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.

Fiddlers Three

The magical number three

  • Friday 26th April 2024

How to utilise a three act structure when writing narrative comedy.

Powder Room. Image shows from L to R: Sam (Sheridan Smith), Chanel (Jaime Winstone). Copyright: DJ Films

Me, me, me: How much of yourself should you pour into your scripts?

  • Wednesday 24th April 2024

Working up a show rooted directly in your experience of life can be wise.

No Heroics. Image shows from L to R: Devlin, aka Excelsor (Patrick Baladi), Jenny, aka She-Force (Rebekah Staton), Don, aka Timebomb (James Lance), Sarah, aka Electroclash (Claire Keelan), Alex, aka The Hotness (Nicholas Burns). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions

The three Cs for characters

  • Monday 22nd April 2024

Here are important elements to consider when working on characters.

Mrs. Brown's Boys. Image shows from L to R: Agnes Brown (Brendan O'Carroll), Buster Brady (Danny O'Carroll), Dermot Brown (Paddy Houlihan)

Silly costumes and comedy vegetables: writing broad comedy

  • Thursday 18th April 2024

Audiences do love broad comedy: daft contraptions, contrived misunderstandings and all.

Coupling. Image shows from L to R: Jane (Gina Bellman), Susan (Sarah Alexander), Jeff (Richard Coyle), Steve (Jack Davenport), Sally (Kate Isitt), Patrick (Ben Miles). Copyright: Hartswood Films Ltd

Common mistakes, part 1

  • Monday 8th April 2024

Here are some common mistakes we often see from new writers.

Miranda. Image shows from L to R: Gary (Tom Ellis), Miranda (Miranda Hart). Copyright: BBC

Beat it: Creating beats when writing comedy

  • Tuesday 26th March 2024

We discuss beats: what they are, how they work, and their role in the writing process.

Lee Mack

3 tips for studio sitcom success

  • Friday 22nd March 2024

Pro member Amy Harrison explores three tips for studio sitcom success, gleaned from our Big Comedy Conference session with Lee Mack.

Absolutely Fabulous. Image shows from L to R: Bubble (Jane Horrocks), Saffron (Julia Sawalha), Edina (Jennifer Saunders), Mother (June Whitfield), Patsy (Joanna Lumley). Copyright: Saunders And French Productions / BBC

Character checklist

  • Tuesday 19th March 2024

Here are some questions you should ask yourself once you've created your sitcom's main characters.

Not Going Out. Image shows left to right: Tim (Tim Vine), Lee (Lee Mack), Lucy (Sally Bretton)

The importance of story

  • Monday 18th March 2024

We consider the role storytelling plays in your sitcom.

Micheál Jacob

Micheál Jacob on script editing, part 2

  • Thursday 15th February 2024

In the second part of our discussion with Micheál Jacob, he goes into detail about the relationship between a script editor, the writer, and production.