28 Days Later... Day 13: The Sitcom Mission
Friday 14th February 2014
Rear View Sitcom
Beware the dreaded Rear View Sitcom (hereafter 'RVS') - it will kill momentum. A RVS is one in which nothing happens because it already has. Typically two people sit around talking about fascinating things that have happened in the past. The reader is left with the feeling that s/he doesn't want to be in this sitcom watching bores reminisce, but in the other sitcom; the one they're describing where all sorts of interesting things are happening.
It's an easy trap to fall into because it is so seductive. You can describe ANYTHING! How cool is that?! Unfortunately describing events is nothing compared to watching them. Remember this comedy gold moment?
RODNEY: You should have seen Del, Granddad. He went to lean on the bar flap, but the barman had opened it, so he fell through.
Dull, isn't it? Like all RVS.
Of course Graham Linehan put it a lot better than I can when he said: "Make things happen. Write that on a postit and stick it on your computer where you can see it, so you'll never again rely on '...do you remember when...?'."