#sitcom writing

[louisepalanker]

My Norman Lear story begins at Metromedia Square where I finally landed a much coveted job as a studio page. These jobs were said to be our gateway into show biz land and, gratefully, the legend proved true for me.

At Metro-Tape, (Sunset and Van Ness) I was a studio page for The John Davidson Talk Show, Gimme A Break, The Family Ties pilot, numerous telethons and all of that year’s Norman Lear sit-coms, including Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, One Day At A Time, and The Jeffersons, where a girl named Louise quickly and proudly earns the nickname, Weezy.

I was a page for one year during which the entertainment industry dreams of a kid from suburban Buffalo were realized every day I drove my silver Honda hatchback onto the studio lot.

I was responsible for seating the studio audiences, running errands (James Brown needed clear nail polish before he would sing on the Davidson Show. I found some,) and filling in where needed in offices around the lot.

At Christmas, I received a free turkey coupon from Metro-Tape, (Not a great gift fit for me and my toaster oven) and one state-of-the-art Dustbuster from Norman Lear. Yes, his Christmas list extended to include the studio pages. The dust-buster went to my cousin Trish as the maid’s room I inhabited offered only one electrical outlet. She reports that it can still bust the hell out of some dust.

Within a year, I was offered a job at PM Magazine which led to writing for Rick Dees and co-founding Premiere Radio. One of my many privileges at Premiere was interviewing celebrities, which led to one day, years later, a chance to speak with Mr. Lear about his new sit-com, The Powers That Be.

Despite the opportunity to properly thank him for my Dustbuster, It was not going well. I had run through any questions I may have prepared and was beginning to think that he really did not like me when he suddenly began interviewing me.

Where was I from? What did my job consist of? Did I hope to become an actor? I told him that I wanted to write sit-coms. He asked me to send him a script.

Wow. That turned quickly. A friend and I wrote a spec script for The Powers That Be. We were called in to meet the producers. It was there that Mr. Lear pulled me aside and said, “What have you written by yourself?” My spec scripts were stale so I went home and wrote a Seinfeld spec and sent it in. I then received a phone call from Norman Lear who said, “You don’t need to write with anyone else.” OH. MY. GOD!

I was called in to pitch story ideas for The Powers That Be. My memories of this are quite vivid. I’m sitting around a conference table with maybe 15 people. One of them keeps falling asleep. I’m boring him. I better rush. Norman Lear asks me why I’m talking so fast. I can’t point and say, “Because that guy is asleep,” so I slow down. Another fellow is listening to each of my story ideas, nodding and then offering, “We did that on Maude.” OH. MY. GOD! How did I arrive in this room with these people! Astonishing.

About a week later, The Powers That Be was cancelled by NBC with episodes yet to air. You should know that David Hyde Pierce and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were on this show. Two of our finest three named actors! Also, John Forsyth, and Holland Taylor! What the hell, NBC! Also, the show brilliantly skewered modern D.C. politics, featuring a Senator, his anorexic daughter and her suicidal congressman husband. So good.

This is one tiny window into how Norman Lear walked through life. He was consistently sharing his great gift and offering opportunities to the next generation.

Having him and his important voice here on Earth with us for 101 years has been a lesson and a blessing. Mr. Lear, we are so very grateful.

[butch-2017x]

silly pillar chase comic that’s a day late for EXE’s birthday lol

[thepromptfoundry]

The Prompt Foundry will be kicking off the new year with Genreuary: A Genre Exploration Extravaganza!

We all have our favorite genres and it's always fun to explore new ones! That's what Genreuary is all about���make something to celebrate your favorite examples of some classic genres, try your hand at creating original work of your own in genres you've never played in before, or run with the excuse to stick your blorbos in some genre-swap AUs!

If you use this list, please tag me here @thepromptfoundry, I’d love to see your writing and art!

Feel free to combine different days' prompts with each other, or combine them with other events! Use your favorite characters from media, make some OCs, give us some academic analysis, make art that's all vibes, whatever tickles your fancy.

Respond to as many prompts as you want or as interest you, don’t worry about missing or skipping any. Remember, this is supposed to be fun!

If you have any questions or musings, check our FAQ, and if you don't find your answer, shoot me an ask.

