How to Write a Funny Series

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Inspired by classics like 3rd Rock From The Sun, Seinfeld, Spaced, and Friends? Writing a popular sitcom is a great goal, but there are plenty of factors you need to consider before submitting your finished script. We've got you covered—read on to learn everything you need to know about this unique TV genre, so you can crack the sitcom code and write your own masterpiece.

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• Question

  How do I know if it's going to be successful?

  

  You can never be sure. However, watching other famous sitcoms to see what audiences like and what they don't can help you, as long as you don't copy them.

• Question

  Gravity Falls is NOT a sitcom. Why do people keep saying it is?

  

  It's a mystery cartoon, but it could be classified as a sitcom under the broadest sense of the term. It is a "situational comedy" - funny situations happen and the characters react to them.

• Question

  How do I create an address for a house in a sitcom without accidentally replicating a real address?

  

  You can use a fake city or state. Family Guy was set in Quahog, Stranger Things was set in Hawkins, Gravity Falls was set in, well, Gravity Falls. All of them are fake addresses.

• Question

  What topic(s) can I write about?

  

  Sitcoms tend to be about daily life, so get inspiration from your own life and the lives of others around you. Ask yourself, "How can I make this funny?" and take note of funny stories you hear. Also, watching other popular sitcoms can give you ideas too.

• Question

  How do I come up with a good name for my sitcom?

  

  It may be a little easier to come up with the name later, use a code-name or project name if you really want to name it. Your name should describe your show, not the other way around.

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• Sitcoms of the "golden age" had set boundaries: they did not make fun of characters, there was no overt abuse or cruelty except perhaps by a boss at work, there was an intent of doing good, of amusement, of perhaps teaching a lesson, of making people feel good, of no one ultimately getting hurt seriously by all the shenanigans. Satires used a gentle touch, and did variations on the subject rather than mockery. Be careful of your approach and the mood you create.

• Set yourself an amount of time to work for, and if you succeed to do it, treat yourself to something.

• Have fun. The audience will see that and enjoy it, too.

• Up to where you start writing the scripts, write with paper and pen. This makes it easier to let the ideas flow.

• Many older sitcoms can be seen in reruns or on cable television channels. It is helpful to talk to fans who watched when they were originally on to understand their cultural context.

• Treat yourself to something big when you finish a script.

• Make sure each distinctive character benefits the whole group of characters overall. Like Friends, each of the 6 characters had their own personality that benefited the group. Try have an average of 4-6 characters too. 1-3 won't give you enough to give you 2 plots per episode. Then you'll end up needing recurring characters constantly like Sam And Cat and they'll end up becoming main characters which isn't always a good thing, like iCarly. But over 6 is too much because each character won't get enough screen time within 21-24 minutes.

• The Carol Burnett Show(s) (there were three incarnations) (while a variety show format, the sketches often functioned as mini-sitcoms, one of which led to the spin-off, Mama's Family).

• When writing, planning, or anything, go to a special place, play some relaxing music, and write.

• There are also typified formats such as the fish-out-of-water, or putting a person into a foreign or strange environment.

• Learn from the best and the worst: Sometimes the "worst" sitcoms are the most formulaic, and will teach you the basic requirements of the genre. The best ones are more likely to disguise the formula effectively. The best sitcoms have often come from the Desilu studio, MTM Productions, Norman Lear productions, Susan Harris, and more recently, the creators of Friends, and Will & Grace. Saul Turtletaub and Bernie Orenstein are two of the masters of the genre. M*A*S*H was one of the all-time best sitcoms, headed by Larry Gelbart, and the many episodes list the names of the many fine writers they used on the show.

• Learn from other genres: The Cosby Show made effective use of classic vaudeville routines in one episode; in fact, most of American comedy has been based on roots in vaudeville and burlesque. There are older genres as well, the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, and the Spanish Tonadilla, which can be useful resources. Learn what works and how to wield it skillfully, lest you ruin it.

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• Do not let anyone see your uncopyrighted works.

• Do not steal anyone's material, whether jokes, lines, or stories!

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