A successful sitcom is like a big house filled with funny, topical storylines, memorable, identifiable characters and a plethora of laugh-out-loud jokes. Just think of I Love Lucy, Friends, All in the Family, Seinfeld and Modern Family, and how hysterically these sitcoms are written and acted.
But what holds up these houses of humor?
Well, like a house, a sitcom needs strong, structural support beams to hold it up, keep it sturdy and reinforce the funny storylines, characters and jokes for years to come. I call these support beams “The Three Pillars of Comedy.”
As comedy comes from pain, The Three Pillars of Comedy are derived from Conflict, Desperation and the Unpredictable. For actors and writers, these darker components will shine a bright light on helping you write a funnier storyline, create a funnier character and deliver funnier jokes.
Conflict
Storyline: Every storyline needs conflict—and lots of it. Without conflict, there is no drama and, without drama, there is no comedy. That comedy comes from the conflict in the storyline, which centers on the clashing of two opposing sides (their beliefs, cultures, philosophies, personalities, cupcake recipes, etc.).
In every sitcom episode, there has to be at least an A storyline and a B storyline, where a character specifically wants something but faces what I call External Obstacles. These External Obstacles are clearly defined in the story as a “force to be reckoned with.” It’s that person, place or thing preventing the character in the A or B storyline from getting their Want. And it’s that obstacle, however absurd, that creates the conflict (the funny) in the story.
Characters: A character without conflict is boring. In every storyline, characters must either face conflict as they pursue their Want or be the conflict for another character’s Want. If there are two characters in a scene, each of them will have a Want, and each of their Wants will be the other character’s external obstacle.
You can also find conflict within your character, what I call Internal Obstacles. Internal obstacles are defined as those conflicting thoughts and emotions such as doubt, insecurity, embarrassment and fear, which try to self-sabotage the character from getting their Want. As an actor or writer, infusing this source of conflict within your character will make that character funnier and more complex.
Also, at one point or another, every character will be the source of conflict for another character, thus becoming the “voice of reason.” There is one character of the Eight Characters of Comedy who is a living, breathing source of conflict, and that character is the Logical Smart One.
It’s also important to note that conflict arises from putting two of The Eight Characters of Comedy together (such as the Neurotic and the Dumb One, or the Womanizer and the Lovable Loser). But more on that later…
Jokes: Conflict gives birth to a very specific type of joke that has been around since the vaudeville days. Conflict plays a major role in the creation and performance of what I call The Turnaround Joke. The Turnaround Joke is when two pieces of dialogue, which are in direct conflict with each other, come together. When a positive piece of dialogue or action is followed by a negative piece of dialogue or action (or vice versa), the clash of these conflicting forces produces a spark. This spark is the joke that makes us laugh.
Desperation
Storyline: Desperation is what drives the character’s Want in an A storyline and B storyline. The storyline will revolve around a single character desperately wanting something, the obstacles they face and the clever, humorous tactics they use to try and get their Want. I call these storylines the Lovable Loser Storyline. It comes from The Lovable Loser character’s defining trait of desperation. Any of The Eight Characters of Comedy who are driving the A or B storyline will step into a hopeful, desperate Lovable Loser Storyline.
The greater the desperation in a character’s Want, the more conflict the character will be in, and the funnier the story. Whether the character wants to find true love, a better job, a new apartment, courtside seats for the Lakers, or just peace, they pursue their desperate attempts wholeheartedly, with great optimism.
At the end of the storyline (or episode), the character—more often than not—fails in getting their Want. Sometimes, however, their desperate attempts pay off and they do get their Want. If they do succeed, they’ll find they didn’t want it (or need it) after all. Either way, they learn something from it. But that doesn’t stop them from trying a new approach (equally desperate) the following week. There is something inherently funny in watching somebody (like ourselves) who hopefully and desperately attempts to fulfill a Want, a wish, or even a lifelong dream.
