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SITCOM STRUCTURE

THE IMPORTANCE OF STORY STRUCTURE

Quite simply, structure is one of the most important elements of your script. It is the glue that holds your story together. Think of structure as how you choose to tell your story. What happens in each scene and what is the order in which it happens? Let me warn you that structure is one of the hardest things to wrap your head around. It takes time, energy, and boatloads of patience. You probably won’t get it right the first time. You may not get it right the second time. Most likely you will need to rework your story several times before everything finally clicks. Don’t get aggravated by this — it is a normal part of the writing process, one that is difficult for even seasoned writers.

I often see new writers work at story structure, get frustrated, and give up. They say, “I couldn’t figure it out and it was taking too much time, so I just did it my way.” This is a colossal mistake. The television industry isn’t Burger King. You can’t have it your way. Structure exists because it works. Those in the industry understand story structure because they live it every day. If your story is structured incorrectly — or worse still not at all — they will hear it in your pitch or read it in your script and they will automatically think of you as a pedestrian writer because you haven’t conquered one of the most fundamental elements of TV writing.

CLASSIC TWO-ACT STRUCTURE VS. MODERN THREE-ACT STRUCTURE

Historically most, if not all, sitcoms were structured in two acts. An act is a series of scenes that tells a story. For multi-cam shows, an act consists of approximately four to seven scenes. Single-cam shows are different. There will be more scenes, as the scenes in these shows tend to be shorter. In classic two-act sitcom structure, the first act is the setup of your story. It’s where you get your character(s) into hot water. The second act is the resolution. It’s where you get your character(s) out of hot water. The acts should be approximately (doesn’t have to be perfect) the same length.

In the middle of your script, there is what is known as an Act Break. A strong Act Break is key to a good story. Think of it as a mini-cliffhanger. Something big must happen. The reason is that traditionally Act Breaks coincide with commercial breaks. Commercial breaks give the audience a chance to veer away from your show. They can (and often do) pick up the remote to see what else is on. But, a good Act Break will, in theory, bring the audience back because they will want to see what happens and how the character(s) get out of hot water.

Today, many shows now use a more modern three-act structure. Yup, you guessed it: an extra Act Break means an extra commercial break which equals extra advertising dollars. To make it easy, you can think of the three acts as the beginning, middle, and end. If you want to dig a little deeper, I like to think of the first act as the set-up, the second act as the heart and soul of the story, and the third act as the resolution. As with two-act structure, each act should be approximately the same length (though in some shows this can vary) and the first and second acts should both end with strong Act Breaks.

Typically, a show is consistently written in two-act structure or three-act structure. In other words, shows don’t usually mix-and-match by doing two-act one week and three-act the next. It is too confusing for an audience.

On occasion, you may see a show that has four Act Breaks. Bob’s Burgers, for example uses four-act structure. Again, this allows for yet another commercial break. This structure is not used frequently with comedies, but that could change, as it has proven to be successful for Fox with Bob’s Burgers, which is obviously a hit show.

When you are writing a spec script or pitching an episode, you should structure your story in whichever format your particular show follows. How can you be sure how many acts your show has? It’s easy. Watch the show for a few weeks when it actually airs. Does the show have one mini-cliffhanger and commercial break that comes about halfway through? Then, obviously, that show is following classic two-act structure. But, if the show has two mini-cliffhangers and two commercial breaks, then the show is following the more modern three-act structure. A word to the wise: be sure, when studying a show, that you are watching it in prime time rather than in syndication. Shows that go into syndication often have more commercial breaks added. If, for any reason, you aren’t clear on how many acts your particular show has, try (as I previously recommended) to get your hands on a sample script from the actual show. As you will soon see, in television scripts, Act Breaks are physically written in, so it will be extremely easy for you to figure out whether your show is following two-act structure or three-act structure.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Series that are produced for pay cable networks such as HBO and Showtime and for streaming services like Netflix do not have Act Breaks. These shows go all the way through from beginning to end without interruption. If you are writing or pitching one of these shows, you don’t have to worry about creating strong Act Breaks. But other than that, the stories are still basically structured the same way and include all of the same elements as other comedies.

One last thing to pay close attention to is that some shows have cold openings and tags. These small segments that appear at the beginning and at the end of a script are generally much shorter than Act Breaks. A few words of caution: when trying to determine how many acts a show has, don’t confuse cold openings and tags with Act Breaks. They are not one and the same.

COLD OPENINGS

A cold opening, also known as a “teaser,” is the first few minutes of a show before the main credits. Its main purpose is to tease the audience and get them immediately hooked on the show, thus beating out the competition right from the get-go. At the top of every hour and/or half hour, much of the audience has clicker in hand, flipping around to see what’s coming on. Which do you think viewers would find more interesting: the main credits of a show or a small, hilarious snippet of the show? Of course, most people would prefer the latter. Networks bank on that.

Cold openings vary from show to show. In some shows, the cold opening has nothing at all to do with the main story of the episode. It is completely separate. In other shows, the cold opening actually helps set up the main story. Most shows are consistent: they either do a cold opening each week or they don’t. Occasionally, you might find a show that varies from week to week, but this is rare.

