Probably worth a quick refresher: TV Sitcom Tips Radio Sitcom Tips
And this is great: tips from Paul Mayhew Archer where he writes a (crap) sitcom rundown and gets you to note down what's bad about it. Then the problems are revealed. Paul Mayhew Archer's Tips
Dan
Quote: swerytd @ March 24 2009, 9:43 AM GMTAnd this is great: tips from Paul Mayhew Archer where he writes a (crap) sitcom rundown and gets you to note down what's bad about it. Then the problems are revealed.
This is the same Paul Mayhew Archer who "discovered" Tim Dawson? 
And the crap sitcom he uses is called Dawsons.
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I went to a 'lecture' by Mayhew-Archer. He wasn't an awe-inspiring sort of bloke. He didn't refer to notes, he actually read them aloud, hardly ever looking up at the 'class'. Anyway, one of the things he said (read?) should be avoided in a sitcom was using gags within a comparison; e.g. "My god! Bert's new wife, she's like a ... (gag)" - or - "Raining? I should say so; it was like some ... (gag)".
Anyway, at that time I'd never knowingly watched a Mayhew-Archer sitcom, so I made a point of watching one; I think it was an office sitcom with that basted bird of a feather, Pauline Quirke in it. Yes, you've guessed it, it was littered with that type of gag.
I'm not saying he's necessarily a bad writer (consultant, script editor, etc. usually) but for Chrissakes practice what you preach!
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Rules only apply to rejected scripts