James Cary
- 49 years old
- English
- Writer and script editor
Press clippings Page 8
The terrifying process of studio sitcoms - Part 1
A script that's been months in the making, and weeks in the rewriting, is blown through in six days and it can be quite alarming to see it all happen so fast.
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 11th October 2016Readers' Qs - random background props
@JoChallacombe asks: Often random background props make me laugh. Do I try to write these into the scene descriptions, or do I chat to the producer about how funny I think that novelty mug on the desk could be later on?
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 22nd September 2016You can't have your sitcom and eat it
I would argue that a decent mainstream sitcom will last longer than almost any reality show. Most of these reality juggernauts run out of steam after eight years or so, and then limp along for a couple more. A sitcom can last so much longer.
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 14th September 2016Readers' Qs - does every sitcom need an idiot?
This question comes from @andyrileyish, aka Andy Riley, an extremely experienced sitcom writer (Black Books, Hyperdrive, The Great Outdoors), a thoroughly nice man, and writer of a new series of children's book called King Flashypants. He was also a guest with his writing partner, Kevin Cecil, on The Sitcom Geeks Podcast here.
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 31st August 2016How many scenes should there in a sitcom episode?
Good question. And of course that all depends on the sitcom and the story.
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 24th August 2016When devising a sitcom, where do you start?
The characters are the key.
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 22nd August 2016Avoiding giving punchlines to just one character
If this is happening in your script, it's probably not an accident.
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 16th August 2016Readers' Qs - Do I need a final draft?
No. Probably not. Maybe eventually?
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 15th August 2016Fifteen Years of Comedy
The Radio Times has launched a survey to discover the sitcom of the century, or at least the last fifteen years. Somehow, they've narrowed it down to forty. There are a few glaring omissions.
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 20th July 2016Why laughter should be just a normal human reaction
Your average stand-up comedian tends to look down on three types of comedian: the impressionist; the comedy musician (and possibly the poet); and the comedy magician.
James Cary, Sitcom Geek, 7th July 2016