Sitcom Geeks

Comedy.co.uk•www.comedy.co.uk

A podcast series for those interested in the mechanics of situation comedy. James Cary and Dave Cohen discuss the art of sitcom writing for TV and Radio.

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Episodes

Episode 12 - Writing for Radio

This episode James and Dave are joined by producer extraordinaire David Tyler (Victoria Wood, John Finnemore's Cabin Pressure, Milton Jones, Steve Coogan, Marcus Brigstocke, Jeremy Hardy and dozens more) to discuss the joys of writing for radio.

Dec 03, 2015•39 min

Episode 11 - The Rise of the Writer-Performer

With the rise of the writer-performer sitcom, Dave and James look at what this means for the humble sitcom writer. (SPOILERS: There are pros. And there are cons.) Also: The launch of a new feature based on your First Ten Pages. Are you going to send us your first Ten Pages? Hear what happened to Dave when he did.

Nov 19, 2015•38 min

Episode 10 - Secondary Characters

This week: secondary characters who populate your sitcom. Dave (the posh snob) Cohen and James (the cockney spiv) Cary discuss how to make sure your archetypes don't turn into stereotypes. Also, James is writing a sitcom on the internet. What could possibly go wrong...?

Nov 05, 2015•45 min

Episode 9 - Ensemble Sitcoms

We've had larger-than-life monsters and odd couples, in this episode James and Dave explore the ensemble sitcom, where many characters vie for our attention. Expect the name 'David Croft' to appear on several occasions. And 'Cheers'. Also: why you should be trying to write audience sitcoms.

Oct 21, 2015•35 min

Episode 8 - The First Ten Pages

Hey! You! Look! Producers and script readers need to be grabbed by your script from the opening page. In this episode, James and Dave discuss the essential ingredients required in your first ten pages.

Oct 07, 2015•35 min

Episode 7 - Finding the Right Stories

What's the story? Now you have characters you need lots to happen to them. Things that allow them to dig themselves so deep into holes it'll take the rest of the episode to dig them out again. James and Dave explain how to generate plots - and Katie looks back on this year's Edinburgh Fringe.

Sep 23, 2015•44 min

Episode 6 - Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Part 2)

In the second of a two-part special, James talks to Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Gnomeo & Juliet, Little Britain and more) about Hyperdrive, Black Books, The Great Outdoors and Veep.

Sep 09, 2015•36 min

Episode 5 - Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Part 1)

In the first of a two-part special, James talks to Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Black Books, Veep, Gnomeo & Juliet, Little Britain and many more) about how they got started, with tonnes of helpful advice for sitcom writers.

Aug 26, 2015•31 min

Episode 4 - Writing Pilots

This episode Dave and James offer advice about choosing the best story to write up for your pilot episode. And using the benefit of hindsight they send you off to the brilliant pilots that became the greatest sitcoms ever. In their opinion, of course.

Aug 13, 2015•34 min

Episode 3 - Odd Couples

This week James and Dave discuss mismatched couples and why, despite everything, they stick together. Whether they're part of a family, partners, work colleagues, or simply unable to separate, these relationships are a great source of comedy for your show.

Jul 29, 2015•35 min

Episode 2 - Larger Than Life

James and Dave discuss sitcom characters, how they need to be 'Larger than Life' and how you can normally push them much further than you think. They also discuss characters who are monsters (Basil Fawlty, David Brent, Victor Meldrew) and opportunists (Del Boy, Fletcher, Blackadder).

Jul 15, 2015•38 min

Episode 1 - What's Your Sitcom Really About?

Dave Cohen and James Cary talk about the difference between what your sitcom appears to be about (ie. situation) and what it's actually about (something more profound, ideally).

Jul 01, 2015•31 min

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