give your script a once over when you're happy with it. :cool:
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You know your sitcoms :) I love Spaced!

I guess its somewhere in between the office and maybe black books in terms of humour - I don't know if that makes sense :p
 
DailyGeek said:
You know your sitcoms :) I love Spaced!

I guess its somewhere in between the office and maybe black books in terms of humour - I don't know if that makes sense :p
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A fly on the wall style mockumentary about a drunken irishman?
 
Maybe an element of father tedness in there too. and a bit of the smoking room? I don't know really :p

I know its not easily to write a script though!
 
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I'm writing one myself at the moment. It's not easy but here are a few important tips

* Sight Gags (it's already been mentioned), always great for a laugh.
* Make your main character someone who's got a chip on their shoulder and likes to rage against the injustices they suffer
*Foreshadow your gags. An audience will find it even funnier when they can see a gag coming but are not sure when.
* When at all possible, add a perverted Welshman to the mix and you have comedy gold (Coupling, Notting Hill, My script)
 
DailyGeek said:
Maybe an element of father tedness in there too. and a bit of the smoking room? I don't know really :p

I know its not easily to write a script though!
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I've got some ebooks and tips on script writing somewhere, I can try and dig 'em out if that would help you :) My friend used them and was successful enough to get published :)
 
kitten_caboodle said:
I've got some ebooks and tips on script writing somewhere, I can try and dig 'em out if that would help you :) My friend used them and was successful enough to get published :)
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That would be stunning! I've not entirely new to comedy writing but sitcoms seem to require quite a rigid structure which is unknown to me!
 
DailyGeek said:
That would be stunning! I've not entirely new to comedy writing but sitcoms seem to require quite a rigid structure which is unknown to me!
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Ok, I'll have a dig around tonight see what I can find. I've defintely got a scriptwriting book -hard copy that is.. (in fact, I might have two - i seem to remember being given one as well as buying one.) Leave it with me, I'll come back to ya :)
 
kitten_caboodle said:
Ok, I'll have a dig around tonight see what I can find. I've defintely got a scriptwriting book -hard copy that is.. (in fact, I might have two - i seem to remember being given one as well as buying one.) Leave it with me, I'll come back to ya :)
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Thank you!, Have done my character profiles and synopsis for the story. Just trying to knock up a plot outline for the first episode and I'm struggling :D
 
kitten_caboodle said:
In the meantime, take a look at this if you haven't already. It's quite basic stuff but it doesn't hurt to go over it again :) (radio based sitcoms)

Linky
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Thanks for the link, I've used the british sitcom guide too :)

If in some amazing stroke of luck, this ever became a pilot, would some OcUKers like to be extras or audience members?? :D
 
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