In the Spirit of Getting On With It

How to improve your sitcom script

This is a substack about writing sitcoms.

It’s what I do, and have been doing for 25 years (Miranda, Bluestone 42, Hut 33, Think The Unthinkable, My Hero, My Family, Citizen Khan).

I’ve been blogging about writing sitcoms since 2010. And since 2015, I’ve co-hosted a podcast, Sitcom Geeks, with an adjoining Patreon.

I’ve made a few YouTube videos on a channel called The Situation Room which has a mailing list. Or had.

It’s all changing.

The Sitcom Geeks podcast is ending on 6th July 2023. All 222 episodes will remain online for the foreseeable and I’ll be referring to them from this Substack.

This is my new hub for writing about writing sitcoms which should help you write better sitcom scripts.

So, like a good sitcom script, let’s get on with it! Opening titles over. Scene 1. And this is the hardest scene to write, get right and improve.

We’ve said this on Sitcom Geeks podcast for years - and no-one seems to believe us judging by the scripts we read. But here’s the biggest, most common mistake I read in spec sitcom scripts: not getting on with it. So:

Tip #1 Get On With It

It’s always tempting to have your characters say funny things at the start of your script. You’re trying to make the reader or the audience laugh. This is a noble aim.

But if you’re not careful, eight pages have gone by and nothing’s really happened.

This is such a common problem that you can make your sitcom script stand out by fixing it.

The audience find out about your characters not through what they say (because they lie anyway, right?) but by what they DO. By a man’s works shall ye know him. Actions speak louder than words. So get your characters moving, and your actors acting.

What are your characters doing in that first scene? They can say stuff as they do it that reveals other information, story or character, but we learn about characters by action, not words.

Here’s that tip again. Get on with it. The clock is ticking.

Action Point

Look at your script and answer this question: on what page does your story really start? At what point does the main character get going with her quest? Make it earlier.

If it’s page 7, make it page 3. If it’s page 3, well done. But make it page 2.

Get the story going as that is what keeps you turning the pages. Characters and jokes are not enough. They’re a start. They are the components. They are the engine. But you need the fuel to keep the engine running. That’s the story. Start it as soon as you and keep it running.

And if you have multiple stories, start all of them as soon as you can. Watch Modern Family for how to start and progress at least three stories at least two beats in under ten minutes.

If you can’t identify the point where your story starts, we’ve got bigger problems and you should go back and plot your story and rewrite your script with a stronger story.

Here’s a YouTube video about it:

You could also have a listen to Sitcom Geeks episode 126 which you might find helpful.

I’ve identified 14 key weaknesses in pilot sitcom scripts and written a 50 page PDF and made a 90 minute video about it. For more of that go here: