ProseCast

30 Rock: Breaking the Rules of Sitcom Writing

Many a stuffy comedy critic will tell you that to make a great sitcom, there are certain rules you have to follow. You can’t overload the show with superfluous characters, drop narrative trails unexpectedly, or ignore the comedy appeal of the situation itself. Such a show, they would claim, would simply never work.

There have been, of course, any number of sitcoms in recent years that have pushed the envelope in different ways. They have generally sprung from this side of the Atlantic, from the Mighty Boosh’s surreal settings (don’t mention the third series, though) to America, the impeccable Seinfeld moved the tone of sitcoms from cosy and reliable, towards a more cynical bent. That said, aside from a few landmark episodes, Seinfeld did not push too hard on the boundaries of narrative and setting, opting instead to ramp up the intricacy of the plot to great effect. 30 Rock, the creation of SNL head writer Tina Fey, is a sitcom that initially appears to justify the critics. Character relationships appear fuzzy, the scene is not set accurately and the viewer can’t really tell what’s going on. 30 Rock’s saving grace is that it relaxes these rules in order to pack even more jokes in. The result is a show that reveals itself to be fast moving, direct, varied and guarantees at least three proper laughs per episode. Edgy enough to have earned a cult following, it still plays at prime time on NBC, comedy show that bears heavy resemblance to Saturday Night Live. She is portrayed by the show’s creator, Tina Fey, and is to all intents and purposes the main character. She is hardly Basil Fawlty though; aside from a few slightly clunky references to disorganisation, she coasts through the early episodes, almost as a conduit to the more gregarious personalities in the show. This could have been intentional, or it could be that Fey was overshadowed initially by the knockout performance of Alec Baldwin. Either way, it has allowed Liz Lemon to develop as a main character, and by Series 3 she feels connected and relevant to every other part of the show; an unassuming, sympathetic presence without ever taking centre stage.

Rule 2: Don’t fill the script with characters
Sitcom tradition dictates that you should restrict your pool of characters to half a dozen. Several shows have brought in minor characters in large numbers to provide additional laughs (The Simpsons, for one), but it’s hard to recall a show with such a consistently large cast. Fey seems to draw different characters to the front at will, lending the show a realistic feel, whilst giving the show time to pick out its strongest characters. Grizz and Dot Com, Tracy Jordan’s initially under-used entourage, are brought into the spotlight in later series, whilst the more rounded character of Pete, Liz’s sidekick in Series 1, becomes almost an extra, appearing occasionally as a character we know and like. As a result, over just three and a bit series, I have personally had five different favourite characters.

Rule 3: The situation matters

Many a comedy writer has put this at No.1 on the list of sitcom essentials, but it’s one that I have never agreed with. Some shows, like The Office, depend on their environment, but there are plenty of others where the setting is almost irrelevant. Take Red Dwarf – for all the episodes about changeling alien carnivores, and backwards bizarro worlds, my highlight has always been the simmering dialogue between two people who just don’t like each other, whatever planet they’re on. 30 Rock is the latest show to embrace this idea – a risk, given that it is written by a former SNL head writer, is about making an NBC comedy and is even named after NBC’s head office. There are plenty of jokes aimed at the industry, but the relationships at the heart of the show work in any situation – Liz as Jack’s protégée, and Liz in turn managing increasingly wayward employees. The moments you remember are personal rather than satirical, and as the series develops, the jokes are drawn almost exclusively from the characters.

Rule 4: Stick to one style30 Rock veers wildly between styles, employing catchphrases, slapstick and satire at different times. Cameos from Ben Stiller and Salma Hayek show that ultimately, 30 Rock’s aim is to entertain the viewer by any means. Whether it is leading us towards a cliché and then veering in a different direction, or reverting to old sitcom tricks like surprise guest stars, Fey seems most concerned in getting as many laughs in as possible. The result is a show that delivers more laughs in half an hour than some of the most finely crafted sitcoms can produce through a series. By breaking so many of the outdated rules of sitcom, 30 Rock has emerged from a slow start to prove that rules don’t matter, as long as your show makes people laugh.