British Comedy Guide

Sitcom opening scene, draft 2

so folks, I posted this on here earlier and it was accused of being "blocky"
well, I have taken the advice offered to me, and here is an edited version, please be kind :D

SCENE 1. EXT. HOLIDAY PARK ENTRANCE [07.40]
LONNIE, ELWOOD

AS NIGHT SHIFT IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE ON A MID-MAY MONDAY MORNING AT BANGERS WHISTLE HOLIDAY PARK, 32 YEAR OLD FORMER CRUISE SINGER ELWOOD DELGADO IS LEANING AGAINST A BMW 3 SERIES IN BRITISH RACING GREEN. LONNIE HUGHES, 58 IS SAT IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, THE WINDOW IS DOWN.

ELWOOD
Off to the land of nod now?

LONNIE
You must be joking sunshine, I am away into town, gotta get to We Auto Know, pick up the dog guard, a hundred and fifty big ones it has set me back.

ELWOOD
Lonnie, you don't even have a dog.

LONNIE
One step at a time sonny. It's six years since our Fletcher bit her. If I drop subtle hints like this, one day she'll relent.

ELWOOD
(Laughing)
Subtle, blimey, you went home with a lead and two feeding bowls last Tuesday.

LONNIE
(Laughing)
I know yeah, she thought I had taken up dogging! She only let me back in the big bed this weekend!

A GOLDEN FORD CAPRI WITH TINTED WINDOWS SCREECHES THROUGH THE GATE, AND GOES THE WRONG WAY AROUND THE ROUNDABOUT, TOWARDS THE STAFF CAR PARK. MCFLY'S COVER VERSION OF "DON'T STOP ME NOW" IS BLARING FROM THE CAR STEREO. ELWOOD HAS TO JUMP OUT OF THE ROAD TO AVOID BEING HIT.

LONNIE (CONT'D)
Bloody hero isn't he? Well good luck El, and tell Fabio I said "Buon giorno."

LONNIE DRIVES AWAY AT SPEED, ELWOOD LOWERS THE GATE AND RETURNS TO THE GATEHOUSE.

EXT. STAFF CAR PARK [07.42]
FABIO/EMLYN, REUBEN

EMLYN "FABIO" ROBERTS IS LYING BACK IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, FULLY RECLINED. HIS EYES ARE CLOSED, MCFLY'S COVER VERSION OF "THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL" IS PLAYING ON THE RADIO. LEISURE MANAGER REUBEN BLACKWELL WHO IS OUT FOR HIS CUSTOMARY MORNING JOG, SPOTS FABIO'S CAR AND JOGS OVER, KNOCKING ON THE WINDOW.

REUBEN
(Strong Essex accent)
Morning Emlyn. Do you fancy a lap or two around the car park to get your blood pumping?

FABIO OPENS HIS EYES, WAVES REUBEN AWAY MOUTHING AN OBSCENITY. REUBEN SMILES, AND JOGS AWAY.

INT. GATEHOUSE [07.43]
ELWOOD, FABIO

ELWOOD IS STOOD BEHIND A DESK, STREWN WITH PAPERWORK, VIBRATING A RULER AT THE EDGE. REUBEN JOGS PAST THE WINDOW, THEY WAVE TO EACH OTHER.

ELWOOD
(Panicky)
Shit, the kettle!

ELWOOD RUSHES THROUGH SLAT TYPE DOOR CURTAIN, WE HEAR A TAP RUN, AND A KETTLE SWITCH ON. FABIO ENTERS THE GATEHOUSE IN HIS CIVVIES CARRYING A SUIT BAG.

FABIO
(Rough, camp, Mancunian accent)
'Ow do Elwood?

ELWOOD
(Walks back into view)
Good good thanks. Buon giorno!

FABIO
(Walking through to back office)
What? You know I don't speak French! Why can't you talk formal English?

ELWOOD
Oh shut up and get your kit on, I boiled the kettle for you!

FABIO (O.S.)
(Angry)
Bloody hell fire!

ELWOOD
Well I couldn't brew up cause I don't know where you hide your flaming coffee.

FABIO
(Walks back into view)
No no no, you daft git! Feckin' dry cleaners, look at this!

ELWOOD LOOKS TO FABIO TO SEE HE IS SPORTING A WHITE BLOUSE WITH EMBROIDERED FLOWERS ON THE CHEST. ELWOOD BURSTS INTO A FIT OF GIGGLES.

FABIO (CONT'D)
That half-baked hell cat! I bet she could eat a watermelon through a picket fence! I can't wear this!

ELWOOD
Why not?
(Attempts a Gok Wan impression)
It's all about the confidence sister!

FABIO
You had better hold your damn tongue or else I'll tear your arm off and hit you with the soggy end!

ELWOOD
The farther I push, the cuter you incline.

FABIO REACTS, HITTING ELWOOD WITH THE RULER NOW LYING ON THE DESK.

FABIO
Can I borrow your jumper El? Franco gave his last shirt out to Dom the other day, bloody numbskull ironed his new Marks' one with the plastic doohickey still under the collar. I'm bloody stuck with this damned blouse.

