SITCOM SUCCESS: What is the Perfect Sitcom Pilot?
Write the perfect sitcom pilot fast with Marilyn Horowitz’s:: Sitcom Success: The Perfect Pilot in 30 Days. Part 1 describes the perfect pilot.
If you have ever wondered if you could write a perfect pilot fast---the answer is yes! Join Marilyn Horowitz for: Sitcom Success: The Perfect Pilot in 30 Days. This 10-part series will guide you through the creation of a sitcom pilot that sells!
Want to learn more? Then visit www.marilynhorowitz.com for valuable information, tips, and writing guidance.
What is the perfect sitcom pilot? The answer, of course, is the one that sells. But how do you get there? In this brief overview, I’ll give you the three elements that will make a network exec sit up and take notice.
So buckle up!
The first element is a great story. What does that mean? It means your main character has a problem that he or she struggles to solve. Never lose sight of this very simple fact. It’s the glue that will hold the entire show together. Add an original setting and unusual activities, and your sitcom will be on the right track.
The second element is memorable characters. In comedies you have either a sane hero surrounded by crazy people (think Seinfeld) or you have a crazy hero surrounded by sane people (think Mork & Mindy). Choose whichever kind you are going to write and build your characters accordingly.
The final—and equally crucial—element is ... wait for it ... wait for it ... jokes! That's right, your sitcom must be funny, and it must be top-shelf funny, funnier than your competitors’ scripts, and that is no small task. Now, if you’re a story person like me, you may want to find a comedy person to work with. They may not understand story, but they can come up with the jokes. This is a very common way to work and is why you find so many comedians in writers’ rooms—because everybody has their own strengths.
Incorporate all three of these elements—and do it well—and any executive reading your pilot will say, “Oh my God, I can think of so many episodes. This series will run for years!”
Here’s to your successful writing!
Professor Marilyn Horowitz
- More articles by Marilyn Horowitz
- Script Angel: Creating Memorable Characters
- Writers' Room 101: Writing Your Next TV Pilot
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Marilyn Horowitz is an award-winning New York University professor, author, producer, and Manhattan-based writing consultant, who works with successful novelists, produced screenwriters, and award-winning filmmakers. She has a passion for helping novices get started. Since 1998 she has taught thousands of aspiring screenwriters to complete a feature length screenplay using her method. She is also a judge for the Fulbright Scholarship Program for film and media students. In 2004 she received the coveted New York University Award for Teaching Excellence. Professor Horowitz has written several feature-length screenplays. Her production credits include the feature films And Then Came Love (2007).
