Yesterday’s post listed lessons we can learn from what the great sketch shows do right.
There are plenty of things to learn from what they do wrong, too. Some sketches are bad. They have bad seasons. Beloved ensembles break up.
What could they do that would make (or would have made) them better or last longer?
SCTV: Have a better vetting process to improve the quality of your sketches.
Saturday Night Live: Do everything you can to remove politics from the writer’s room. (Check out How to Write Funniest for a complete breakdown of how to lead a politics-free writer’s room.)
That Mitchell and Webb Look: Don’t rely so heavily on concepts. Also write dialog and characters your ensemble can go nuts with.
In Living Color: Don’t underestimate your audience. Perform at the top of your intelligence.
The Carol Burnett Show: Don’t pander to your audience.
The Goon Show: Don’t start to believe you’re brilliant.
Chappelle’s Show: Don’t turn down $50 million dollars.
Your Show of Shows: Don’t rely so much on the star. Let everyone in your troupe get time on stage/air.
Sesame Street: Don’t be hokey.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus: Get a business manager who makes sure you own the rights to your work.
Kids in the Hall: Make sketches small. Make movies big.
Portlandia: Allow a “big umbrella” ensemble.
Key & Peele: Improve your vetting process for scripts and concepts to increase your hit ratio.
Mr. Show with Bob and David: Don’t overthink it. The audience just wants to have fun.
Spot on! And too add a little to SNL - not every character will become a movie franchise!
I would love to see both part I and II expanded on and not just one sentence for each show. e.g. HOW did Carol Burnett pander to the audience too much and how did that hurt the entertainment or humor? SCTV what does a better vetting process look like? In what ways did living color underestimate the audience?