Should you include a cold opening in your spec script? The answer is, it depends on the show. Remember, you are trying to make your episode look exactly like the show you are writing. Therefore, it is imperative to do exactly as they do. If they have a cold opening every week, then you should definitely write a cold opening. If the show you are writing for does not have a cold opening, then putting one in would look like you don’t know the structure of the show. In those infrequent cases where it could go either way — as in sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t — I would definitely recommend doing a cold opening. It’s another opportunity to get a chunk of funny into your script.

TAGS

A tag is a little two to three minute segment that comes at the very end of a show right before the closing credits. In fact, sometimes the end credits roll over the tag. In some ways, you can think of a tag as the opposite of a cold opening. The thing that makes tags and cold openings different is that while a cold opening can set up a story and in essence be part of the first act; a tag should never resolve the story. It should not be seen as part of the last act. Rather, it should be a separate block that stands completely on its own. You should never end your “A” story — or any story for that matter — in a tag. All stories must be wrapped up by the last scene in the final act. The reason this is important is that when a show goes into syndication, it often gets edited a tad differently in order to add in more commercial breaks so that local TV stations can increase revenue. In this case, the tag may not be shown. Likewise, the tag may not always be shown in foreign markets. Therefore, if you were to resolve a story in the tag, and the tag gets cut, a large chunk of the audience would have no idea how the story ended.

Tags can be small extensions of the story — some little funny add-on that happens after the story resolves itself. Or they can be as simple as using some outtakes of the show.

Should you include a tag in your spec? Like cold openings, the answer is, only if the show you are writing regularly uses a tag. If it does, definitely write one.

BIG BLOCK COMEDY SCENES

Well-constructed sitcom stories have what is known as a Big Block Comedy scene. This scene usually comes toward the end of a script and it has the big laugh out loud, knee-slapping moments that the entire story has been building to. For example, let’s say you are writing a script with two single guys who are friends, living in New York City. Both have a huge crush on a Victoria’s Secret model who lives in Sweden. Low and behold, they read in the paper that she’s going to be in town doing a lingerie show. But there’s one catch. The show is a charity benefit at a ladies’ luncheon in a posh Manhattan hotel. So the guys decide to go in drag, thinking that will get them in the door where they will have a chance to meet their crush. All glammed up, the guys arrive at the hotel, and decide to sneak back stage. There, in the confusion, they are inadvertently mistaken for models and forced to walk the runway. In this story, the fashion show scene where the guys prance down the catwalk scantily clad in ladies’ lingerie and eventually wind up face to face with Miss Sweden would be considered the Big Block Comedy scene.

In a perfect world, the A-story and the B-stories collide (meaning both stories come together) in the Big Block Comedy scene. Writing an episode with a hilarious Big Block Comedy scene is extremely hard to do, even for veteran comedy writers. That’s why not every episode has one. However, if you write a story that naturally lends itself to a Big Block Comedy scene and you execute it well, your spec will no doubt be memorable. And that’s what you are aiming for.

CREATING TWISTS

The worst stories in the world are linear stories. In television, linear stories simply don’t work. They are, for lack of a better term, boring. The best stories are those with twists. A twist is something the audience doesn’t see coming. In other words, the story seems to be going in one direction, and then something happens that spins the action into a different direction. Twists catch the audience off guard, keeping them engaged and entertained. Think of it as a roller coaster ride. How fun would it be to ride a roller coaster that didn’t go up and down with drops that seem to come out of nowhere? The answer is, not much fun at all. It is the same with story. Be forewarned, coming up with twists can be difficult. But, it is something you must do in order to have an exciting story and ultimately an awesome script. Adding a twist to your story is especially critical if you don’t have a Big Block Comedy scene. Can you have both a Big Block Comedy scene and a twist? Absolutely. In fact, the most skilled comedy writers will always try to incorporate both of these important elements.

RUNNING GAGS

A running gag, also known as a “runner” is a joke that recurs throughout a series. Sometimes the gag is exactly the same. For example, in Seinfeld, there are many episodes when Elaine shoves somebody hard while exclaiming, “get out!” But there are also running gags that offer different spins on the same joke. Take The Simpsons. There is the couch gag, where the family squeezes onto the couch. While sometimes the gag repeats itself in the same way, often there is variation. The family crowds onto the couch; the couch tips over. The family muscles onto the couch; the couch falls through the floor. The family jams onto the couch; someone gets squeezed off and goes flying, etc. Running gags can also occur in a single episode, where one small joke recurs — with or without variation. But it’s a one time only deal. The gag won’t come back in future episodes. In terms of your spec, my advice would be to look carefully at the show you are writing. Do they have runners? If so, you might consider using one in your script. If the show has several runners, you should pick one. Don’t try to squeeze in all of them. You will ultimately need the time to service your own stories. Of course, should you feel inclined, you can instead create a running gag that’s all your own.

