How To End Your Sitcom Scenes
Which shouldn't be a surprise really
You want jokes throughout your script, but the most important place to put them is at the end of a scene. A scene that ends on a downer, or a damp squib or a half-joke will leave a bad taste, even if the scene was quite good.
A lot of comedy is about rhythm. If a script is easy to read and has a joke at the end of each scene taking you into the next scene, it will make a disproportionately good impression.
Each scene in the script is like a mini-sketch where one character is trying to do one thing – and another character is in the way, or trying to do something else. There should be some jokes along the way, but the final line is almost a full stop on the whole thing.
Make your script stand out by really working at those transition points.
There needs to be a very good reason for the scene to not end on a joke. Two possible reasons would be:
Trying to create an emotional climax that is being played for realism, in order to make the other stuff funnier. Even then, there’s often room for a little kicker.
The other exception would be setting up a joke that is immediately paid off at the start of the next scene.
But both of these are fairly rare. If you’ve got 12-15 scenes in a show, all but one should end on a joke. And sometimes, not even that.
So let’s get down to some practicalities.
TAKE ACTION
Look at the last line of every scene. Is it a joke? Is it funny? Will it make the reader laugh or smile? If not, it needs another look.
If a line isn’t coming naturally, think about what has happened in the scene. Is there a theme emerging, a repeating phrase or a prop that could be reprised? Does a character try to have the last word unsuccessfully? Give the end of each scene five more minutes.
So here are some possible solutions to getting your scene to end with a joke:
Have a coffee. Walk around. Take a piece of paper and a pen and make some doodles or jot down ideas rather than staring at the script on the screen. But overall, just try harder to think of a decent line or action or comment that’s funny. It’s not clever advice, but sometimes the answer is just to work harder or take more time.
These may help with the ‘work harder’ approach Assuming you’ve spent ages on it, or this is the second or third draft and nothing’s presented itself, try changing the penultimate line and see if that sets up a completely different joke.
If that doesn’t work, go back another few lines. Scenes are often conversational stepping stones in sitcoms. You often need to hop from one idea or line to the next, so changing the order of the scene might present new areas and ideas.
Look for ways to end the scene earlier. If there’s a really funny joke in the scene, is there any way you could just cut the rest of the dialogue afterwards? Do you really need the rest of the scene? Does it advance the story? If the answer to all these questions is ‘no’, you’ve got a punchline. End on the funny bit. It is, after all, a sitcom.
It may be that you cannot end on that funny line because there’s too much action, story or exposition to wade through afterwards. In which case, look for ways to move that stuff earlier so that you’re able to finish on the decent joke.
It feels like cheating, but it’s just a way of shaking things up so that your mind can see the scene differently and break the brain deadlock. Try it. But do all that you can to end each scene in your script on a decent joke.
Find out what ALL 14 mistakes are in this accessible 53-page PDF plus a bonus video in which James runs through the 14 problems - plus one extra problem explained: Problem Zero! In the PDF & video, you'll discover:
How to make your script tighter and find cuts
How to get your characters MOVING
How to avoid scenes that just aren't going anywhere
Hacks and tips on those scenes that feel flat
How to improve dialogue
How to make your characters more memorable