British Comedy Guide
British Comedy Guide

Sitcom

Writing sitcom is hard to master... there's lots to think about and learn! Hopefully these articles will help you hone your situations and characters.

Count Abdulla. Abdulla Khan (Arian Nik)

The right way Long read

  • Thursday 23rd January 2025

The first in a new series of long reads. In this piece we ask, is there a right way to construct your sitcom?

Brassic

Making a scene

  • Friday 13th December 2024

Every scene in your comedy script should move the story forward - and contain something funny.

The Masterson Inheritance. Image shows from L to R: Phelim McDermott, Josie Lawrence, Jim Sweeney, Caroline Quentin, Lee Simpson, Paul Merton. Copyright: BBC

A word on parody

  • Tuesday 10th December 2024

We consider parody as a comic sub-genre.

The Inbetweeners. Will Mackenzie (Simon Bird). Copyright: Bwark Productions

Back to basics 2: Situation

  • Thursday 5th December 2024

We consider the "situation" in situation comedy.

Only Child. Image shows left to right: Richard (Greg McHugh), Lydia Bartlett (Samantha Spiro)

Sitcom or comedy drama?

  • Friday 29th November 2024

Sitcom or comedy drama - which should you write?

Cheaters

In comedy writing, proper explanations are key

  • Thursday 28th November 2024

"Why did you do that?"... "Just because." This is not a satisfactory answer - in life, or in a script.

Only Fools And Horses. Image shows left to right: Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst), Del (David Jason)

"Has it been done before?"

  • Wednesday 20th November 2024

We consider the question that troubles every writer of a sitcom pilot.

Man holding a magnifying glass

There's a plot afoot

  • Tuesday 19th November 2024

The plots in your sitcom scripts are worth spending time on.

Red Dwarf. Image shows left to right: Kryten (Robert Llewellyn), Cat (Danny John-Jules), Lister (Craig Charles), Rimmer (Chris Barrie)

Back to basics 1: Feasibility

  • Monday 18th November 2024

In a new series of columns on the basics of narrative comedy writing, we look at the topic of feasibility.

The Comedy Doctor. Credit: BCG

The Comedy Doctor on main characters

  • Friday 15th November 2024

The Comedy Doctor answers a question from a member worried about the number of characters in their pilot script.