Skip to main content
Writing Comedy for Television

Bill Lawrence

Writing Comedy for Television

Write feel-good comedy with the showrunner and writer behind Scrubs, Ted Lasso and Shrinking.

This course includes:

4.5 hours

21 lessons

24 exercises

What you'll learn

Join Bill as he welcomes you to the best job in the world. No joke – this course will equip you with everything you need to write your comedy and make it in the industry.

  • Write comedy with heart
  • Hone your pitch and sell your show
  • Go to 'character camp'
  • Learn about collaboration and rewrites
  • Plot out your pilot
  • Get your foot in the door of Hollywood

Learn even more with a subscription

Access all 39 courses to learn from the world's greatest authors, chefs, entrepreneurs and more.

Bill is an industry giant. Writing for prime-time gold in the 90s (Friends sound familiar?), he went on to create the legendary long-running, Emmy-winning show Scrubs, and co-create Ted Lasso, the global hit that won two Golden Globes and became Apple TV’s all-time most-streamed show.

Drawing on his experience showrunning and in the writing room, Bill will help you create shows that seamlessly blend humour and heart, hit the zeitgeist, and are universally beloved for generations to come.

Course trailer

Lesson plan (21)

  1. 01

    Bill's introduction

    06:36

  2. 02

    Writing Comedy for Television course introduction

    07:45

  3. 03

    Inspiration

    22:15

  4. 04

    Ideas

    13:45

  5. 05

    Finding your voice

    18:23

  6. 06

    Characters

    11:07

  7. 07

    Structure

    18:27

  8. 08

    Pilot structure

    13:46

  9. 09

    Episode structure

    03:46

  10. 10

    Scenes and dialogue

    11:31

  11. 11

    Rewriting

    12:20

  12. 12

    Storylines

    09:42

  13. 13

    Pitching

    16:24

  14. 14

    Actors

    20:39

  15. 15

    Showrunning

    10:17

  16. 16

    Portfolio

    10:27

  17. 17

    Representation

    10:56

  18. 18

    Industry

    05:50

  19. 19

    Sofi Selig interview

    26:43

  20. 20

    The writers' room

    25:03

  21. 21

    Conclusion

    05:08

Thanks for signing up

Check your inbox - your free lesson is on the way!

Oops! Something went wrong

Please try again later

Try a free taster lesson 

Sign up for a sneak peek at what to expect with this course introduction from Bill himself.

Reviews for BBC Maestro

Pricing options

  • Watch on computer, TV, phone, or tablet
  • Change or cancel your subscription any time
Looking to buy a gift? Learn more about giftcards
Pricing plans

One course

Best value

Every course

Price

$89

/ year

$120

/ year

Number of Maestro

1

(Bill Lawrence only)

35+

(incl. Bill Lawrence)

Across 7 categories

Access to new releases

Not included Included

Downloadable course guide

Included Included

Money back guarantee

14 days

30 days

Buy Subscribe

Know a writer with a funny story to tell?

Common questions

BBC Maestro is a subscription-based streaming platform, created to educate and inspire people to explore their creativity. Through pre-recorded lessons and detailed course notes, anyone can learn a wide range of disciplines and follow in the footsteps of experts respected all over the world.

BBC Maestro offers single course purchases or an annual subscription.

Simply purchase an individual course or an All Courses pass and get access to easy-to-follow video lessons. Watch on your computer, tablet or mobile and learn on demand, wherever and whenever you like.

Our courses are beginner-friendly and you can watch as many times as you like, at your own pace.

BBC Maestro is currently available in the following territories: United Kingdom, Isle of Mann, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Australia, South Africa, Canada, India, Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, UAE and USA. We are planning on launching BBC Maestro in other territories in the future. Please subscribe to our mailing list and follow our social media channels for updates.

Yes, you can buy an annual subscription to get full access to all BBC Maestro courses, lessons and course notes for one year. Find out more

Yes, all our courses have English subtitles that can be accessed by clicking the CC button on the video player. We also have downloadable PDF course notes to go with each course, which offer more detailed information and tips.

No, all our courses are self-paced and no courses will be removed from the site or ‘expire’. If you have an all-access annual subscription, you can watch any content while your subscription is valid. If you don’t have an all-access subscription, but instead have bought one or more individual courses, the purchased content is yours to keep for life, and lessons can be watched as many times as you like.

Yes, you can see a full list of our current courses here.

We offer a 30-day money back guarantee for your first all-access annual subscription, if you aren't completely satisfied with your purchase. See our terms and conditions for details, or email [email protected].

You can choose between buying a single course as a one-off purchase, or you can sign up for an annual subscription which gives you access to all BBC Maestro courses for one year.

If you buy a single course, then you can access it for one year. You can watch the course as many times as you like, whenever you like. Our single courses include downloadable course notes to complement the video lessons. Your access to the course will expire after one year from the date of purchase.

Alternatively, if you buy an annual subscription to BBC Maestro, you can access every course for one year. You can watch each course as many times as you like within the year, and you’ll also be able to download the course notes for each course.

After one year you’ll have the option to renew your subscription, or you can choose not to renew once your subscription year is over. Subscriptions are billed annually, and we offer a 30-day money back guarantee to receive a full refund if you’re unhappy with your purchase.

Subscribers will have instant access to new courses as they are released. Please note that any courses in the Upcoming Courses section may be released outside of your annual subscription period. If you have any questions about an upcoming course, please email [email protected].

You can buy a gift card for any individual course or an All Courses Pass on our gift cards page. When you buy a gift card, you can choose to send the email with the gift card PDF attached to yourself or directly to the recipient. You can also choose to specify which date you would like the gift card email to send to your recipient. 

Gift cards can be redeemed on the Gift Cards page. Once the card is redeemed, if the gift is for a single course the giftee will have lifetime access to the course and be able to re-watch as many times as they like. If the gift is for an All Courses Pass, the giftee will have one year’s access to all BBC Maestro courses, and immediate access to any new courses that are released within their yearly access period – from the date that they redeem their gift code.

 Please note, anyone outside of our available regions will not be able to redeem a gift card.

Thanks for signing up

Check your inbox - your free lesson is on the way!

Oops! Something went wrong

Please try again later

Try a free taster lesson 

Sign up for a sneak peek at what to expect with this course introduction from Bill himself.