British Comedy Guide

Jokes / gags

Jokes should be at the heart of most comedy projects. Don't forget to gag!

Big Comedy Conference 2023. Image shows left to right: Joel Morris, Christine Rose, Gráinne Maguire

Big Comedy Conference video: Jokes

  • Thursday 22nd February 2024

Jo Bunting analyses joke creation with the help of Gráinne Maguire, Joel Morris and Christine Rose in this, the last of the recordings from our 2023 Big Comedy Conference.

Laughing smilies

How to write a great joke

  • Monday 20th November 2023

What makes a good gag? Let's take a look.

Image shows left to right: Dan Sweryt, Eleanor Hayward

Video: How to pick up radio writing credits

  • Wednesday 27th September 2023

The video of a webinar in which writing for radio comedy shows such as Breaking The News and The Skewer is discussed in-depth.

Big Comedy Conference 2023. Image shows left to right: Dave Cohen, David Flynn, Jon Holmes, Rajiv Karia

Big Comedy Conference video: Open Door Shows

  • Friday 23rd June 2023

The video recording of the Big Comedy Conference session in which Breaking The News series producer David Flynn, The Skewer creator Jon Holmes and DMs Are Open producer Rajiv Karia discuss how to submit material to their formats.

One Foot In The Grave. Victor Meldrew (Richard Wilson). Copyright: BBC

Writing Funny

  • Friday 3rd March 2023

If you want to be a successful comedy writer, your scripts will have to be funny. There is no two ways about it. So, here is a checklist of "funny" that your script should ideally deliver...

A laughing child

Finding the funny in your sitcom

  • Wednesday 15th February 2023

A guide to the origin of jokes in narrative comedy writing.

The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin. Image shows left to right: Reginald Perrin (Leonard Rossiter), Jimmy Anderson (Geoffrey Palmer)

Joke structures

  • Friday 10th February 2023

Certain tried and tested jokes structures have evolved over time, and some knowledge of the rudiments of their forms can be helpful to comedy writers. We look at some of the structures in this article.

Meeting

What to do in a writers' room

  • Tuesday 26th April 2022

You've been invited into a writers' room - on either a panel show or sitcom - as the most junior writer. Here are some hopefully helpful things to bear in mind as you work out how to conduct yourself.

Hancock's Half Hour. Image shows from L to R: Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock (Tony Hancock), Donor (Frank Thornton), Nurse (June Whitfield)

Fine-tuning a gag and why it matters

  • Sunday 28th November 2021

Fine-tuning a joke is important because it can mean the difference between its success or failure, whether it "lands" and makes people laugh or not. It is also the difference between being a lazy hack and a real craftsperson of comedy. Here's some thoughts and tips on the topic...

Breaking The News. Lauren Mackay

Breaking The News writing tips

  • Friday 29th October 2021

Breaking The News producer Lauren Mackay offers some tips on how to be successful writing for the topical comedy show.