Office Sitcoms

The idea of an office based sitcom appears to get a downbeat response. Is it wrong to set a sitcom in an office or is it currently out of vogue?

The reason I ask is because I have had an idea for an office based sitcom which has been floating around my head for a while now. It is not that I thought, hey an office based sitcom would be good, but it is instead connected to my experience and frustrations of the industry in which I work.

So office based sitcoms, if they idea is there should you just write it? or would it be better to stay clear of the office scenario?

Def.

Never say never.

Now a sitcom set in a lighthouse!!!!

In 'The Office', the office is almost a character as you rarely see anyone outside of it. Examples like The Thick of It, IT Crowd, and that pilot with Managan and Horgan (which is being made into a series) are mainly set in an office but show life outside of it too and are all completely different in style to each other and 'The Office'.

So I think its ok as long as the characters, settings and style of humour are different from 'The Office'.

Quote: Griff @ June 27 2008, 2:33 PM BST

Question is - what can you bring to the office scenario that we haven't seen recently ? David Brent showed us the futility and pettiness of the life of a middle manager.

View original

Not sure about that. I don't think Brent was supposed to represent the everyday 'middle manager'. I think the Office was about working in a place with a manager who thinks he's an entertainer. ie loss of identity.

But its true, it has to be about something.

I think it's probably OK if you don't decribe it as an office-based sitcom?

Quote: Marc P @ June 27 2008, 2:32 PM BST

Never say never.

Now a sitcom set in a lighthouse!!!!

View original

Already been done ... Anyway lighthouses are all automated now ...

http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/shine/index.html

You'll have to give it an angle.

How about 30 degrees?

Quote: Deferenz @ June 27 2008, 2:27 PM BST

The idea of an office based sitcom appears to get a downbeat response. Is it wrong to set a sitcom in an office or is it currently out of vogue?

The reason I ask is because I have had an idea for an office based sitcom which has been floating around my head for a while now. It is not that I thought, hey an office based sitcom would be good, but it is instead connected to my experience and frustrations of the industry in which I work.

So office based sitcoms, if they idea is there should you just write it? or would it be better to stay clear of the office scenario?

Def.

View original

As Marc P says 'never say never' but obviously you should look to avoid something if it's been covered in last few years.

I'm sure in a few years there will be an office based hit - but it'll be a million miles away in terms of style from The Office of course.

You'll have a hard time with The Office reaching cult status.

Quote: Marc P @ June 27 2008, 2:32 PM BST

Now a sitcom set in a lighthouse!!!!

View original

Excellent... Get writing, I'd like to see that one, myself.

Spoke with some old workmates about the characters we had in our office. I just feel it needs something extra now to make it work.

Sorry, David, but every office has it's characters. I got 3 brilliant blokes in my office and they're all very different. If I wanted to get a laugh out of them I'd have them selling tupperware at a fund raising event at the local prison.

The art of a good sitcom is taking characters out of their comfort zone. Find your protagonist then feed them to the critics, is what I say.

Yeah - can't be just "an office". As I said has to have a new angle.

I think the thing to do is put yourself in the producer's shoes. A script plonks on your desk with the description "Office-based sitcom". Are you going to tear open the thing and devour the first page with gusto? No, the first thing you're going to think of is The Office. Then you're going to think that even if the script was brilliant it's still going to be compared to The Office, which is one of the most successful sitcoms ever.

As a newer writer, I've found that one of the most important things is to make my ideas accessible, but different. You have to ask yourself what's the Unique Selling Point? Because at some point along the line someone's going to say "This ground has been covered before, what makes yours different?" At which point you need to say "Aha! I was hoping you'd ask that question, because..."

For everyone (and there are so many) people that tell you what you can't do, there are examples of people who have done just that.

The Thick of It is an Office-based sitcom. Its hardly ever not in the offices, but its focus is on politics. The Office is focused on life in an Office with a disillusioned manager.

IT crowd is office-based too. So its rubbish that you can't do it and any producers with sense won't just bulk at a script that is 'set in an office'. Its what it is about that counts. An office can be just a location too.

Quote: ContainsNuts @ July 2 2008, 8:43 AM BST

For everyone (and there are so many) people that tell you what you can't do, there are examples of people who have done just that.

The Thick of It is an Office-based sitcom. Its hardly ever not in the offices, but its focus is on politics. The Office is focused on life in an Office with a disillusioned manager.

IT crowd is office-based too. So its rubbish that you can't do it and any producers with sense won't just bulk at a script that is 'set in an office'. Its what it is about that counts. An office can be just a location too.

View original

Agreed. Just don't flag your sitcom as "Office Based".

Quote: David Bussell @ July 2 2008, 8:46 AM BST

Agreed. Just don't flag your sitcom as "Office Based".

View original

Yep. Long as you've got a different angle it's still viable. Just be aware, is all I'm saying. I'd think twice about setting a sitcom in a prison for instance, cos the first thing people are going to think of is Porridge. They got around that with The Visit, setting it in a prison visiting room.