The Parts and Functions of Situational Comedy The Parts:

• Introduction • The Middle – Part I • The Middle – Part II • The Middle – Part III • The Sunset • Total of about 21 minutes • Depending on your dialogue and other factors, each page of script equals about one minute. The Introduction

• 3 minutes • Establishes the motivation of the protagonist in this episode • Motivation – what a character wants and why • Protagonist – character who initiates the action • Does not reveal conflict or an antagonist • Antagonist – character who is opposed to, is hostile toward, or struggles against the protagonist • Although you will consider this early in the process, this is the last segment you will write. The Middle – Part I

• 5 minutes • Establish where the protagonist is and what she is doing. • Introduce the rising action –the main conflict/obstacle that will stand between the protagonist and what she wants • The protagonist reacts to the conflict and then regroups with a plan to overcome the obstacle. The Middle – Part II • 5 minutes • New scene • The protagonist will actively put her plan to overcome the obstacle in motion. However, that plan must fail. • The protagonist will encounter another obstacle, but it is a little one. It is a minor problem that prevents her from solving the bigger conflict. • The protagonist will have to figure out a way to address the new sub- obstacle and then try her plan again. • This new plan can either succeed or fail. The Middle – Part III

• 5 minutes • The protagonist is getting desperate to achieve what she wants. • During this segment, as a last resort the protagonist dedicates every fiber of her being to obtain her goal. • This part contains the climax. • The original conflict is directly addressed. • This last resort ultimately either succeeds or fails. A note on whether the protagonist succeeds or fails:

• Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. • What matters most is how the protagonist reacts to the obstacles she encounters. • In comedy, characters adapt or try to work around conflict. • If she fails, it is probably because of one of the following: • The conflict is impossible to overcome • A major character flaw • A problematic sidekick The Sunset

• 3 minutes • Shows the resolution of the conflict • Shows where the protagonist is and what she is doing now that the tension has subsided • Indicates how this outcome will affect the protagonist’s future Bibliography

Wise Sloth. “Notes on Writing Sitcoms Using A Formula Plot Template.” Unfiltered Advice on Life. June 20, 2002, https://thewisesloth.com/2012/06/20/notes-on-writing-sitcoms- using-a-formula-plot-template/ .