Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV, by Joe Toplyn

“Head writers are looking for writers who can turn out comedy material that requires very little editing to get it to the point where the host is happy with it.” – pg. 14

“The joke-writing process may seem mechanical at first, but as you practice […] they’ll become more instinctive.” – pg. 93

“Let’s say you’re hungry some evening. Isn’t it easier to figure out exactly what you’re going to eat once you decide if you’re going to a restaurant, ordering food to be delivered to your home, or cooking for yourself? In the same way, if you want to create a new comedy piece you can make the task easier by first deciding on a general type of comedy piece. It’s much easier to create, say, an Audience Game than it is to create ‘something funny.'” – pg. 119

“You’ve got to have a beginning that gets you excited, a middle that grips you, and an end that delivers.” – pg. 161

Notes Log:

Terms

  • Sidekick – Participates in prepared comedy and makes the host look better (Fred Armisen for Seth Meyers, or Steve Higgins for Jimmy Fallon)
  • Bumper – A still photo/video appearing right before a commercial break. Mostly, this is the show’s logo over the live band.
  • Cold Open – A minute-or-less comedic scene at the beginning of an episode. It’s infrequent, but one with a celebrity guest can be effective.
  • Cold Close – Short comedic piece at the end of an episode, or during/after credits
  • Monologue – A series of verbal jokes that the host makes after his entrance. Allows the host to gauge how tough audience will be. Remember, a punchline can be an image, a video, or other media. Every writer is expected to contribute
  • Topic – A concise statement of the news item that the joke is based on (factually true, not funny, odd/interesting)
  • Angle – Direction the joke will take. Maybe it’s just a phrase. It’s always surprising. If you create the punch line first, you can try multiple angles and find the funniest.

Six Punch Line Makers

  • Link Two Associations from Brainstormed Lists
  • Link to Pop Culture
  • Question the Topic (ex. “Denny’s has a new sandwich called the fried cheese melt. It’s so good, it’ll have your friends saying, ‘Clear!'”)
  • Find a POW
  • Visualize the Image (ex. “Tom Cruise said about his divorce, ‘I didn’t see it coming.’ Apparently Katie Holmes left the divorce papers on top of the refrigerator.”)
  • State the obvious (ex. “A rattlesnake handler was bitten twelve times. If you’ve been bitten, are you even a handler? Doesn’t that just make you someone who doesn’t know how to pick up snakes?”)

Types of Pieces

  • Desk Piece – Most common. Host performs this fully-scripted segment, by himself, while sitting at the desk. They are mostly Joke Baskets (a series of interchangeable jokes underneath a topic. ex. Jimmy Fallon’s Thank You Notes)
  • Found Comedy Piece – Jokes are based on unaltered objects – not originally intended to be funny (ex. “Obama Expressions” – Jimmy Fallon shows a photo of Obama laughing and says, “stop tickling me, Biden!”)
  • Joke Basket Sketch – Involves performers in addition to host, and the jokes are interchangeable & united by a single topic (ex. “Rejected Star Wars Characters”)
  • Story Sketch – Involves performers in addition to host. Jokes are NOT interchangeable. Instead, they fit a storyline. Most of the time, the host plays the straight man, while a comic character disrupts the show (ex. “Flashback Master Ron Dempsey”)
  • Parody Sketch – Add an angle to some sort of video you find ripe for parody (Ex. “Oil of OJ” commercial)
  • Live Semi-Scripted Piece – Host follows a script to interact with unpredictable civilians. Often an Audience Piece: where they tell stories, share talents, play games, vote, or achieve a task (ex. “Dave Calls a Pay Phone”)
  • Field Piece – Camera crew records the host performing a task somewhere outside the studio, which can be location-dependent or independent (ex. “Tonight Show Photo Booth”)

Submission Packet Tips:

  • Most writers don’t have one. So if you have one AND it’s fantastic, you’re at a huge advantage.
  • Tailor it to the show you’re aiming for.
  • Aim to write the same, but different.
  • Title each comedy piece.
  • Write monologue jokes within a week of submitting packet (so that they’re topical).
  • 8 – 10 pages.
  • Frontload the best comedy pieces, and save the least funny for last.
  • Leave plenty of white space.
  • Include name, address, phone, and email on title page.
  • Register with WGA.