Plain text list below the cut:

1 Suburban Sitcom 2 Urban Fantasy 3 Steampunk 4 Regency Romance 5 Magical Girl 6 Political Drama 7 Slasher Horror 8 Detective Noir 9 Gothic Romance 10 Time Travel Adventure 11 Post-Apocalyptic Survival 12 Dysfunctional Family Drama 13 Sword and Sorcery High Fantasy 14 Isekai 15 Contemporary Slice of Life 16 Historical War Drama 17 Cyberpunk 18 Spy Thriller 19 Investigation Procedural 20 Courtroom Drama 21 Paranormal Romance 22 Courtly Drama 23 Gothic Horror 24 Western 25 Courtly Intrigue 26 Workplace Comedy 27 Starship Adventure 28 Boarding School Drama 29 Alien Invasion Sci Fi 30 Disaster Thriller 31 Communal Living Sitcom

[kerryweaverlesbian]

Castiel comes to Sam for advice about his crush on Dean but he obfuscates who he's talking about successfully because Sam doesn't know just how much he and Dean hang out without him.

Dean, obliquely trying to come out to Sam during a conversation about settling down: besides who would even want to date me long term. Cas is the closest thing I've had to a girlfriend in years.

Sam, casual and oblivious: I think Cas has a boyfriend.

Dean:...What????

Sam: yeah he told me about him. He's like a drummer or something, travels cross country a lot. I thought you knew? It's pretty serious, they've been together like 8 years I think?

Dean, seething with jealousy and horror: What's he like? Have you met him? What the fuck??

Sam, delighted to have more info on Cas than Dean does for once: Cas really didn't tell you? Well I guess that makes sense. I've always thought he and I share a more profound bond.

Dean: Sam.

Sam: Okay, okay. I haven't met him but from what Cas says, he's like, a real dork. Won't let anyone touch his CD collection, always brings up movie references no one has ever heard of- although it is Cas, who knows what his scale of normal movies is. He's good with kids, apparently.

Dean: sounds annoying.

Sam: ha! That's funny. I said he sounded like you, and Cas gave me a death stare. Yeah just like that one.

Dean: what does Cas want with a normie guy like that? And why didn't he tell me? There's gotta be something going on with this dude. This whole thing stinks. And - wait. Hold the phone. Cas is gay????

Sam: dude, you've met Cas, right?

Dean: shut up!!!! Keep talking. Where can I find this sonofabitch and how can we find out his intentions

Sam: well according to Cas he intends to be [cas impression] 'adorable and infuriating at the same time and succeeds on both counts'. Cas seems pretty happy with the guy, I think we should just be happy for him.

Dean, heartbroken and hiding it gruffly: yeah. I'm fucking ecststic.

[imhyperfixatingrn]

AU where trLukey is a science teacher and trPangi is a PE teacher send post

[onnahu]

Svsss but it's a sitcom named "Scum Landlord Self-Saving System"

All the main characters live in one building that Shen Jiu's an administrator/landord of. Everyone hates him except for Yue Qingyuan. (I gotta figure out a backstory for them).

One day, something happens and Shen Jiu have to go somewhere and asks his twin/younger brother Shen Yuan for help - he would live for a few months in the building and act as the landlord. Shen Yuan agrees.

It's not intentional for Shen Yuan to impersonate Shen Jiu - it just happens when everybody mistakes him for his brother and he's now kinda stuck with it since he's too awkward to correct them now!

[timetochillnow]

just imagine, around dedra's dinner table, in order:

dedra, syril, eedy, partagaz, krennic

----------

syril stirs the fondue.

silence.

eedy: (to krennic and partagaz) so, what do you both do?

krennic: a job far more important than you will ever comprehend.

syril splutters.

dedra: dad...

partagaz: orson...

krennic: (clears throat) sorry, I meant... that lio and I both work high up in the government. you understand why I can't say anything.

eedy: oh, of course. syril wasn't clear enough when he said you had important jobs. I do apologise on his behalf, he didn't do you both justice.

silence.

more silence as syril passes around the plate of shrimp.

partagaz: and what about you? dedra tells me you're retired now.

eedy: that's right, though back in the day I was one of the best salesgirls this side of Coruscant.

syril: (disgusted) mother...

partagaz: that sounds fascinating.

krennic shoots partagaz an incredulous look.

eedy: syril's father certainly thought so.

syril puts down his shrimp, having lost his appetite.

partagaz: and where is mr karn now?

dedra: (under her breath) oh, it's quite the tale.

eedy: he disappeared on us both when syril was quite young, unfortunately.

syril stares glumly at his plate.

eedy: but it's his loss. look at what a lovely family gathering he's missing.

krennic: yes, I'm sure that wherever he is, he's absolutely devastated.

[artyphex]

The Puppet History special guest list has been out for weeks I just read it and this was my reaction to it not having Kate

[doodle-girl]

What can I say, sometimes ya like to go back to your roots (the source material) and sometimes ya like to go back to your other roots (the AU's original premise)

Fortunately being a fan means doing whatever's harmlessly fun and sometimes fun is based on your mood ٩( ᐛ )و

[emloafs]

Idk to me this looks like a promo photo or a poster for a sitcom about a group of friends in their 20s

[randotam280]

Hi

Here’s a fluffy little clyde x winfrey doodle I made on a discord call

Ok good night

[shikai-the-storyteller]

I've been thinking a lot about Leonarda's not-death ever since it happened back in April.

("What death?" you might ask, to which I say: "EXACTLY!")

Back in mid-April, Vegetta and Leonarda were mining together in a one-block wide tunnel. A mob (a Petriman) got between the two of them, and Vegetta told Leonarda to step back while he took care of it. At this point, they'd spent enough time together that he trusted Leo to listen to him.

Instead, she was killed by the same sweeping edge bug that killed her siblings.

-

Vegetta's reaction here is what's really interesting to me. Unlike most other parents on the Island, there are no shouts or tears – only a very brief "Hmm" and then silence. He very quietly takes stock of the situation, saying "Vegetta, no" and wondering aloud why Leo didn't defend herself. In chat, Foolish says "It was a bug, right? LAG" to which Vegetta slowly responds "Yes, lag. Bug." (Despite this, Foolish still asks "WHAT HAPPENED" in chat, though Vegetta doesn't reply).

Instead, he creates a slightly wider space in the tunnel where Leo's body is. He continues quietly taking stock of the situation, wondering why Leo didn't defend herself (which is what necessitated his intervention). She'd been lagging a lot that day, and he figures that must be the cause, and eventually when Leo re-appears out of thin air in the middle of the cave and collects her stuff, she confirms that the lag got to her and that's why she didn't fight the mob.

Now here's where things get interesting:

Vegetta checks the tab list. Online, it's just him, Leonarda, Roier, and Foolish. He quietly tells Leonarda "The body has already disappeared, and without a body, there is no crime. Nothing is happening. Did you die?" Leo shakes her head, and Vegetta shakes his head too, and in the kind voice he uses sometimes with Leo, he says: "I believe you have not died. Where is the body? It isn't anywhere, no mija. If it was a mistake, it was a mistake."

Leo says: "I saw Diosito (God) pa, and I was scared. God, what am I doing here?" and Vegetta laughs, telling her it's alright. Leo says "No pasa nada (don't worry / nothing happened)" and Vegetta says: "And the people who are watching us have not seen it either." To Foolish and Roier, he messages: "Secreto."

And the funniest thing about this is it worked.

Not a single person spoke about it. I saw this entire event go down live and I didn't see a WHISPER of what transpired among fans. I can't even remember if the QSMP official accounts talked about it (they sure didn't mention it in Vegetta's recap of the day). We could discuss this in meta terms of course– Leo was having known lag issues that day, Vegetta's beloved by the admins so of course they're willing to turn a blind eye rather than slap a "?" over Leonarda's life on the Eggstatistics, but meta talk isn't what I'm interested in here.

I'm interested in q!Vegetta, the weird "god-adjacent" aura he's got, and the way the universe bends to his will.

Before he took a break from the server, Rubius seemed to be a caretaker for the Eggs who died (for example, he was present when Maxo, Quackity, and Mariana & Slime said their final goodbyes to Trumpet, Tilin, and JuanaFlippa). Because of his role as an "angel" and some of his dialogue during the early days of the server, it's not a stretch to say he probably came to collect any Egg who lost a life. I can imagine he did the same when he saw Leonarda die – that is, until Vegetta said "And the people who are watching us have not seen it either." Realistically, we know Vegetta was saying this to Chat (and possibly the admins as well), but again, we're looking at this from an "in-universe" perspective.

