Writing Television Comedy

Front Cover
Allworth, 2000 - Humor - 211 pages
Veteran television writer/producer Jerry Rannow gives aspiring and experienced comedy writers a humorous and eye-opening guide to conceiving, writing, and marketing a winning TV sitcom. Drawing on more than twenty-five years' experience, he tells how to construct a story outline, structure and format scripts, develop character and dialogue, pitch to producers, collaborate with other writers, and work with network and studio executives, producers, directors, agents, writers, and stars. Full of laughs and profitable tips for making a living in the business, this book is an invaluable tool for any writer who wants to break into TV comedy.

Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers.

About the author (2000)

Jerry Rannow began his show-business career as a professional actor and then moved on to writing and producing for such popular network television series as Happy Days, Welcome Back, Kotter, Love Boat, and Head of the Class. He has won exclusive contracts to develop television series for ABC Network, Columbia Pictures, and Twentieth-Century Fox, and has taught humor and television writing at the University of Wisconsin. He now heads his own communications company, the Write Connection, out of his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin.