Customer Reviews
Very good and useful tips (especially for US Writers) - By: M. I. R. Clarke, 07 Jun 2006 
Smith's book is extremely readable & offers a wealth of good advice about creating successful sitcoms. He espouses "premise driven" methods - ie the "sit"in "sitcom" & applies good commonsense but well laid out rules to help you structure your plots so that the humour flows freely & naturally out of the situations & characters. There are some excellent lists of scenario & character types that you'll recognise & some appropriate examples. He also gives sensible & practical advice about developing style, drafting, revising & producing a spec script. Plus he's very enthusiastic as well as realistic, speaking with authority & from experience. That said, much of the advice is aimed squarely at the American market so those of us on the other side of the pond must take about the half the book with a pinch of salt. Perhaps the best advice he gives is to watch lots of sitcoms & read (and write) lots of scripts. Good luck.
Everything you need to know about sitcom writing - By: Eddie Bernard, 22 Apr 2004 
Incredibly well written; this is a must have for all aspiring sitcomwriters. The techniques & theory it teaches have been invaluable to meand have - hopefully! - made me a better writer.
The bonus about this book though is that it's actually amusing, making itmuch easier to digest the information. Evan writesin a straightforwardand simple manner, with great advice on not just writing, but how to takeyour writing to the next level by getting an agent and, ultimately, a job.Well worth the money.
A must for established or aspiring writers of sitcoms - By: , 20 Jan 2000 This book is a must for established or aspiring writers of sitcoms. Employ Evan Smith's premise driven writing concept & you'll never suffer from writer's block ever again. Those story lines will flow like Niagara Falls.
The tips from established industry names are worth the cover price alone, & Evan himself is more than well qualified to advise on the mechanics of funny writing.
Although geared towards writing for the Los Angeles market, the book is invaluable for anyone who has more than a passing interestin comedy & constantly wonders just what it is that makes us laugh. Go buy it & write that ratings topper!
Great book! If you want to write for sitcoms, look no more. - By: , 11 Aug 1999 This is a great book & very helpful. It really tells you what it takes & anybody from an inexperienced writer with an idea to a studio regular can benefit. I loved it. My friend has been trying to steal my copy so I'm buying another one for him.
