Sitcom scripts: How long is too long?

Length. It's something we all worry about.

We all want to present something meaty, but is there such a thing as too meaty?

The simple answer is, yes... And no.

Newer writers often think that writing long conveys their enthusiasm. But, the truth is, overlong material can easily develop into one of those impossible "bastard scripts" our resident sage Micheál Jacob discussed last week.

A half hour script is around 6000 words. 6500 words is pushing it.

7000 words is likely to become a problem, requiring either cuts in rehearsal or in the edit.

Once you're beyond 7000 words, for...