British Comedy Guide

The best scripts/script books you've read?

I'm mainly talking about authentic sitcom ones (i.e. no transcripts, and in their original formats and layouts as written and arranged by the author), the ones you learned the most from, but it'd also be great to hear if you have any other recommendations (film, radio drama, or otherwise). :)

Thanks in advance.

Go here: sites.google.com/site/tvwriting/

... and read 30 Rock, The Office, Cheers (pilot), Modern Family and Seinfeld. Modern classics from which you can learn a lot about comedy writing. Great characters in interesting/funny stories with each scene being hilarious, revealing character and moving the story along simultaneously. The Simpsons scripts are amazing but you have to buy those from the States.

British stuff... Green Wing and Peep Show script books are good but they're quite transcript-y - good for reading flowing dialogue though. Father Ted script book is really good as it includes the proper scripts that were actually used - plus it was a hilarious show!

Probably won't need more than that.

Well, thanks very much for your recommendations, Stephen. I have actually had that website on my "to read" list for some time now, but it's good to hear lots of people recommend it.

You've also reminded me that I actually have a copy of the 'You Only Move Twice' Simpsons script on my hard-drive, so I'm going to give that a whirl as well...

Books of sitcom scripts will be transcripts, not the original script formats.

Have you tried reading the vast collection of scripts at BBC Writersroom?
If not, there you go: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts/

Hey guys.

Regarding script books, I have a few for sale on ebay, take a look :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/deanscott32/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

Quote: Marooned @ November 12 2012, 11:22 PM GMT

I'm mainly talking about authentic sitcom ones (i.e. no transcripts, and in their original formats and layouts as written and arranged by the author), the ones you learned the most from, but it'd also be great to hear if you have any other recommendations (film, radio drama, or otherwise). :)

Thanks in advance.

You are unlikely to find a publication in original submission script format, because it will have been extensively modified and reformatted into a production script, before anyone knows that it was worth publishing.

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