British Comedy Guide

Toying with sitcom idea

I may do this sitcom, I may not, but please let me know you're honest thoughts. I should note I am ditching my usual style and going for cheese. It didn't work for Alan Partridge but it may work for me.

SCENE 1. POLICE STATION

JONNY IS AT THE RECEPTION OF THE POLICE STATION TALKING TO HIS SERGENT

SERGENT:
Right PC. Bent I need you to visit Mrs Jones, her husband died in a car
accident this morning she has to be told that her husband is dead.

JONNY:
Right.

SERGENT:
Remember Jonny. ‘Mrs Jones your husband is dead.'

JONNY:
Got it. (SAYS TO SELF) Mrs Jones your husband is dead)

JONNY TRAVELS TO MRS JONES. ALL THE WHILE SAYING OVER AND OVER TO HIMSELF ‘MRS JONES YOUR HUSBAND IS DEAD’

CUT TO:

SCENE 2. MRS JONE’S DOOR

JONNY RINGS MRS JONES DOORBELL

JONNY:
Mrs Jones?

MRS JONES:
Yes

JONNY:
Mrs Jones is your husband in (PAUSE) Shit!
CUT TO

SCENE 3. HIGH STREET

JONNY IS WALKING THE BEAT ALONG THE HIGH STREET HE SPOTS HOMELESS MIKE.

JONNY:

Homeless Man how are you today?

HOMELESS MAN:
Homeless

JONNY:
You crack me up you do. Actually the way mortgages are going you’re probably better off homeless but I bet checking your email is a bitch

HOMELESS MAN:
Yeah a big hairy bitch with balls but they’re putting up Wi-Fi here soon for the business park and I just got a shiny new knife.

JONNY:
Good for you.

A WOMAN RUNS UP TO JONNY

WOMAN:
Please help, help me! He’s collapsed!

JONNY FOLLOWS THE WOMAN

CUT TO:

SCENE 4. ROAD

JONNY AND THE WOMAN ARRIVE AT THE SCENE. THEY ARE LOOKING AT SOMETHING NOT SHOWN TO THE VIEWER

WOMAN:
I turned my back for a minute heard a screech and he just collapsed

THE ‘HE’ IN QUESTION BECOMES VISIBLE. A FLAT YORKSHIRE TERRIER WITH A TYRE MARK ON HIS BACK IS DEAD ON THE FLOOR

JONNY:
Erm I think he’s dead Madam.

WOMAN:
Are you sure officer can’t you try mouth to mouth

JONNY:
There are laws against that madam. I think this is an open and mutt case.

CUT TO:

SCENE 5. SERGENT’S OFFICE

SERGENT IS BERATING JONNY.

SERGENT:
First the incident with Mrs Jones and now this. PC Bent you are treading a fine line. Not only did you ridicule that poor woman after she died but you put on the report ‘Cause of Death: He was tyred!’

JONNY:
Well he was sir

SERGENT:
Don’t get smart with me son. I think you need reigning in. I’m giving you a new partner. Someone who will get the job done.

THE SERGENT TALKS INTO THE OFFICE COM

SERGENT:
Send her in

P.C. LAUREN SUMMERS WALKS INTO THE OFFICE

SEREGENT:
P.C. Summers meet P.C Bent

LAUREN:
Hi

JONNY:
Hello

SERGENT:
Now Jonny you will learn from PC Summers she’s one of our brightest recruits. She has 2 GCSEs

JONNY:
That is impressive.

SERGENT:
Now get out there and fight Crime

CUT TO:

SCENE 6. POLICE CAR

JONNY AND LAUREN ARE IN THE POLICE CAR

JONNY:
So 2 GCSEs? What were they in?

LAUREN:
An envelope, then I opened the envelope and my mum framed them. What are you’re qualifications

JONNY:
Wasn’t smart enough to join the Army. So what do you think of this area Lauren?

LAUREN:
Well its not very spacious and could do with leather seats. Can I ask what we do if we spot a crime going on?

JONNY:
Well if they have guns we run away but otherwise we radio in. Do you know how to use the radio?

LAUREN:
Yes, does it pick up Chris Moyles?

JONNY:
Its not a taxi service. That looks suspicious.

CUT TO:

SCENE 7. ROOFTOP

TINA IS STANDING ON THE EDGE OF A BUILDING. TIM IS TALKING TO HER. JONNY AND LAUREN ARRIVE AT THE ROOFTOP

LAUREN:
Don’t do it! I know what you’re going through

TINA:
You don’t know me, no-one knows me

JONNY:
I know you. Aren’t you Sharon’s sister

TINA:
Don’t label me! I have a name! Its Tina,Tina! Not Sharon’s sister!

JONNY:
I’ve been to the edge too Tina but once you get over it everything is much better. I mean that metaphorically Tina. Why don’t you come down?

LAUREN
Yeah Tina either way you’ll be coming down why don’t you make your mind up.

JONNY:
Lauren I don’t think Bucks Fizz is going to fix this.

TIM:
Tina your lunch break is over in a couple of minutes

JONNY:
How is that relevant?

TIM:
Well she has to come back to work

LAUREN:
She’s about to commit suicide and your worrying about lunch breaks?

TIM:
Suicide? That’s our designated smoking area. New Legislation to cut down work related fatalities yet they seem to have mysteriously risen since they came in.

JONNY:
Sorry about that we don’t really keep up with new laws.

I like the direction of "gag filled hilarity". Good opening joke, even though you've shown it to me before. It needs tightening up, but I like the direction your taking.

Not sure if the character is more of a Blackadder or Homer Simpson? Is he doing those jokes on purpose or is he an idiot?

I do like it though, if you ever need a hand, go to some dodgy eastern European surgeon or you could just come to me.

Good.

Thanks Leevil. I was going to take this to you depending on the reception it gets. If it bombs then obviously I will deny all knowledge of it. Just added a new scene (7). We could rework that and send it to NR or the TS btw. Anyway when you're on msn we'll talk more.

Everyone else, I would still like any comments on this don't matter if they're good or bad, thanks

It was funny...and i laughed...and thought he was just a PC Plonker... but funny! :)
I liked "Yeah a big hairy bitch with balls but they’re putting up Wi-Fi here soon for the business park and I just got a shiny new knife."

The trouble you face is that getting a police based sitcom into development is pretty difficult. It just doesn't scream of originality. And since that BBC Scotland sitcom about to coppers went tits up, I don't think there's much appetite for them. My advice, hit it on the head now and save yourself a lot of hassle.

maybe jonny doesn't need to be a policeman. maybe he is a loony do-gooder who wants to be a policeman but he keeps getting rejected. he could still do most of the things that you have written and it would make him more of a proactive central character, which producers tend to like. he could keep trying to hang out with policemen and annoying them. maybe he could dress up and pretend to be a policeman.

Johnny ROulette has hit on something there. I liked it and think that as long as the directing was good then it could create a nice, breezy comedy that would be difficult to not enjoy.

Nice one.

I thought that the first and fourth scenes were good and could work well as stand alone sketches, but I didn't laugh at the other scenes. All the scenes are exceptionally short as well - if they carry on at this length you'll end up having around 50 scenes in one episode! I remember reading that the average amount of scenes in a sitcom should be around 15 - 20. Not that going against the rules is always a bad thing......

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