Characters: Desperation is the adrenaline that fuels the character as they pursue their Want. That desperation is derived from various places, such as the character’s history and temperament. This adrenaline energizes sitcom characters, making them slightly heightened, whether it’s a single or multi-camera comedy. When a character incorporates this desperation, it is then complemented by other more positive characteristics such as endearing, hopeful and vulnerable. It is what keeps the desperation funny, thus keeping a comedy from turning into a drama.
When a character has a strong Want, high stakes and a heightened sense of urgency, this helps establish the timing, rhythm and pace of the show, bringing to life the Golden Rule of Comedy, “louder, faster, funnier.”
The character that fully embodies this desperation is The Lovable Loser, a sitcom’s comedic hero. If The Lovable Loser is the lead of a sitcom, they will always find themselves in a Lovable Loser Storyline.
Jokes: As desperation is found in the storyline and characters, it also manifests itself in the writing and the delivery of the jokes. Desperation is one of the underlying components in all jokes, setting the tone, as well as the rhythm and pace, of any sitcom. This is true whether it’s a multi-camera comedy, which would have more of a setup/punchline format, or a single-camera comedy, where the jokes come quick and fast.
Whether the jokes are derived from a character’s feelings of great insecurity, great irritability, or just from simple naïveté, desperation informs every joke. These jokes are written and delivered because the character needs to say them (many jokes come from a character’s pain). These jokes are found in the dialogue, actions and circumstances (i.e. what the characters are saying, doing and what’s happening to them as they desperately pursue their Want).
The Unpredictable
Storyline: The element of surprise is at the heart of any successful sitcom. In terms of storyline, the unpredictable is what keeps us laughing out loud and tuning in week after week. We know the character will want something desperately and will pursue it with comedic gusto. What we don’t know is how they’re going to go about getting their Want, what will stand in their way, or what will happen if and when they do get their Want. If Boy wants Girl, we know Boy will pursue Girl. What we can’t predict is how he’ll go about it, what obstacles he’ll face and how he’ll screw it up.
Characters: In sitcoms, there is an inherent, unpredictable nature to all comedic characters. What makes a good sitcom character is a funny writer with a fresh, humorous perspective on human nature, and a funny actor who brings their own life experience, essence and unique spin to the role. As you will see, each of the Eight Characters of Comedy has room for interpretation, a distinctive “take,” which will naturally make them unpredictable.
That being said, there is one character who is a walking, talking personification of the unpredictable and that is the In Their Own Universe character. However, it’s important to note that each character will come with its surprises. For example, if a Logical Smart One is given an A or B storyline, they could take on the characteristics of another character, like The Neurotic (anxious, over-thinking, fussy) in the desperate pursuit of their Want.
It’s important to note, that there is also some humor to be derived from “The Predictable,” especially regarding characters that we are familiar with and have grown to love. We know them and their personalities so well, and we look forward to their funny reactions or their particular style in delivering jokes.
They are so well-defined in our minds that we know what they say or do is going to be hilarious. But where the element of the unpredictable comes into play is that we don’t know exactly what it is they are going to say or do to make us laugh.
Jokes: Jokes are built upon the element of the unpredictable. One particular joke that encompasses this unpredictability, which goes back to the advent of sitcoms, is what I named a Triplet. Triplets are based on the theory that a joke starts by establishing a familiar pattern in the dialogue or action which lulls us into a sense of comfort, as we think we know what’s going to happen next based on that pattern. Then, we are suddenly thrust out of that comfort zone when that pattern is broken or disrupted by something “unfamiliar” (the joke) at the end.
We might know that a joke is coming, but we can’t predict when, what it’s going to be, or, even more importantly, how clever. We also can’t predict the speed, volume, intensity or intention of how the actor will deliver this joke.
As you can see, there is a lot that goes into building this sitcom house. You need to have The Three Pillars of Comedy working together to support the continued success of a good sitcom.
You cannot remove any one of them from the equation. Conflict, Desperation and The Unpredictable will serve as the basis for most, if not all, of the humor in any sitcom. They all need to be present in the storylines, characters and jokes.
Again, you can’t neglect any of those elements either. You can’t have a brilliant storyline with weak characters and jokes. The Three Pillars of Comedy will hold up your sitcom house and reinforce it episode-to-episode and season-to-season.
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