The Top Qualities for Comedy

Comedy has been about for many years now, some of which has gone down in history, and some of which left the airwaves before it really even began. Shows within this genre have to have special qualities to keep it going and that is something many writers out there are envious of. I'm not a comedy writer in the slightest, I struggle a lot with writing anything comedic, but I would like to think I understand how to make a comedy work. I've come up with a few key ideas that I'll write about below and try and provide an example to illustrate my theories. 

First of all, CHARACTER is one of the most important features of a successful comedy. Even if your show lacks any plot or structure, if the characters are funny, there's a chance it'll still work. For example, The Big Bang Theory has about twenty minutes to make you laugh and very rarely is an episode heavily plot based, nor do many episodes create a story arc or even remotely relate to each other... That's because we're in love with the characters on screen. We want to see what Sheldon would do when he has to buy presents for people, we want to see how Howard would react to being a father and having to leave behind his flirtatious days and we want to see Rajesh try and interact with a woman knowing he can't speak to them without alcohol. 

These characters are what we love about the show, with the right actor, the right writers and a good setting, it will just work. There's nobody else out there that is anything like Sheldon Cooper. He's unique in the comedy world and that's why people kept coming back in their millions to watch him for twelve seasons. I also think it's important to note that despite the show having a reasonably large main cast (seven of them), they are all so unalike that each time they appear, it's fresh and new because they'd all respond to situations in different ways. I'd say the most alike are Penny and Bernadette, but even still, they would act so differently to something. This is good writing. Each character must be very three-dimensional, they aren't just fillers to the story, they are 'real people' and everything they do and say must fit in the world created for that character. I heard that if you can read a script with no names on it and instantly recognise which character is which, you've got a good script on your hands. 

Another attribute is SETTING. Most of the most successful shows are set in scenarios that are interesting alone without comedy being added to it. Derry Girls is set during 'The Troubles' where we navigate teenage life in this tumultuous time. Dad's Army is based on World War Two. These qualities are settings a lot of people understand and adding comedy to it can educate people without them even realising it. Now, it isn't entirely necessary to set a comedy in a real-time tragedy. 

You could set it in a corner shop, but it's the struggles and the stories those characters face that can make the show shine. This leads onto the next point, PLOT. A lot fo shows have created episodes that touch on contemporary issues and infused it with comedy and it has worked, Only Fools and Horses being one of them (when Cassandra lost her baby). However, the show I think of immediately is The Golden Girls. This show was set in the late 1980's when HIV was the talk of the town, but this show took that major contemporary issue and infused it with comedy. Not only did the episode (72 Hours) educate people, but it let the most innocent and naive character, Rose Nylund, play with it. Rose is told a blood transfusion she had a few years previous may have been infected with HIV positive blood. She has to wait 72 hours to hear her results on the matter. Of course, she is terrified but she hits every response that every American would if they heard that news. This led to Blanche telling her 'AIDS is not a bad persons disease, Rose.' Something that many sufferers wanted people to hear and this is from the mouth of Southern Belle, Blanche who at one point confused Lebanese with lesbian. Now, millions of people were slightly more educated on the matter and it was done through clever writing where the viewer isn't just told the information, they are taking it in without realising because comedy has the power to do this. You can persuade and educate an audience without them really even knowing they're learning something. The Golden Girls did this very often and that is one of the many reasons it is still beloved thirty years later. 

Another thing that can sometimes work in a show's favour is the TYPES OF COMEDY. Now this doesn't mean you have to stick to one area of the genre and that's it, it means the opposite. Mixing black comedy with slapstick and sarcasm/dry humour with obvious gags is what can keep the show fresh and illuminating. Vicar of Dibley starring Dawn French springs to mind because it had its visual gags like Bridesmaids dressed as Daleks. Then it had its slapstick moments where French jumps into the puddle and its head-deep, then its sarcastic side, a lot f the time being Geraldine and Alice. It's important to not keep it one-note because this can make it dull even if the jokes within it are extremely funny. Comedy is a variety performance with lots of flamboyant characters so having a vast array of comedy types is vital to match the array of personality on screen. 

A final point I think is important is the ACTORS, some shows work because of those involved in it. If Dorothy Zbornak in The Golden Girls has been played by Elaine Stritch, who was originally auditioned, it probably wouldn't have worked. If David Jason hadn't played Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses, it wouldn't be the same show. A lot of the time, a script can look weaker on page, but when the actors begin to enact those words, it comes to life. That's why I think writing with someone in mind for the role is important. For The Golden Girls, creator Susan Harris wrote 'A Bea Arthur like' woman for Dorothy. Fortunately, she got Arthur for the role and she was amazing in it. A lot of the time, its those people who bring your characters to life are what make or break a story. Not only that, but those experienced with comedy may help you make your work even better! 

A notable mention is CATCHPHRASES, If Hyacinth Bucket didn't answer the phone with 'Lady of the House speaking,' it wouldn't be Hyacinth. If Uncle Albert didn't say 'During the War' every episode, his character wouldn't be complete. Aligning characters with certain words and phrases can make them historic. I still want a shirt with 'Picture it, Sicily 1912' written on because that is what I associate Sophia with in The Golden Girls. They just add to a character and you can make some great merchandise with catchphrases. 

In Conclusion, there;s probably many other theories out there as to why comedy works and why it fails, but I wrote this quickly as I worked on a project for my studies. Comedy has the power to do a lot of things and if I can help someone out there just a little bit with my ideas, then I've done myself proud for thirty minutes of work, just typing out my thoughts as they flood out. Thank you.