Basically, looking to get into writing TV episodes, and wanting to really make sure I have a great setting. It'll be an absurdist show, similar to Community. I think one thing that made Community so amazing was the setting. Being at a community college led to unlimited storylines, believable reasons for the diverse cast to be friends with each other, as many different sets as you could want (study room, cafeteria, class, campus, etc.), and lots of different cast members. I can't really think of many settings as great as this, but I want to try to. I would've loved to write a similar sitcom set on a university campus, but I feel like the very nature of the show having similar comedy to Community would make it too derivative. Unfortunately, I can't really think of another place where I can round up all of these weird characters that wouldn't normally mesh, and having such a big cast of people and places to where lots of great interaction can take place. I mean, I've thought of the cast all being workers at a big warehouse store, like Wal-Mart, but I'm not so sure there's enough storylines there. A car dealership or a phone sales store is another I've thought of, but it's not as physically big of a setting as I'd like. Also, the two above don't give them enough freedom. I mean, if my main character in an episode decides he wants to become a hair metal singer, can't have him showing up to work at a car dealership in that clothing, for example. The great thing about college is that you can literally do anything. I'm just looking for some sort of setting where I can recreate that magic without being too derivative of Community.
How about the White House? The setting can be where your hilariously incompetent protagonist becomes President.
That actually sounds a lot like the setup for Parks and Rec, though it took place at a much lower level of local government. I never realized it when I used to watch the show, but Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) was a caricature of a certain well-known, pantsuit-wearing presidential candidate (before she ran for president).
That sounds funny, lol. Looking for something a bit more relatable, though. Was thinking also maybe a bookstore cafe in a mall, or maybe mall security. Each of those could lend themselves to all sorts of weird cast members with time to screw around and get into trouble.
How about the public waste department in a small/medium sized municipality? Mall security would be good, although the malls are dying now so it might be less relevant.
I'm really going to go out on some wild limbs here. I'm bored. 1. Porn, like a certain production company or something. 2. A strip-club. 3. A restaurant or bar (or maybe someone who owns several different establishments). 4. A circus. 5. A rock band. 6. A stadium, like football or baseball (and perhaps the city it's in). 7. Some drug-dealing stoners (their houses and the town they live in). 8. "Community" but in high-school. 9. A zoo. 10. Space; like Star Trek but an absurdist sitcom. 11. A newsroom. 12. A gang, mafia, group of hackers, spy ring, or some criminal organization. 13. A video game team, like for League of Legends or some other game. Or virtual reality. 14. A sports team. 15. A mental health ward. 16. A team of paranormal investigators.
A recording studio might work. You'd have the regular staff and then all the different bands that come in to make records. Plus sometimes a call or visit from record company executives. It includes the high and mighty, with all their authority, plus the low-life bands, some on all kinds of drugs, maybe with hookers or skank girlfriends in tow.
Ehh, not really my style. Also thought maybe they work at an airport in different roles, but a lot of the shenanigans definitely couldn't happen there, whereas at a mall, they could.
Shenanigans happen everywhere at equal rates in my experience. In fact, the more serious and tightly controlled the job place is, the more highly evolved the shenanigans become.
That's true. I was just thinking the absurdist-type stuff. I mean, I'm wanting the shenanigans to be absurd, but kinda plausible. Community's paintball episodes, for example, could never take place in an airport (I mean, it could, but you wouldn't be able to suspend disbelief too well).
An Office type setting, but an international type, such as at an international shipping port or a temp agency. Large farm (vegetable/fruit/orchard/etc). You could have them have a pick your own style blueberry field/pumpkin field/etc., just from that alone you'd get all sorts of odd people come through. A hotel or resort.
Have definitely thought about a hotel. Checks all the boxes. Though, I may be tempted to scratch the whole Community-themed stuff, and just go full Fawlty Towers.
Ehh, not really into spacey shows. Book, yes, definitely. Hell, the novel I'm working on is an absurdist space novel, and HHGTG is my favorite book ever. But shows set in space are usually just meh, IMO.
Missed this part of your reply. In some place, yes. And I'd definitely have that be a part of some of the episodes (different wacky things they have to do to stay on their feet, kinda like how Community fights off City College's attempts to shut them down). But in many places, malls are still thriving. Obviously the HUGE ones, like Mall of America, but even a local one here in small WV is still pretty busy. And don't even get me started on big cities. Went to Brickell City Centre in Miami this past winter, and it was crazy. Couldn't swing your arm without wacking some little shithead 5-year-old in the head. This would probably be a medium-sized mall in a small city. A big enough city to where it's busy most of the time, but not so busy as to where there aren't any recognizable regulars, or the space is too big. Just your average, run-of-the-mill mall at its peak.
There was a pretty absurdist show called The Lodge, took place in an Odd Fellows/Mason type fraternal order, already done but there could be lots of room there. Worth a watch for inspiration even if you don't use anything like it. Edit: It's Lodge 49 actually.
I'm now wondering, if I do the mall, whether the "core" group should be mall cops, or people from different stores. I was thinking mall cops, but I'd really want to play with their outfits (for example, one of my characters always has crises, and decides he wants to be a hair metal rocker, or a weldor, and then dresses as such). I mean, I could always make it so he make alterations to his uniforms or something. I'm probably overthinking this a lot, lol.
I could see the group being workers from different stores who get together in the food court or something, maybe several different places. In fact different groups in different places. You'd have snooty types from the fashion stores, the dumb guy who cleans cages and fish tanks in the pet shop etc, and mall cops would show up now and then. Parts could be set in a book store and parts in a trendy little emporium with black light posters all over the walls and incense burning (like Spencer's). Employees from different stores might see each other as totally different classes and cop attitudes over it all the time. Wow, this was my 1,000th post! Party time!!!
Food court was exactly where I was thinking they'd meet. Maybe during a break, but throughout the day as well in different places.
Will probably have the fashion-type stores be bratty teens that the main group hates. I just can't figure out if I should make the main group all employees of one section (either a cafe/bookstore or mall security), or somehow find a way where they'd have enough free time during the day to see each other and get into mischief. I mean, it's not like the cashier at a Spencer's can just go walk around the mall. And lunch breaks only offer about an hour or so of time together. Of course, I can also have them sometimes meet when they first arrive and when they lock up, but wanting a lot of the interaction to take place in the middle of the day. Having one or two of the people working at maybe kiosks or something might help. Or, just have lots of time where the mall just isn't that busy, so there's nothing really keeping them waiting inside the stores, alone. I dunno.
