WRITE A SITCOM

Despite the prominence this element is given in the title of the genre you are writing ie “sit”com, the “sit” itself is really not too important. Physical location is, in itself, quite unimportant. Porridge would have worked just as well in the army. Cheers in a restaurant instead of a bar. Stath is an incompetent estate agent who works for his dad, but this could just as easily have been a café, or a garage or even a school (although the writer may not have been as inspired by these alternatives of course.) But it is Stath’s  incompetence that makes the show. People who think they’ve come up with a great, new idea for a sitcom because it’s set in a motor cycle courier’s office or a trendy health club are missing the point, the location is purely a means to an end.

Either way our characters must end up stuck with each other, come what may.

High concept sitcoms (Extraordinary. Red Dwarf. 3rd Rock From the Sun) are often easier to pitch because the central “joke” is set up in the situation itself – eg Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where a poor boy is sent to live with his rich relatives. In high concept comedies it is easier to spot where the gags and story come from.

However, it is worth noting that the rules of the world must be very clearly established and that the higher the concept the quicker it may be to run out of relevant storylines and gags. Extraordinary is one of the highest concept sitcoms possible, but despite all that, it is essentially a flat share which relies on well-drawn, funny characters.

Whatever type of show you intend to write, keep the basic set up simple. You should be able to explain it clearly in one or two short sentences.