British Comedy Guide

1970s styled skit needs a little reworking

Dear friendly comedy followers, I am in need of some good advice, and I need it fast. Basically this sketch I have here is somewhat jumbled, it seems to be two areas stuck together as it started out as a character piece then turned in to a piece that was heavily inspired by 1970's humour and the mocking there of, Is there any way to improve it?

*Update, I believe that the first part was adding to the confusion, so twas removed.) Hope fully this is a little less confusing, I'm not sure what all the spelling errors where but I have removed the ones that I saw, if anyone see's anything else, please it out.

Henry: Oh mother's worried,
Primrose: Oh has she been asking when you'll get married.
Hen: No, she wasn't, the milkman hasn't been round.
Prim: Is she having an affair with him?
Hen: Who said it was her? (pulls face.)CUT (It is revealed that both Henry and Primrose are in a sketch based recording studio, he is speaking to the director Tom.). That's a bit bleeding blatant isn't it? I mean if we're supposed to be doing a 1970's skit, surely we shouldn't be too obvious.

Tom: Well due to a modern statistics people want 1970's skits with a 21st century twist! Go with the flow.

Hen: How are you and Peter?
Prim: Oh fine, we've been at it like Rabbits. Last week he asked if it was possible if I could check his car bonnet.
Hen: Why'd he ask that, we all know that girls can't fix cars.
Primrose: Perhaps he just wanted a f**k.
Hen: Oh really this is the most, who wrote this? Ben Elton?
Tom: No actually it was Richard Curtis.
Hen: Oh right, I wondered what this fairy was doing here.

(a camera reveals Hugh Grant) God how awfully embarrassing! Just ignore me, I must be in the wrong scene!

Tom: Piss off Hugh.
Hugh: Sorry chaps, how awfully awkward I feel.
Tom: Can people please carry on!
Reginald: Why hello Henry you homosexual that I admire for being true to yourself in a totally not 1970's stereotyped way.
Hen: Hello Reg,
Reg: Say look at that piece of young scrumpy, she looks like she have legs up to Neptune.
Hen: I would be careful sir.
Reg: Nonsense. Hello darling fancy quick one.
Random woman: Piss off Granddad. (she kicks him in the crotch area. And sprays mace in his eyes.)
Hen: you alright Reg?
Reg: Fine. (The remains of a tear seems to drop down.)

(10 minutes later.)

Reg: Well what a fine specimen over there. With such a majestic arse.
Woof. Hello sweet cake, let's say we go somewhere more private, eh?

(person turns round, the new lady seems to be a rather obvious transvestite.)
Random woman two: Alright darling, we're you want to go cheeky?

(long pause.)
Reg: How about my place.
Random woman two: okay.
Hen: Wait a minute, this isn't right,
Tom: what's wrong we're trying to add some gritty inbetweeners styled realism in here.
Hen: This is more like a Zach Galifianakis film, he gets kicked by the woman and shagged by the trannie.
Random woman two: You against the transgendered?

Hen: No it's just political correctness gone wrong. What's wrong with you guys. You're accepting everything that happens. You don't use any derogatory terms, you make no sexist jokes. There's no perverts or idiots. Your all so bloody nice. Even curse words are accepted. What's wrong with you guys. Grow up.

(after the rant, he walks away unsteadily. Unknowingly knocking down small object. He whispers under his breath)

Hen: Oh knickers.
Tom: you're disgusting.
Hen: What, all I said was knickers.
Tom: Be quiet little kiddies are watch this. You're f**king disgusting.

(the screen goes blank, we switch to a monty pythonesque couple; they are wearing animal noses and one of them is holding a pineapple wearing a nappy).

Man: Filth.
(the wife has a moustache and is smoking a pipe.)
Wife: hum.

If you need it done fast, maybe you should consider paying somebody to do it.

Why do you need this urgently?

Sorry format is head ache inducing, dense text with no gaps (Stephen King used this style of writing to indicate a character had gone insane in his classic the Stand).

Also the dialgoue is stacato and too self referential to amuse me by line 10.

Which is when I stopped reading sorry.

Do it in a more readable format and I'll have another go.

It comes across as a maladjusted tweet, you need to space it out.
That is of course unless you're writing for a ticker tape comedy outfit who need it before the markets shuts, if that's the case you're quids in.

Space it out and I'd be happy to read it.

You will get a lot of proper critique if you format it better and correct the spelling/grammatical errors. :)

To be honest the fast part was because when I started typing out my plea I was reminded of a similar part from Teenage Dreams.
Aye the format is a little weird I do agree, I think at the time the word processor was acting a little odd.
In the format of a script what does stacato mean? I'm not the best at spelling or grammatical stuff but will have a go,

My initial post has been altered, hopefully it is a little more legible.

I would say the dialogue is a major stumbling block at present. It doesn't flow very well and doesn't come across as natural dialogue. I think you need to work on that. There's far too much swearing as well!

I read it this time because it was a bit easier to read, maybe you could just try sticking with Henry and Primrose for now and cutting the others out until you get them two sussed.

Now the format is a little bit clearer the style feels a bit murky.

Is the joke that the characters are observing in the absurdities of being in a 70s sitcom?

Not abad idea it's self but you kind of run at it, then it kind of runs on.

I think you need to play it a bit more straight and then build into the absurdity. I'd certainly go with basing it more on one or two identifiable sitcom

It would be quite good to apply the idea to one or two sitcom's, it would be more obvious to a watching audience what is exactly happening.
I think that the joke is the fact that the cheeky 1970's style was far more innocent, And this director is trying to bring modern realisms which aren't quite working with the older style. So yeah it could be around the absurdity's.
Okay I'll alter it to focus on building up the absurdity and the characters.

I always thought an episode of porridge where Fletcher raped Godber and then got disembowled by Grouty due to snout debts would be both more realistic and more entertaining.

Hi Rebekka, did you write the sketch yourself?

Quote: Carlos Manwelly @ November 3 2012, 9:57 PM GMT

Hi Rebekka, did you write the sketch yourself?

Nah, she got her mam and dad to help her.

Quote: David Bussell @ November 3 2012, 10:00 PM GMT

Nah, she got her mam and dad to help her.

Ha ha Well, the bit where it says

"Basically this sketch I have here is somewhat jumbled" and then

"And this director is trying to bring modern realisms"

makes me think that maybe it is not from the pen of Rebekka

Quote: Stylee TingTing @ November 3 2012, 10:09 PM GMT

Like it.. with Mr. Barraclough and Mr. Mackay having a clandestine gay affair... and a Jimmy Savile cameo as a prison visitor.

Jimmy Saville has to come in and spoil everything just like the spanish inquisition, we never expected that either

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