What do the following top writers have in common: Georgia Pritchett (Succession, The Thick Of It), Simon Blackwell (Back, Breeders, Private Life of David Copperfield), Mark Burton (Madagascar, Shaun The Sheep), John O’Farrell (Chicken Run, Mrs Doubtfire The Musical)?
The answer is they all achieved their first professional credits writing one-line topical jokes for BBC shows.
The BBC still exists (just), as do a number of radio shows that anyone can send jokes to. The competition is severe and the odds are stacked against you, which doesn’t mean you should refuse to engage.
And don’t be put off by the word topical. You don’t need to understand the geopolitical implications of the latest international trade agreement but you can spot when a politician or celebrity is being grandiose, or controlling, or crap at lying.
What is a joke?
Immanuel Kant described humour as the pricking of pomposity. George Orwell called every joke “a tiny revolution.”
A joke is a surprise and can best be described as “something that goes against expectation.”
“Every joke” said the great British comedy writer Denis Norden, “is a momentary removal of sympathy.” Note the importance of the word “momentary” there. Having exposed the fool with a harsh, unsympathetic truth, we’re ready to forgive them.
The landscape has changed over the decades. Shows without jokes are feted as comic masterpieces, narrative comedies have been so cut back that most funny audience shows are now either panel games or stand-up specials.
Gags are still needed for these and for online comedy performers. In recent years the most successful have emerged through You Tube and Tik Tok. They have millions of fans but the need for content is insatiable and many online performers blaze briefly before burning out.
Everyone needs material. If you can develop a name as a joke writer you’ll soon be in demand.
It’s incredible how little information there is out there about how to write topical comedy. I mean come on, the internet. There’s more information on “How do I fix the sound on my Bush TV” than about writing for TV shows. The most up to date blogs on that subject are more than eight years old.
Write jokes. Every day if you can. It’s time to step outside of your comfort zone, stop using clichés like comfort zone, and keep writing. Build a habit. Isn’t that how we become good at anything?
You can pick up your copy of The Complete Comedy Writer here