British Comedy Guide

The Long Read: The right way

Count Abdulla. Abdulla Khan (Arian Nik)

Is there a right way to construct a sitcom? Certainly, when you're staring at a blank page, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Most writers begin with an idea of what they want to write. But some writers simply know that they want to write a sitcom (or comedy drama - all the advice in this article applies to both).

There are some elements which all sitcoms and comedy dramas include: characters, a situation, plots and jokes. But what sitcoms are about, their tone, and how they are stylistically realised varies enormously.

Gavin & Stacey, Mrs Brown's...

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Published: Thursday 23rd January 2025

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