Lesson plan

Background

Comedy in a print narrative relies totally on the author's skills to be witty on the page. It is a much more difficult and complex process to create television comedy. Comedy in television is incredibly varied. While much comedy works as well in print -for example, taboo, verbal humour, characterisation and black humour - some of the more visual humours are perfect for a visual medium like television. Visual humours with a long stage history include burlesque, farce, parody, practical jokes and slapstick . Technical aspects such as editing, music, sound effects, make-up, costume, camera work, lighting can work well together to increase the impact of comedy through tv. The Genie From Down Under series takes advantage of traditional slapstick humour. Two characters in particular, Otto and Conrad, are frequently the unfortunate recipients. For example in Larceny ep 6 vol 2 from The Genie from Down Under , Otto and Conrad are in a farcical slapstick chase scene around Townes Hall when Otto, lured by Diana's pie, slips and falls down the stairs on his backside. Caught up in the pace and flow of the sequence, and following the action intently, viewers roar with laughter as it finishes with Otto exclaiming: I think I've broken my bottom!

1. View the Genie from DownUnder.

Screen the scene: Chase scene inside Townes Hall (Approximately 16'13" into episode) 
Begins with: Otto limping upstairs. 
Ends as: Otto weeps, 'I think I've broken my bottom!' 
Dur: 1'30"

2. Analyse the scene
Discuss with students how well the scene worked

• What was funny?
• Why was it funny? 
• Could the scene have been funnier? How? 
• What would the students change to make the scene funnier? 

3. Read the tie-in book version

In the book version this scene does not translate with the same humour and the author has made the choice not to focus on the scene in the same way. It is still funny but it has very different timing and emphasis in the scene.

As Otto crept down the stairs, Diana, alerted by Penelope, pulled a wire. The rug under Otto's feet went flying and he tumbled down the stairs. 'They're trying to kill me,' he muttered to Conrad on his phone.

From Amanda Midlam. The Genie from Down Under .1996.Puffin Books. Australia. p.83.

4. Student investigation

Students can explore a range of comic scenes selected from a favourite episode of either of The Genie From Down Under series and compare the way they are interpreted in the written versions in the tie-in.

Director and script writer Esben Storm describes the elements necessary for creating a funny TV series: First of all we need to work with funny people...Comedy is a knack, a talent, a way of seeing things. ... The actor needs to be funny... an ordinary script in the hands of an hilarious performer has a fair chance of being funny, however an hilarious script in the hands of an ordinary actor has no chance. 

The director brings it all together on screen. The director needs to have a keen sense of what is funny and needs to know how to make it apparent on camera...know what sort of shot will serve the story and the comedy. 

If it is a very physical comedy, then obviously we need to see the body language and close-ups of faces wouldn't convey the comedy... ...Writers, actors, directors and editors are all aware that timing and rhythm are crucial. A gag that doesn't work can sometimes be made to work by changing the rhythm of the edit, that is the way the shots are put together. Conversely a gag can be ruined by poor editing.

Esben Storm. A Television Comedy Study Guide .1996. ACTF.p.8-9 

Related lessons:

From TV to Book , years 5-8
Opening scenes , years 3-8