Has Anyone Ever Done...

..A sitcom episode set solely in a Supermarket, I'm not talking about a whole sitcom idea been based in a supermarket, just a one off episode which happens to be in a supermarket. I ask because I've just had a great idea of a plot to set an episode of my sitcom Street Theatre in a supermarket, but I don't want to start writing it yet until I've made sure that no other sitcom has done an entire episode set in a supermarket, so your help would be much appreciated.

Feel free to use this thread for similair questions for your own scripts, it's very useful to know if an idea has already been done, because there is nothing worse than writing a brilliant scene or even full script and then finding out that something very similair has already been done, it's happened to me quite a few times.

So yeah, supermarket anyone?

Martin I cannot think of one at all maybe betterbuys in the street with reg counts.
I have written 2 episodes including the pilot with this setting so would be interested in how you do.

There was "Fools and Horses" where they got held in the Manager's office suspected of shoplifting. Probably also a 2.4 Children or My Family.

'Tripper's Day' and 'Slinger's Day'. They're in the sitcoms list on this site.
But they're exclusively (I think) in a supermarket.

'Filthy Rich and Catflap' has a wonderful supermarket scene.
But not a whole episode set there.

Cool, thanks for this info guys, the Fools & Horses episode is really different from what I've got planned, because they're basically in an office on F&H, where as mine will be in various places throuhgout the supermarket.

David when you say 'probably also 2.4 Children or My Family' is that just a wild guess, or have you got a strong feeling that they have set a full episode in a supermarket, I've never watched My Family so I don't know and its been ages since I've seen 2.4 Children.

I think alot could come out of a supermarket sitcom or sketch show. The newest example being the "Under One Roof" pilot.

Just vaguely guessing really - but it could be the answer to the BBC search for a new ensemble. A variation on "Are you being served" - "I don't know where the fajitas are - you'll have to ask someone else."

Quote: Martin Holmes @ March 15, 2007, 8:49 PM

Feel free to use this thread for similar questions for your own scripts, it's very useful to know if an idea has already been done, because there is nothing worse than writing a brilliant scene or even full script and then finding out that something very similar has already been done, it's happened to me quite a few times.

So yeah, supermarket anyone?

View original

If we have original characters then the story will be original whether the idea has been done before or not. David Brent in a supermarket is going to behave differently to Patsy Stone.

I think trying to be completely original in both sitcom ideas and episode ideas is setting ourselves too hard a task when funny original characters and stories will do.

Not much is totally original. Variations on themes. Just as long as it's funny........

Yeah thats true about the characters making the sitcom, but when ideas look very similair it will draw lots of criticism, say if an episode was done totally in a 'car park looking for your car', the strength of the characters wouldn't be enough to stop people saying "Thats a Seinfeld rip off".

So I just wanted to know really, if anyone had done a sitcom episode solely set in a supermarket.

Malcolm in the Middle.

Ahh really, what was it like? Following them around shopping?

I agree it's a good idea to steer away from the distinctive comedy classic episodes but if you can't think of a supermarket episode then it's maybe too obscure to matter.

Max and Paddy for instance directly lifted a scene from EuroTrip, no-one cared. In the current US season one sitcom had an idea early on in the season and another sitcom copied it later on in the season. I did notice,obviously, but they put a different spin on it so it didn't bother me. It happens all the time so I really wouldn't worry about doing it accidentally.

If you're setting it in a Supermarket but the sketch is original I don't think it matters. There's loads of instances where scenes are similar but the situation/jokes are different.

Yeah I think it should be okay, the main idea is to have the characters of the sitcom shopping really, following them around pushing a trolley, so hopefully the jokes and dialogue will be enough not to draw comparisons to other episodes of sitcoms set in a supermarket.