Writing TV Sitcoms (Paperback)

by Evan S. Smith (Author) "You want to write?..." (more)
Key Phrases: comedy writing theory, comedic tension, episode premise, Home Improvement, Drew Carey, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
With guidance from top sitcom producers and examples straight from the screen, this book can help anyone write, revise--and sell--a script.

With twenty years in the business--as a writer, programming executive, and university instructor--Evan Smith knows what it takes to get from spec script to sitcom success. Here he offers the first published description of Premise-Driven Comedy, the writing method he has developed and popularized; tips from writer-producers who have worked on series from "Frasier" to "The Cosby Show" to "Roseanne;" a complete story outline from the series "Home Improvement;" explicit advice on how the business works and how to get an agent; and script layout guidelines for all three sitcom formats.

Clear, comprehensive, and cutting-edge, this is the true insider's guide to becoming a sitcom writer. Who knows--it might just be the book that inspires the world's next Seinfeld!

* Includes examples from classic and contemporary sitcoms, tips from successful writer-producers, and a complete "Home Improvement" story outline
* An author with twenty years of experience in the business
* Advice on both the business and creative aspects of a sitcom-writing career, including a discussion of Premise-Driven Comedy, Smith's innovative new writing technique

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; 1st edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399525335
• ISBN-13: 978-0399525339
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #196,626 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring to all students of writing., January 13, 2001

By	Kevin Miller (Hollywood, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Evan Smith introduces Writing Television Sitcoms as the all-in-one writer's guide to sitcoms. It sounds heavy, but honestly true. There is no aspect of TV sitcom writing a student, or otherwise, could dream up a question for which Smith doesn't have an answer. He covers how to create a sitcom, write it, and sell it. And in the first chapters he even details how anyone can make a career in writing. You will find yourself beaming with childlike enthusiasm as your eyes run through Writing Television Sitcoms.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Remarkably Comprehensive Guide for the Sitcom Writer, November 21, 1999

By	Erik Marshall (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

Evan Smith's "Writing Television Sitcoms" is at turns both a practical handbook on building a career as a sticom scribe and a somewhat academic inquiry into the nature of comedy itself, developing a complete, independent school of thought. But what is ultimately most remarkable about Smith's work is its beguilingly logical approach. The book develops an entire theory of comedy writing to help the reader write their specs and then clearly delineates the process of turning those specs into a workable career. Especially cogent were the passages on building a script from the ground up and finding an agent in the sometimes labyrinthine Hollywood system. Like the fictional shopper in the Total cereal commercials, you might well have to read a half dozen other books on the craft to get the comedic nutrition contained in just one of Evan Smith's "Writing Television Sitcoms" Truly a must read for any current or aspiring sitcom writers.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for more than writing TV or comedy, June 7, 2000

By	Frank Cunat (Chevy Chase, MD USA) - See all my reviews

I'll confess to some chauvinism: I'm a playwright, and when I saw a book titled "Writing Television Sitcoms," I thought it would be pretty lightweight. I was wrong! This is a superb, comprehensive book that tells you exactly what to expect, and what is expected of you, at each stage of the writing and production process.

But what I think makes the book stand out is Smith's detailed explanation of how to lay a foundation for writing a script, i.e., start by considering the premise, then consider sequences and scenes, and only then move to dialogue. Smith gives the best description I've ever read of the reasons for taking this approach. You can apply these ideas not only to TV comedy, but also to plays, films, and drama. It's a good explanation of how to create a story premise that "writes itself."

I intend to continue writing plays, yet I'm sure I'll refer to this book at length in the future. It's much more useful than many other writing books I've read.