Airplane is a brilliant laugh-fest but pretty much all the bits serve a purpose, especially the flashbacks showing the stages of their relationship and his breakdown.
How much does plot REALLY matter in comedy? Page 2
Quote: Badge @ April 29 2010, 8:12 PM BSTAirplane is a brilliant laugh-fest but pretty much all the bits serve a purpose, especially the flashbacks showing the stages of their relationship and his breakdown.
Then again, the basic plot (and some of the dialogue) in Airplane was lifted straight from the B-movie Zero Hour (so much so that they had to option the re-make rights).
Plot is always important in narrative comedy. The point is not to impose plot on your characters, which tends to result in a creaky story. Rather one's characters (and notably their failings and foibles) should form the basis for any story involving them. This way the plot is less likely to feel forced or formulaic.
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ April 29 2010, 8:11 PM BSTI wholeheartedly agreevil
Which is most important: plot or character?
IMO it's a false question because it makes the assumption plot and character are separate elements when they aren't. Plot is a byproduct of character. A character reacts to an initiating incident in the only possible way their character will allow. Give Fawlty, Blackadder and Lister the same initiating incident and the plot will take different courses in every instance.
But the converse is also true, character is a byproduct of plot. Write a plot, analyse the main character's actions and responses to the unfolding plot, and what that tells you about the character. The end result is a character that will initiate and respond to that plot, as an organic product of their personality.
How much does plot really matter? Remove the plot from Fawlty Towers and it'd be dire. A clever plot is an additional layer / device on which to hang yet more comedy, so it should be utilised.
Quote: Jimmy Carr Fan @ April 29 2010, 3:51 PM BSTObviously you'd think there would have to be a running plot, but the Family Guy get away with constant, unrelated flashbacks and cut aways.
What makes Family Guy so consistent is that everything is structured and tight, which is what good comedy is all about.
There are exceptions to the above.
Life of Brian, for example, which regularly rates in the funniest movies ever, is essentially just a series of sketches. There is a plot, but only just enough of one to move it's universal straight man (Brian) from sketch to sketch.
If you stopped the film anywhere while watching and thought 'what happens next', the answer would probably be 'who cares, so long as it's funny.'
Quote: Bomsh @ May 1 2010, 11:10 PM BSTThere are exceptions to the above.
Well there always are, but is plot, generally, important? Yes.
The question is a bit too vague as others have pointed out.
In sitcom I would say plot is very important, but in sketch, not so much.
Quote: Chris Forshaw @ May 2 2010, 12:36 PM BSTThe question is a bit too vague as others have pointed out.
In sitcom I would say plot is very important, but in sketch, not so much.
I realise now that I didn't really ask anything specific, I was meaning more about comedy movies than sitcoms.
I have an idea for a movie which is really more a one idea thing. It has a plot but there are quite a lot of sketch style scenes in it that are only really there to be funny. They're slightly related but don't really move the plot on.
I was really just looking for opinions as to whether it isokay to take breaks away from the plot for something like that, or if it's crucial that you stick to the plot at all times.
Quote: Jimmy Carr Fan @ May 4 2010, 3:18 PM BSTI was really just looking for opinions as to whether it isokay to take breaks away from the plot for something like that, or if it's crucial that you stick to the plot at all times.
I'm sure most have secondary themes and off-shoots to lighten the mood and add as a distraction.
I think what's needed is a good plot, good characters and good humour. If you haven't got 1 of the 3, there's not much point in writing it.
Take Blackadder.... Excellent sitcom... Had good everything.
Doesn't mean every line has to build the plot... But if it doesn't, it had better do something useful or be funny otherwise it's a redundant line.
what a silly question.
if you have no narrative then what you have is a sketch show.
Quote: penfold @ May 10 2010, 10:40 AM BSTwhat a silly question.
if you have no narrative then what you have is a sketch show.
But if you have no capital letters do you have a sentence?
They were just bits of other sentences I borrowed.
Quote: penfold @ May 10 2010, 10:40 AM BSTwhat a silly question.
if you have no narrative then what you have is a sketch show.
You just didn't get the question.
I don't mean entirely unrelated random scenes like a sketch show, I mean like in Airplane! where they have the plot moving along, but cut away for a scene that has some relation but doesn't move the story further on.