Making A Comedy Show

How to make people laugh on TV...

Comedy is a funny and acquired taste - one persons funny is another persons unfunny.

So what can you do to ensure that if you make a comedy show that people laugh?

Well lots of jokes and slapstick humour seems to be the best and most funny and consistent way to make people laugh. Include things that everyone will get, obscure references to films and TV shows might be funny to you but remember your audience, if they don't get the joke then it won't be funny.

A top tip is to write a few gags and test them against your target audience, if there is spontaneous laughter to them then it looks like you are going down the right route, if not then consider changing before it is too late.

So the market research element is the key to ensuring that your target audience will find it funny before you go to far down the developmental line with your work.

What else?

Well the other key that many comedy writers do not do is to watch programs that you like and find funny and are looking to develop something similar too. Analyse it a bit more scientifically such as the amount of jokes in there versus character plot and story that is not funny and see how they do it.

Then try to get a similar mix or blend of funny jokes and satire versus development and plot, remember a funny TV show needs to be gripping and interesting too to get people engaged, jokes alone won't cut the mustard.

Watch classic funny shows like Seinfeld, Friends and Frasier to see clever character development and also the ratio of jokes and so on - and then get on writing and good luck!

Any other tips? Add them here!

Author: Stephen

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Last Updated: Feb 8th 2008

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