Script-of-the-Week: Caroline in the City - Pilot

by Fred Barron, Marco Pennette, Dottie Dartland (57 pages)

Writing Awards: None that I could find.

Points of Interest:

• Pacing: Good speed with introduction of many of the characters.  Act One ends with Caroline needing to come up with a date to introduce to her ex-boyfriend.
• Screen Visibility: A description of the main sets is found at the beginning of the script and repeated in the body of the script.  Significant detail in explaining some of the characters.
• Formatting: Standard formatting.  Double-spaced dialogue and Capitalized single spaced action.
• Dialogue: Witty comments.  Believable dialogue. 
• Action: Somewhat minimal. A few scene that require more action have more detail.
• Act Structure: Cold Opening. Act One, Scene A, B, C, D, E, H, (no I) Act Two, Scene J, K, L, M, (No N or O), P, (No Q or R), S, T. Short “Caroline” animation at the beginning of each act and at the end of the script. Just under 1.5 jokes per page.

Script-of-the-Week: Veronica’s Closet - Pilot

by David Crane and Marta Kauffman (58 pages)

Writing Awards: None that I could find

Points of Interest:

• Pacing: In the teaser -- in only 3 pages -- the direction of the series is revealed.  Tension in the two acts is quite standard -- “What will happen between Ronnie, her husband and her company”. Second Act finish the script and ends quite abruptly leaving a need to watch the next episode.  Approximately  1.5 - 2 jokes per page.

• Screen Visibility: Short yet descriptive.

• Formatting: Action is capitalized and single spaced.  Characters are underlined.  Standard formatying.

• Dialogue: Tight.  Parentheses used for addressing two actions.  Example: (ignoring her; to Ronnie)  In this case “her” is Dina.  Much of what Ronnie says feels more honest and real than other sitcoms. 

• Action: Some characterization done by comparison to another character on a different show -- except a little different.  Subordinate characters have less descriptive characterization.

• Act Structure: Only Two Acts.  TEASER, SCENE A. ACT ONE, SCENE B, C, D, E, (no F or G).  ACT TWO, SCENE H, (no I), J, K, (no L), M, (no N or O), P, (no Q), R, (No S), T, (no U or V), W, X. 

Script-of-the-Week: The Addams Family - Mother Lurch Visits the Addams Family

by Jameson Brewer (36 pages)

Awards: None that I could find.

Points of Interest:

• Pacing: Quick with about a joke and a half per page. Act One ends with the arrival of an expected guest. Act Two covers all the shenanigans with the guest.  The Tag is a simple scene showing everything back to normal -- almost.

• Screen Visibility: Minimal visibility with some minor descriptions props pertaining to jokes.

• Formatting: Single spacing for Action and Dialogue.    Feature length script formatting.

• Dialogue: Clear, simple and tight. 

• Action: Action is quite lively with a lot of physical humor. Camera direction is also indicated.

• Act Structure: ACT ONE, ACT TWO, TAG. 35 Scenes.

Note: This episode is from the 1964 series.

Script-of-the-Week: Suddenly Susan “Oh, How They Danced”

by Gary Dontzig and Steven Peterman (104 pages)

Awards: None that I could find.

Points of Interest:

• Pacing: Teaser starts with a standard gag.  Not over the top funny, but introduces the characters well.  A bit slow in Act One but essential for setting up the tone of the show.  Tension builds in the subsequent acts as Vicki fights with her mother  refusing to attend the wedding and Luis learns to put his head under water.  It’s not unique but pacing is tight.

• Screen Visibility: Minimal.

• Formatting: Generous spacing with double spaced dialogue and single spaced capitalized action.  Character action is underlined.  Appearing actors  are in parentheses at the beginning of each scene.

• Dialogue: Jokes are a bit standard if not lame.  Someone named Nectarine complaining about fruit jokes and threatening to change her name to carrot. Strip search in Tucson made me laugh but then additional dialogue after the joke was unnecessary.   “Scary bastard in the red suit” is funny. Maddy has some good lines as the “frenemy” but then disappears until the end of the episode.  The scene with Bob as a former Special Forces guy with some strange abilities is quite cute.  His “skull getting 6 HBO’s got a laugh from me.  Edie, Vicki’s mom also has some funny lines in Act Two and Three.  Luis’s line in Act Five about Maddy and her former lover is priceless.  Some of the dialogue is rather non-essential, like “hellos” and “good-byes” in various scenes.

• Action: Minimal. Capitalized and underlined.  Some minimal actor direction is offered.  “Pete shakes his head. Jack takes a deep breath”.  

• Act Structure: TEASER. ACT ONE, A, B, C, D, E. (No F or G)  ACT TWO, H, (No I), J, K, L, M. (No N or O) ACT THREE, P, (no Q), R, S, T.  ACT FOUR, U, V, (No W) X. ACT FIVE, Y, Z, AA, BB,  

Note: Edie is played by Joan Rivers.  Shooting draft dated April 7, 1998.  Length of script would imply a two or three part episode.