The Sitcom Trials

The Sitcom Trials is a UK comedy show where brand-new sitcoms compete, and the members of the audience vote for their favourite.

The aim of the Sitcom Trials is to find new situation comedy ideas and scripts, and also to discover professional quality comedy writing and performing talents. We do this through a show which also has to be consistently entertaining. To ensure that the show remains entertaining for the audience, we use a previously established format which keeps the audience directly involved in the outcome of the show, and rewards their participation.

Script Format: 10 minute script with "cliffhanger" and payoff
So, every sitcom script has to be no more than 10 minutes long, culminating in a "cliffhanger" or ad-break moment, leaving the audience wondering what will happen next. The script must then include a 2-3 minute "payoff" ending scene, which will be performed only if that script wins the audience vote.

Submissions are open for the Autumn 09 season, celebrating its 10th anniversary as a contest to find the best new sitcom scripts and comedy writers and showcase their work in front of a live audience and a panel of leading industry figures.

Scripts will be accepted until Midnight on Sunday 6th September

The live shows will take place from mid October in a knockout format in front of an invited panel of industry judges each week..

Last year's grand final saw heads of comedy and entertainment from BBC television and radio, Channel 4, and ITV deciding a winner, and the hunt is now on for new scripts to compete in the new series of live shows throughout October and November.