ELWOOD
I am sorry Emlyn, I can't let you borrow this. I paid a hundred and five quid for this, quality Cashmere knitwear this is. Oh, that reminds me, I have been shopping again! That DVD boxset of "The Munsters" should arrive today. I have to get it delivered here, I'm going straight to bed when I get home, well after I checked out my eBay auctions anyway, and I can't let the neighbors take it, not after the stick I got when "I Dream Of Jeannie" showed up.

FABIO
This is not helping Elwood! I am still flaunting this God-awful garb. What are you going to do about it? What is your fetish with sixties US sitcoms?

ELWOOD
Oh it's the fantastical stuff, I love it, ever since I first saw Bewitched as a little boy. What do you mean, what am I going to do about it? You are the haughty high horse who has his regimentals dry cleaned.

FABIO
Who are you calling haughty?

ELWOOD
Well it's true, have a look in lost property. I think Heath brought over a black sweater last night when the Bat and Ball bar closed.

FABIO TURNS AROUND AND PICKS UP A SCREWED UP BLACK SWEATSHIRT FROM A CARDBOARD BOX, WITH LOST PROPERTY WRITTEN ON IT IN MARKER PEN, HE TURNS TO FACE ELWOOD HOLDING THE SHIRT UP.

FABIO
This one, as if we don't have a reputation anyway for being, what did they call us?

ELWOOD
Trite, and what's this us? They were complaining about you and Tommy, telling them there was no rooms left, it was Christmas Eve, and she was pregnant.

FABIO PULLS SWEATSHIRT OVER HIS HEAD, CLEARLY VISIBLE ON THE CHEST IN WHITE LETTERING ARE THE WORDS, "GOING POSTAL".

finally a title, "All Ages and Stripes"

FABIO
(Flicking through log book on desk)
Clearly, you lot were at it last night.
(Reading from the log)
"A thicket of idiots advanced the perimeter wall." Who in the hell wrote this?

ELWOOD
That would have been Heath, I think he was on the gate at the time. Good thing too, last time he caught an over-the-waller, covered in anti-vandal grease, he turned into a Ninja Turtle. I think it made the nationals, front page on one of the Sunday rags! I'll tell him what you've been saying about his notes. He learnt to chronicle occurrences like that when he was locked up. He did an English course or something. He'll make you sore and sorry!

FABIO
Is it not time for you to haul your mondo haunch over to the bus stop yet?

ELWOOD
Cheeky fecker! I'm hanging on to help you out this morning.

FABIO
Help me out, what does that mean?

ELWOOD
Well, I got a call at seven from Tommy. He won't e ale to make it in till after nine, he's got to get the kids off to school.

FABIO
That's her that is! I don't know why he ever moved in with her, never had to worry about getting the kids off to school before he took up with that free loader, why can't she take them to school? They are her bloody kids!

ELWOOD
She has work, she has a name too come to think of it, Catherine.

FABIO
Well why can't she be late for work?

ELWOOD
Because, Emlyn, she is a bank manager, not a flipping security guard!

Sorry, just more of the same. Not for me I think....

Hey Al,

Read your script. It's quite brave that you're putting your first attempt out there for people to critique.

It did read like a first attempt at a script to me, reminded me of my first attempt. Your characters need lots of work, as does your plot and story. The characters didn't seem to have a unique voice, you could cover up the character names on your script and I feel the dialogue could fit any of the characters.

My advice, for what it's worth, is to do some research into writing books, find the best one for you and read it cover to cover with the aid of a highlighter pen. (This isn't everyone's ideal way, but it's what I did and I can only speak from my experience). Or read interviews with successful writers, and check out the BBC writersoom who have some decent advice.

Also, not forgetting read scripts from existing sitcoms, sitcoms you like. That's an invaluable task where you can learn so much. Make notes on what worked, how the plot worked, how characters were established, whether by action or dialogue, highlight bits, re-read them. Most sitcom scripts are available online for free or in book form.

Good job for uploading it though.

i thank you for your kind words of advice, and I will go ahead and continue with my research. brave? really? brave or stupid? lol. again thanks for your advice, I will continue to post!

Al, I guess us Parry's have to stick together.

I too applaud the fact you've popped your head above the parapet and invited whatever slings and arrows may be hurled in your direction.

As you admitted in your other thread, finding the stories for these guys is one problem, but defining an identity for each is equally vital. My biggest failing whenever I've submitted scripts is character development, and it's certainly a challenge here, although in just the bit you've shown us it's not easy set all three up that quickly.

Just a thought but have you considered writing it as a comedy drama. It had more of that feel to it than an outright sitcom.

On the plus side, you have your own experiences you can call on and base your characters on, and that can be a great advantage.

Certainly a brave shot, not a stupid one. Good luck with it

an hour long one off comedy drama type I have never really considered, but it may well be the right way to go, I wanted to create something in real time, ala royle family or roger and val, I want the script to drive it, not having much happen, because, in all honesty not much does. however, there were some wonderfully funny people I worked with, that the world need to meet!

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