POV vs. Premise: Writing Character & Sketch Comedy

I came across one of the more fascinating videos I’ve seen on TikTok. The gist of it is that Saturday Night Live, the comedy television institution known as a launching pad for careers, once emphasized character-based comedy, but now leans heavily on premise-based comedy. (You can watch it for yourself if you want, but the TikTok primarily alludes to why people might think SNL sucks now as a result of that shift, which I don’t buy into. I will, for the record, never think SNL sucks and realize that it’s not supposed to be this amazing, monolithic representation of comedy. It’s a goofy sketch show with a history that hits at times and doesn’t at others. But anyway…) 

I was amazed by the breakdown in this video and equally impressed with the attention to the nuance of the different types of comedy when it comes to approach. There is comedy that is rooted in the premise of the sketch. And there is comedy rooted in the characters’ POV concerning the environment around them. There is no right or wrong way when it comes to how to write comedy, but this blog will point out each approach with a bit of depth and examples of each.

What is POV-Based Character Comedy? 

In the linked TikTok, the presenter describes character-based comedy as being created “through “acting…mannerisms that are repeatable, and having a worldview”, and then building scenarios around that character. The mannerisms are a specific detail, but the key element is having a worldview or, more simply put, a point of view concerning the world around you. This point of view is typically informed by an emotion. 

If you choose to create a character that is inspired to be paranoid, then every scenario they find themselves in would be informed by that paranoia. And to add a layer to make it comedy, perhaps the character is in a situation where paranoia is an unusual emotion–such as ordering a sandwich or buying new tires at Costco–but the character is paranoid about everything existing in their world, whether it’s being asked if they want mustard or mayonnaise, or if the Costco salesman is asking what model of car they drive. The character might have an eye twitch, or scrunch their shoulders in, or maybe they make extreme eye contact as examples of specific physicality. These are all the traits of a character with a point of view that informs how they function. 

A familiar example might be Dwight Schrute from "The Office (US)". Dwight is a character with a firm point of view of the world around him. The audience is never in the dark about this. We can see this character ordering at McDonald’s, the same as we can see him delivering a eulogy at a funeral. He’s intense with an illustrious history and very direct physicalities. The actor who plays him, Rainn Wilson, was very clear with how he wanted his character to move, converse, and react both positively and negatively to information. It’s a prime example of character comedy.

What is Premise-Based Comedy?

In the TikTok, premise (or game)-based comedy is described as a character being in a scenario (a biker bar is his example) where a specific oddity takes shape that doesn’t coincide with the environment around them (in his example he says a character in a chef’s costume comes in mistaking the biker bar for a baker bar). The example might be a poor one, but he is somewhat on the nose for its structure. 

When we examine and create different types of comedy, there is always a premise, whether it’s character comedy or sketch comedy. However, when the comedy is led by the premise we tend to see the characters fall into a secondary role. A good example of this is the SNL sketch “What Up With That?” which debuted more than a decade ago. 

The setting of the sketch is a talk show, however, any time the traditional tropes of a talk show begin to play out, the sketch takes a turn and becomes a celebratory song-and-dance sequence, somewhat jarring the guests of the talk show, but heightening the behaviors of all else involved. The premise, or game, is that the celebrations commence right as the talk show settles into what the audience knows a talk show to be. It’s a play on expectations and it involves a talk show host, his guests, and plenty of ensemble players, however, we never gain a fuller understanding of these characters other than they are in the scene to facilitate the game.

Which is Better for Writing Comedy Sketches?

Truthfully, one isn’t better than the other. The TikTok I linked to mentions that premise-based comedy is the reason that many viewers might think SNL is not as good as it used to be, but I don’t agree. It’s a matter of preference and training. I mentioned in another blog post that UCB tends to favor premise/game-based comedy, while Second City tends to favor POV-based comedy. If you find yourself having an easier time with one approach over the other, then so be it. I advise all comedy students and performers to try both and see which comes more naturally. Revisit your ideas and notes. See how you might apply some of the tenets of each to see which sharpens your writing better. Can you create a character like Dwight Schrute or Jenna Maroney (form 30 Rock)? Or are you more inclined to write a sketch like “What Up With That” or, more recently, Domingo?

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