How to Start a Brand New TV Comedy Script

Here are some thoughts on getting started with a your brand new TV comedy script and here is TV SCRIPT WRITING COURSE I’m running to get the script written!

Here are the steps:

1. Choose the Location: Pick a setting you are genuinely interested in (or that infuriates you!).

2. Create Flawed Characters: Develop characters who are their own worst enemies so that they have a strong tendency to mess things up for themselves.

3. Define Goals: Establish what each character wants in life, in the narrative and in each scene.

4. Stop them achieving these goals!: You need characters who lack the skills they need to achieve their goals. They try, fail, and keep trying (without learning).

5. Follow the "Juice": Focus on the character you enjoy writing the most. Perhaps you have started with the wrong character as the protagonist. Follow the juice and swap them for a character who is really popping.

Let's look at these steps in more detail.

1. Choose the Location

Where to set your new idea?

• It will really help if you genuinely care about and are interested in the location you choose for your show.

• If you are fascinated by the world or indeed infuriated by it —ideally with personal experience of it, or at least with the drive to research and study the location—it will be a strong setting for you.

2. Create Flawed Characters

   
   

Then, as you people your world, your characters must be grounded in reality and emotional truth (even if your script is a big silly or surreal comedy!). If you skip the grounding work and jump straight to the crazy ideas, the audience won't buy the world or care about the characters.

A great way to achieve this is to base your characters on real people you know. Do you know anyone who is their own worst enemy or keeps "shooting themselves in the foot?" These are great characters for comedy. Think about your characters as the author of their own misfortunes.

There will be times when your characters are victims of circumstances but it’s so much better for comedy if your characters are their own worst enemies.

A next question of each character is how aware are they of their failings?

• Aware: This leads to the comedy of neuroticism, awkwardness, embarrassment, and shame (they know they're failing).

• Unaware: This creates unearned confidence. They believe they should succeed and don't understand why things aren't working, not realising they are shooting themselves in the foot.

  
  

Have a mix of both kinds of characters, aware and unaware.

There's more on establishing your characters here.

3. Define Goals

   
   

Consider each of your characters and ask What Do They Want?

This may sound simple, but it is often overlooked in the rush to be funny. A common issue in scripts is a passive central character to whom stuff simply happens. All your characters must be goal-driven and want something on all levels:

• Super Objective: Their overall driving goal in life.

• Story Goal: What they want in the specific narrative you are telling.

• Scene Goal: What they want in the immediate scene.

4. Stop them achieving these goals!

   
   

Comedy starts to arise when they can't get what they want.

Now, if they stoically accepted this, there’s no comedy. Or if they have the abilities to actually go on and get what they want, there’s no comedy. Comedy comes from:

• The clear goal (ideally one the audience can relate to)

• The lack of any skills or abilities to achieve their goal.

• But still they try.

• And fail.

• And keep trying.

What stops them achieving their goals? By actively trying to get what they want, but going about it incorrectly or without the necessary skills or misjudging the situation. This goal-driven activity is what moves the narrative and the ineptitude creates the comedy. In summary:

• They have a heartfelt goal.

• They lack the skills to meet the challenges.

• Nevertheless, they try. And keep trying (without learning).

5. Follow the Juice

   
   

Finally, as you develop your new idea if your intended main character isn't "grabbing you" or "popping," but another character is, be willing to switch. Let the character who is working become your new protagonist. The original character can become peripheral or be dropped entirely. Go with the juice: Focus on the character you are enjoying writing, because that is what the audience will enjoy watching.

WRITE YOUR TV COMEDY SCRIPT Next sessions:

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For much more on developing your TV script, here is my Complete Comedy Script Toolkit book.