Does a sketch need a 'punchline'?

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere.

I am of an age where I think every sketch needs a punch line, but does it?

I remember Spike Milligan just staring into the camera at the end of sketches and I think 'Smack the Pony" would sometimes put the best line in the middle of a sketch and allow it to tail off (or is that just my memory tailing off?).
When looking at work posted in 'critique' I often have to stop myself posting repeatedly 'needs a stronger ending', and yet when I think back to my favourite sketches the most memorable lines are often in the body of the piece.

Any thoughts?

Neither Monty Python nor Milligan especially used punchlines.

Monty Python were geniuses at linking sketches into a whole or using linking diferences (and now for something completely diferent)

Where as Milligan didn't.

Monty Pythons flying cirucs is probably one of the best remembered sketch shows of all time.

Milligans Q isn't.

A good sketch is usually like an elongated and expanded joke, which pretty much always need a punchline. I suppose you can do without one, but like a meal without chips it's a challenge.

My dog's got no nose. How does he smell? Do you see where this is going or do you need the punchline?

That's an anti joke, so the subverted punchline is the punchline.

The best line is almost always early in the sketch - it is the point where the premise of the sketch, the twist on the mundane and everyday, is revealed to the audience.

The punchline is just a way of extracting yourself from the sketch, of signalling to the audience that it is over. It does not have to be hilarious, just elegant and satisfying.

Quote: Tursiops @ July 31 2013, 11:34 AM BST

It does not have to be hilarious, just elegant and satisfying.

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Is that what it says on your match.com profile?

I put a smiley at the end of every post as a way of consumating the hilarity. Whether it follows a punchline or not is of no consequence.

For me resorting to the use of icons as a punchline is ok as long as the joke's in Morse

Quote: playfull @ July 31 2013, 11:00 AM BST

I am of an age where I think every sketch needs a punch line, but does it?

View original

Not absolutely necessarily, but if your biggest laugh is earlier on, it might be wisest rewrite it to end there.

An Englishmen, Irishman and Scotsman walk into a bar. The barman asks, "If this is a joke, is this the punchline?"

Answer, no-because the barman ruined the joke.

My opnion is: every sketch doesn't need a punchline, but every sketch needs an ending. It's OK if that ending is not as joke but I like my sketches to finish, and not be a case of "I've run out of things to write about this now": as Sooty says, Python were fantastic at *ending* sketches without *finishing* them. And Big Train was great at ending a sketch on a line which is perfect, but ostensibly not a conclusion at all - it's much harder to do than it looks, I have discovered.

I'm not keen on sketches which have one gag: at the end. I think a good sketch needs to have great jokes right the way through. You don't have to end on the strongest one, but you need to end on one which provides closure, unless (as people have mentioned) you have creative control over a whole series and you can do some nice breakaways to other things. If you're submitting one sketch to a programme, it's got to have an ending. But I don't know if that ending necessarily has to be the 'punchline' per se, as it's fine to have your best lines scattered throughout, in my opinion.

As someone else above said, it's pretty important to open with something great. It doesn't have to be a gag, per se, but some kind of subversion of expectations. Exposition, really, but something surprising or funny.

No, I don't think every sketch needs a punchline. One liners do, but sketches really don't. If you can get one, then great. Otherwise, just make sure you bring the sketch to a satisfactory close before things get boring.

As regards the opening of a sketch, I don't think you need to open on a gag. Again, great if you can, but don't worry too much. I went to a sketch writing course several years ago and, as regards openings, they said to get your concept clearly across asap. Aim for the first three exchanges of dialogue ideally. It's not always possible, but a good idea to consider.

Quote: Ben @ August 17 2013, 2:05 PM BST

get your concept clearly across asap. Aim for the first three exchanges of dialogue ideally. It's not always possible, but a good idea to consider.

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Good point. We all have the characters, situation and action clearly in our heads - but it is getting it down on the paper early that is the key.

Quote: Tursiops @ July 31 2013, 11:34 AM BST

The best line is almost always early in the sketch - it is the point where the premise of the sketch, the twist on the mundane and everyday, is revealed to the audience.

The punchline is just a way of extracting yourself from the sketch, of signalling to the audience that it is over. It does not have to be hilarious, just elegant and satisfying.

View original

I pretty much agree with this .