NO-FAIL SITCOM STRUCTURE

I am going to give you the recipe for no-fail sitcom structure. If you follow this to a tee without deviating, I promise you no one will be able to say your structure is incorrect. Here are the main things you need to do:

Begin Each Act on the “A” Story

It is important to keep in mind that your “A” story is your primary story. Therefore you need to make it a priority and give it the most focus and time. You should always start each act on your “A” story. Don’t beat around the bush, and don’t waste precious time. Set up the problem quickly. In Act One, you need to get us hooked on your “A” story; in subsequent acts, you need to keep us hooked on your “A” story.

End Each Act on the “A” Story

Your Act Breaks must fall on your “A” story. Again, this is the primary story and the reason we have tuned in. We are not going to be as vested in your secondary stories because they aren’t as big. Thus, a mini-cliffhanger centered on a “B” story or a “C” story will not be enough to bring us back after the commercial break(s).

Weave in the “B” Story (and Then the “C” Story and “D” Story, if Applicable)

Once you have clearly established your “A” story, you can weave in your secondary stories. In some shows, secondary stories are completely separate scenes that cut away from the main action. Sometimes, the secondary stories walk into the main action. Of course, you should do it however your particular show does it. The important thing is to give the most time to the “A” story, then the “B” story, then the “C” and/or “D” story.

Have a Clear-cut Beginning, Middle, and End for All Stories

Each story should be able to stand on its own with a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end. You don’t want to start or dabble with a secondary story and then just let it drop. The audience will walk away feeling gypped because they don’t know the resolution.

Put All Stories in All Acts

It is important that you include scenes from all of your stories in each of your acts. You don’t want to wait until the second act to set up a “B” story. Likewise, it would be a mistake to start a story in Act One and then never return to it.

Put All Main Characters in All Acts

Whenever possible, you should try to get all of the main characters into each act. Characters are the main reason that audiences tune in each week — these are the people they invite into their homes, so you want to be sure to deliver what they are looking for. Also, you want to make sure that all of the main characters are involved in one of the stories — be it the “A” story or one of the secondary stories — and these stories should all be moving forward in each act toward the resolution.

Develop Strong Act Breaks that Leave Your Character in Jeopardy

I can’t emphasize this enough. Something significant must happen at the end of each act that will make the audience yearn to know how the character is going to get out of the tight spot you have placed him or her in. An act must build to this moment. At the Act Break, your character must be in the doghouse.

Escalate the Jeopardy in the Beginning of Each Act

When we come back from the commercial break, you must now escalate the jeopardy. Just when we think the character can’t get in any deeper, he or she does something that makes the situation all the worse. Also, once you have put the character in jeopardy and the audience has patiently waited through a commercial break to see what happens, you don’t want to put them off by going immediately to the “B” story.

Resolve the “A” Story in the Final Scene

Your “A” story is your primary story. Once you have resolved the “A” story, you have given away the keys to the candy store. The show is over. Therefore, it is hugely important to hold off on the resolution of the “A” story until the final scene of the final act.

EXAMPLE OF STRUCTURE

Below is an example of how to structure your sitcom for a multi-cam show. A single-cam show would follow the same structure, only there would be more scenes. Keep in mind this is only an example. No two stories are alike. Thus, your story will probably be structured a little bit differently as you will have to come up with your own story sequence and structure, based on the needs of all of your stories.

ACT ONE

Scene One (start “A” story)

Scene Two (start “B” story)

Scene Three (back to “A” story)

Scene Four (start “C” story)

Scene Five (back to “A” story; character(s) in jeopardy)

ACT BREAK

ACT TWO

Scene One (continue “A” story; escalate jeopardy)

Scene Two (continue “B” story)

Scene Three (continue “A” story)

Scene Four (resolve “C” story)

Scene Five (resolve “B” story)

Scene Six (continue “A” story with twist)

Scene Seven (resolve “A” story)

Out of 12 scenes notice that seven revolve around the “A” story. Clearly, it is the primary story. Three scenes are set aside for the “B” story and two for the “C” story. Once you have established your “A” story and all of your secondary stories, you can place them in any order that makes sense, as long as you start and end each act on your “A” story and give that the most time and attention.

As I have stated, there are exceptions to every rule. I am telling you what works for most shows. You will know by studying the show you want to write how that particular show works. For example, The Simpsons tends to start on the “B” story. So, if you were writing a spec for that show, you would obviously want to start on the “B” story just like they do.

Because structure is so important, I want to end this chapter by summing it up in a handful of sentences that you should keep coming back to until you feel you have it down pat. Here goes: Set up your “A” story immediately with a problem for the character(s). Keep making the problem worse and worse until the Act Break, where the character(s) is in such hot water, we think it can’t possibly get any worse. In the next act, immediately make the problem worse. Much worse. And it keeps escalating with every scene going forward toward the resolution. Finally the “A” story and the “B” story collide and everything explodes hilariously in the Big Block Comedy scene. Then, if you can, add a twist. If your story does not naturally lend itself to a Big Block Comedy scene, that’s okay. But in that case you absolutely must include some sort of twist at the end. That’s it. Ready to give it a try?

CHECKLIST FOR STORY STRUCTURE

If you answered, “yes” to all of the above questions, congratulations! It is time to begin outlining your script.