For the first time in 2 years, I’m strongly considering holding another Sitcom Room. That’s where I lock 20 brave souls into “writers’ rooms” for an entire weekend so they can experience for themselves what it’s really like to write for a TV sitcom. This is not two days of lectures. It's hands-on experience. And you get to see professional actors perform your work.
I haven’t quite finalized the dates, but most likely it will be in October. It definitely will be in Los Angeles, as always.
If you want me to notify you when I’ve nailed down the dates and the venue (a hotel near LAX), make sure you’re on my Alert List.
I think it would be neat if you could convince the students to allow you to publish some of the results. I would like to see what they come up with after two days of intense training.
ReplyDeleteKen: fascinating obit this morning (Monday) at the NY Times about Peg Lynch, who wrote more than 11,000 scripts for one of the earliest sitcoms (in which she also starred), ETHEL AND ALBERT. I have no memories of this show (though I'm off to look it up), but as the Times describes it, it presaged not only many domestic sitcoms but also the "about-nothing"ness of SEINFELD.
ReplyDeleteIt's here: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/27/arts/television/peg-lynch-writer-and-star-of-early-situation-comedy-dies-at-98.html
wg
Matt: I don't think he can do that because he reuses the same draft script every time, which teams then rewrite.
ReplyDeletewg
As I read this post, the Pretenders' song "2000 Miles" popped into my head (one of the better rock Christmas songs). I'm 3,000 miles away. To sit in a room and bounce ideas off 19 other creative people and see the result up on a stage would be a dream come true. Right now, it'll have to remain a dream. Can't wait to read about it, though.
ReplyDeleteHow about a new scenario this time so we previous attendees can consider returning? :)
ReplyDeleteWendy, how is 11,000 script even possible? Sounds like a fascinating woman, though. Thanks for sharing that.
ReplyDeleteThis has been a unique experiment, and other than Ken making such a fuss over the comments on the script itself (I guess we have to make allowances for a grumpy artist) it has been fascinating.
ReplyDeleteBest of all is that, having never watched any of the show in question, I followed Ken's advice to check out 'Coast to Coast Big Mouth' on Youtube. I haven't laughed so much in months - the line about "needy bald people" almost made me choke. And all this without having a clue who these characters were, other than from reading Ken's script.
Any other recommendations for episodes to watch?
There was a comment earlier about how tighter discipline forces writing to be better - something that I have believed for years - and this episode with its 60s sensibilities really makes that point. There is no need to play the game of genital bingo most modern sitcoms do when the writing, characters, and situations are as good as this.