I wonder if Vegetta was aware of Rubius' role, and this was his way of telling Rubius "No. I won't allow that to happen." We know Rubius has a soft-spot for Vegetta (and we also know that Rubius was cast out of heaven several months later) so it makes me wonder if these two instances are connected.

Either way, this isn't the first time the laws of the QSMP universe have bent for Vegetta, and I certainly don't think it'll be the last.

Rubius or no, Leo didn't die that day.

Vegetta made sure of it.

[elliesgaymachete]

I know we always talk about missing 22 episode seasons and filler episodes and character development but you know what else I miss about that? Low budget network seasons. I miss shows that are still in the middle of filming when they start airing, so writers (and execs) know what people think of the show before the season is over. I miss situation of the week type episode format with a subtler overarching plot that comes to fruition in the last few episodes of the season. I miss shows reusing the same locations (mostly sets on a soundstage with a few outdoor scenes) because they don’t have the budget for dozens of different places. I miss the lovable mid tier special effects, or using practical effects and costumes instead. I miss shows knowing before they finish writing the season if they’re going to get another one and can plan accordingly. I miss only having to wait 4-6 months between seasons instead of 1-3 years between seasons. I miss seasons wrapping up their arc entirely but ending with a small hook for the next season. I miss low budget network television.

[laniidae-passerine]

people keep saying a “will they won’t they” always has the chance of ending up in a “won’t they” when it’s in a comedy show with a romance subplot and can I just ask what shows are you guys watching? like this is no longer skirting around a romantic undertones situation we are full blown “build up to a romance” arc right now and I cannot recall a singular sitcom where the romantic tension was left unresolved. this is pure ship bait right now cannot believe they are having you all on

[ranticore]

in tha story building process again... i think the transition from "here's some stuff i like all put in a blender" to "here's what i want to say" in the process is pretty cool. sometimes the stuff i like has to come out of the blender because it won't contribute to what i want to say

[catalinemorosetheblog]

Something that I don't think people often think about with VoidWelt/LuoWelt is that Welt Yang is on decently good terms with Theresa Apocalypse. Not close per se, but they have similar circles and are sort of leaders of major organizations, even after the defeat of the Honkai. They also both close to the Hi3 trio and Einstein+Tesla. Moreover, Theresa helped organize the search for Welt in APHO. So while I wouldn't consider them "besties", I imagine the two to have a professional relationship.

That would 100% get thrown out the window the minute Theresa finds out who Welt is in a relationship with.

Because first you have the shock of actually finding Welt again after he's been kidnapped like 20 thousand times at this point, but then you add on the realization that he's dating the box your grandfather (your DEAD grandfather!) kept in his basement and/or actually just your grandfather in a different font.

And remember! Void Archives is the main reason Welt is in space in the first place. They took over a city! They committed intergalactic espionage! They did war crimes! War crimes that personal hurt people Theresa cared about.

(Didn't help that they also pretended to her grandfather for like a solid week and half, so that was also stressful).

And Luocha isn't innocent either. He committed actual terrorism. Kind of. Not sure. Honkai Star has overly complicated this subject.

Moving on.

This would also kind of make Welt Theresa's grandfather, which is hilarious because they are not that far apart in age, all things considered.

Like yeah, Tesla would probably immediately start threatening to throw people into her nuclear reactor again and Eins would probably send a drone/Coralie/Joffrey to spy on them, but this is funnier. Its like if you find out your teacher one of your parents. Emotional damage to the max.

Like it would go something like:

Theresa (Verge of exploding): WHY?!

Welt: (Turns)

(Behind Welt, Void Archives smiles like a maniac and/or Luocha smiles pleasantly, but his coffin is glowing ominously next to him)

Welt: I'm not perfectly sure either if I'm being honest.

In conclusion: Welt has horrible taste, but we all love him for it.

Bonus:

-Amber proceeds to just straight up threaten to castrate Welt and no one believe him because. Come on. It's Amber.

-Sushang thinks this is hilarious.

-Everyone from APHO tries to stab, punch, or maim Void Archives at some point. Mostly Adam.

-Joffrey's just glad to have his dad back.