Little question on comedy TV narration

I'm just wondering where people stand on using character narration, voiceovers and inner-monologues in a comedy TV show?

I mean, it works great with shows like Peep Show, The Inbetweeners and Scrubs, but I remember a few college tutors of mine calling this the 'Lazy Writers way of storytelling'.

Not that I always listen to Tutors, but I just wondered what you guys think?

For reference, I am currently drafting a 6-episode TV show script, and I'm toying with the idea of adding character narration. The idea is that each episode will be narrated by the character with the biggest role in that particular ep. I'd use the format to generate more laughs, to voice other characters thoughts on particular situations and to give each episode a different overall feel from the last. Of course, I could do these things without need of narration but it's an interesting tool, and I'm feeling experimental.

As with any style or technique, it's not lazy unless it's used in a lazy manner. Those college tutors are dolts for saying that.

Arrested Development has a narrator, and is one of the best written sitcoms ever.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ December 13 2011, 9:07 PM GMT

As with any style or technique, it's not lazy unless it's used in a lazy manner.

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Then I guess if I use it creatively, and to good effect, it could prove a useful tool... Thanks

Wasnt sure where to put this question so whoever moved the thread from Critique to discussion... thanks to you too

I suspect the problem with voiceover and narration is that it is too easy to be lazy with it - to just tell the audience whatever you need them to know, not to show them.

Those shows you mention never do this. The voiceover/narration is usually used as counterpoint, contrasting with the outer world that we see on the screen, or otherwise to get extra gags in. It rarely, if ever, drives the plot. This is important because, regardless of how self absorbed the characters are, the plot must come from actions in the real world, not a pseudo-plot only going in one persons head. You can do that in a novel, but not here.

I guess it's like so many things in writing, a technique which can be dangerous to newcomers like myself but can be incredibly powerful (and very very funny) when used well.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ December 13 2011, 9:07 PM GMT

Arrested Development has a narrator, and is one of the best written sitcoms ever.

View original

What's interesting there is that, unlike the three examples mentioned above by the OP, the narrator in AD is external and not a character in the show.

I can relate to this too, I was in a screen writing class and I did a comedy cartoon in which you would hear a narration of the main characters mind about three times an episode. The woman running this said it was an amatuer and easy way of developing characters. So I got rid off it but then the show felt less emotional and alot of the humour was taken away. So now I think narration is fine, whats starting to annoy me though with the whole moku-craze is instead of developing and introducing characters through sceaniros most of them look at the camera and explain their lives, which too me if done badly definatly is a easy way of doing it.