Writing Sketches For Tilt

Dave Cohen provides a more in-depth look at how to write a good sketch, with a particular focus on writing sketches suitable for Tilt...

Sketch Writing In General

As Aristotle taught us 3,000 years ago in 'The Poetics', every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. Our story is set up, complications ensue, and it is resolved, when catharsis is achieved. Thousands of books have been written on the subject since, but 'The Poetics' has never been bettered. It's really really short and is definitely worth reading.

This so-called three act structure applies to almost everything. It applies to jokes e.g. "My dog's got no nose", "How does he smell?", "Terrible". Act One – set up: I've got a dog. Act Two – complications: He's got no nose. Got no nose? Then how does he smell? Act Three – resolve: Terrible.

It applies to sketches e.g. Act One – set up: I bought this parrot from your shop. Act Two – complications: It's dead. No it isn't, says the shopkeeper, however many complications you raise I can explain them away. Act Three – resolve: You nailed its feet to the perch.

Apologies for breaking things down and making them unfunny. But the three act rule applies to every scene in a sitcom or movie, and indeed to every movie, as all the 'How To Write A Movie' books explain inexhaustibly.

Sketches are probably the most straightforward distillation of the three act structure. Act One – set up a situation – especially if it's radio, you need to establish for the listener straight away where you are – a doorbell rings, a hospital machine bleeps, a juke box plays in a noisy pub. And you need to set up the premise – two people talking about something, rooted in reality – 'we've someone next door who wants to audition for the part of Tarzan.'

Act Two – complication. The man enters and he only has one leg. How is he possibly going to be able to play Tarzan? The parrot is dead. We can only serve you Spam. You can't be gay, I'm the only gay in the village.

This is where we have most fun, as we take the complication as far as possible, until we get to act three – resolution. A punchline. This is always the hardest part, which is why Monty Python and The Fast Show pretending that 'the sketch just ends for no reason' was a gimmick. They were already successful sketch writers and performers by then, so they could choose not to end their sketches with punchlines. We mere comedy mortals don't have that option.

Types of Sketch

There are basically two kinds – longer sketches, and 'quickies'. The 'quickie' is usually one very strong joke, that lasts maybe 20 seconds. Longer sketches can of course be any length, but I would advise you to keep to the ideal length of about a minute and a half – anything over two minutes will probably be too long. Without being too prescriptive, I would say as a very very rough guide you can allow around 15-20 seconds for set-up, at which point you deliver your first twist, the start of act two, hopefully your first big laugh. Then you've got about a minute to cram as many gags as you can off the back of your act two complication, at which point we're ready to wrap up the sketch.

And you really should try hard to think of a punchline, devote a lot of time to it. If you come up with a really good one, that will be worth ten sketches with half-decent or okay ones. I know I bang on about this, but for a show like Tilt, where a small number of producers and script editors are going to be swamped with piles and piles of sketches, a short submission that delivers one or two sketches, with four or five laughs apiece, will really stand out.

Writing For 'Tilt'

Because Tilt is a topical show, this gives you an extra element – character. The greatest sketches, the ones we remember, survive long after the jokes wear out because they give us a new comic angle on a personality flaw. Michael Palin's character in the parrot sketch is basically a man who will lie and lie to get out of trouble, do anything but admit the truth – an early prototype of Basil Fawlty if you like. Ab Fab began as a French & Saunders sketch about a daughter who is more grown up than her mum.

Most sketches don't have time to dwell on character, but between now and the first episode I suggest you get up to speed with people in the news – not just politicians, but celebs, sporty people and media types, and then try and think of a comedic angle that sums up their personalities. Try and find variations on the comedy stereotypes that are already out there, e.g. Gordon Brown dithers, Gordon Ramsay swears, Amy Winehouse drinks. Or come up with whole new mad angles. It's not an impressions show but placing those character types into sketches will be the real fun of this programme. And I guess the headlines will also be the place for specific jokes based on well-known people.

Be Realistic

Your aim should be to get one item broadcast at some stage during the run. Most of every show will be written by commissioned writers. Don't let that put you off, but be realistic about your chances of getting stuff on. Anyone who gets anything on at all can consider that a fantastic outcome. Anyone who gets something in the script, but which gets cut due to lack of time, should also be very pleased. Anyone who gets a 'close but not quite there' note from the producer should be happy to have been contacted.

If you send stuff in and get no response don't be disappointed. Inevitably some good material will get lost among the mountain of rejections. If something that sounds like your idea gets on because one of the commissioned writers had the same idea, you're allowed to be annoyed for a moment, but then be consoled by the fact that you're obviously thinking along the right lines.

And keep sending stuff right up to the last week. The people who try and get stuff on for a couple of shows, fail and then give up, definitely won't get anything on. The field will diminish as the weeks go on, hang on in there and you're still in with a chance.

Dave Cohen is a broadcaster and comedy writer who for many years was one of the top stand-ups in the country. He was nominated for the Perrier in 1984, and in 1985 started The Comedy Store Players with Paul Merton and Mike Myers. In 1999 he wrote and performed the critically acclaimed six-part series Travels With My Anti-Semitism on BBC Radio 4.

Since 2001 he has been writing for Have I Got News For You, and in 2004 was invited by Fred Barron to join the team writing on sitcom My Family. He currently has sitcoms in development with BBC1, Channel 4 and Radio 4. Other writing credits include the BAFTA-winning Sketch Show (ITV), Dead Ringers, Sunday Format, News Quiz and Jammin, all of which have won him numerous Sony Radio Awards, and 15 Minute Musicals, which returns to Radio 4 for a fifth series in 2008.

Dave has setup a sketch reading service to help maximise writers' chances of getting sketches accepted by the Tilt production team. Full Details

Good luck everyone. The place to discuss this opportunity and ask questions is the Tilt threads on our forums