28 Days Later... Day 15: Blakewill & Harris
Wednesday 19th February 2014
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a comedy writer in possession of a character must be in want of a comedy rule. So we've made one up.
Ladies and gentlemen, we give you: The "Yes" Test.
Can you make your character funny simply by getting them to say "yes"? Or do you find you have to write a joke for them that is stand-alone funny?
If it's the latter then you're probably going to struggle to make them funny throughout a script. You may not empathise with them if all you hear is the writer flexing his or her gag-writing muscles.
If it's the former, however, you've created a proper comedy character - which, paradoxically, becomes a joke machine. Your character-based joke machine can generate humour in a variety of situations and you're on to a winner.
- Basil Fawlty can say "yes" and be obsequious or a coward covering something up.
- David Brent can say "yeah" and we know he is being inappropriately matey or trying too hard to be cool.
- Dougal can say "Yes, Ted" and we know he did not understand a single word Ted has just told him.
And so on.
It is faultless. There are no exceptions. Apart from those cases where there are exceptions.
(Please note: The "Yes" Test is not to be confused with the "no test", an entirely different and much inferior idea.)
Marc Blakewill & James Harris have been writing together for far too long and they have a website to prove it: www.blakewillandharris.com. Their latest sitcom will be appearing in an inbox soon.