Workplace sitcom template

Why a workplace sitcom works in 30 to 45 seconds

An office comes with its own status games, so the comedy needs no setup: everyone knows who the boss is, who does the work and who is about to be blamed. Put an optimist in charge and a realist next to them, and every exchange is a joke.

Sitcom episodes run a little longer than drama episodes because a joke needs air. Our sitcoms run about 32 to 45 seconds an episode, against 21 to 28 for our dramas. Each scene runs about eight seconds, and the punchline is followed by a one-second reaction before the button.

The beats every episode needs

A checklist for each script.

• A first line that states the bad idea as good news.
• A deadpan answer that tops it.
• A gag: a concrete physical action, such as a door slam, a trip or a chase around the desk.
• The punchline, then one second of silence on a face.
• A button, and the next bad idea as the cliffhanger.

The prompt to type

Paste this into Claude, ChatGPT or Codex once agent-media is connected. Ask for the sitcom format in the interview, so every episode ends on a punchline, a reaction and a button.

A sample three-episode arc

The opening of that season. The joke escalates; the stakes rise with it.

• Episode 1, Launch Day. Opens on the founder: “Our AI answers every customer instantly.” The engineer: “Our AI is Kevin.” Gag: Kevin types so fast his chair rolls away. Button: a reporter is in the lobby.
• Episode 2, The Demo. Kevin answers the reporter's questions from under the desk, a small win. Punchline: the AI misspells the founder's name. Button: the reporter wants a live interview with the AI.
• Episode 3, Kevin Is Down. Kevin calls in sick on the day of the live interview. Last line, from the founder, holding a headset out to the engineer: “You're the AI now.”

Cast suggestions

Two leads and two or three recurring characters, all original fictional adults kept for the whole season.

• Lead A, the founder: 30s, relentless optimism, a branded hoodie as the visual lock.
• Lead B, the engineer: 30s, deadpan, always holding a coffee that is always empty.
• Kevin, the intern: early 20s, fast fingers, no idea he is the product.
• The reporter: a recurring outsider who keeps almost finding out.

Mistakes to avoid

Short sitcoms stop being funny in a few familiar ways:

• Two funny people. One lead believes in the plan, the other sees through it. If both joke, nobody does.
• No gag. A line can be funny, but a door slam, a trip or a chair rolling away makes the episode watchable on mute.
• Resetting every episode. Let each bad idea cause the next one, so the season builds like a story.
• Jokes that need a screen. A punchline on a phone or a slide does not read; put it in a line or an action.

Watch a workplace sitcom we made

Runway, episode 1: six months of runway, six minutes of Wi-Fi. Thirty-two seconds, eight lines, and a pivot to postcards.

Questions