Your Pilot IS Your Pitch. So Don't Hold Back.

Having spent years reading comedy scripts as a commissioner at the BBC and Sky, one of the most common mistakes I saw was writers taking far too long to get going.

If I'm reading a comedy pilot and there's nothing to make me smile on the first page, I'm already beginning to worry. It doesn't have to be a gag, it could be an intriguing character or an observation that feels truthful but somehow new. Something that reassures me we are in good company and makes me curious to read on.

Here are four things I'd encourage every comedy writer to think about.

1. Don't make us wait to discover what's funny about your idea.

You have very little time to grab someone's attention. Don't wait ten pages to surprise us. Try doing it in the first two.

We can infer an extraordinary amount about someone from their behaviour, the briefest of descriptions, what they say and how they say it, what they don't say and how they react to other people.

Trust your reader. Keep stage directions short and to the point. You don't need to explain everything. A little mystery is a good thing. Keep us curious and keep us guessing.

2. Don't save all your best ideas for later

Writers have a brilliant idea for Episode Two or Three, but their pilot feels a little underpowered.

My advice is to steal from yourself.

I learnt this by reading a ton of American pilots.. Is there a brilliant comic set piece, a surprising revelation or a killer moment you've been saving for later that you can pull into Ep 1? A little bend to your neat structure that might be worth a try?

You want the reader to finish your script thinking, I absolutely have to see more of this.

3. Think of your pilot as a mini-movie

I often encourage writers to think of their pilot as a miniature version of the whole series.

It should give us a real taste of the world, the characters, the comedy and the potential of the idea. Not just introduce them, but demonstrate how entertaining they can be.

Your pilot isn't simply the first episode of your series. It's your pitch. So don't hold back. Show off like hell.

4. Get the basics right

Finally, let's not forget the obvious. Number of pages - for a 30' comedy pilot I think 32–35 pages is a good length to aim for. It's a guide rather than a rigid rule, but you don't want anything to distract a reader who is very used to that length. 

Boring but.. presentation really matters. Layout, spelling, efficient stage directions, formatting — all of it needs to be impeccable.

The person reading your script may have another ten to get through that day. Don't give them an easy reason to put yours down.

Above all, remember that you're trying to make someone fall in love with your idea.

This could be your one shot. Make it count.