Script length for a TV half hour

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  • Script length for a TV half hour

    Writing a script for a short film (comedy--at least, I hope).

    Want it to be roughly the length of a TV half hour, once it's filmed--22-24 minutes, right?

    But 22-24 pages seems awfully short, since every character is a new character, every location is a new location, etc.

    Plus, it's very talky (and therefore, I think, sitcom-like).

    So how much leeway can I give myself on page count, and

    (as a side note) does the 1:2:1 three act ratio of features apply in the same ratio to TV half hours (should my first turning point hit somewhere on the fifth or sixth page?)?

    Any and all opinions appreciated (including what you think of excessive parenthesization (!?!)).

  • #2
    Single-camera sitcom scripts (written in the same format as spec features) are 30-35 pages, even though they time out at 22-24 minutes.

    Multi-camera sitcoms are written with double-spaced dialogue, and are 40-50 pages (but still time out at 22-24 minutes).

    Parentheses are fine (if used sparingly).

    Bonita

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