Understanding Comedy Genres

The Fun(ny)damentals

Key details

Location

Online

Course overview

This online short course is a fast, practical deep‑dive into writing comedy for the screen across eight of the most powerful subgenres: horror, romantic, action‑crime, satirical‑political, sci‑fi/fantasy, workplace and family, historical, and musical comedy.

Over 11 weeks, you’ll see how professional writers blend tone, structure, and character to create comedy that is not only funny but emotionally grounded and thematically sharp.

Each week focuses on a different mode of comic storytelling, using cult classics and essential films and TV episodes as live case studies: from Shaun of the Dead and When Harry Met Sally to Dr. Strangelove, The Thick of It, Red Dwarf, Phoenix Nights, and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Alongside watching and discussing key clips, you’ll work on your own ideas every week, with guided craft focuses on elements like the spectrum of comedy, 3‑act structure, setting as a comic engine, character construction, dialogue, rewriting, and pitching.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a clearer sense of your own comic voice, a toolkit for tackling different genres and tones, and concrete material you can continue developing into a one‑off film script or an ongoing TV project that feels both distinctive and timely.

Tuition fees per individual: £650

Duration: 11 weeks

How to apply

See course dates below that are available to book.

Upcoming courses

If no upcoming Short Courses are displayed above, get in touch with us for more information.

Apart from our Short Courses for 14-17 Year Olds, all of our Short Courses are for adults 18+.

Course details

This course is designed to be welcoming for new writers, who’ll gain a clear foundation in core storytelling tools, and rewarding for experienced writers, who’ll use the structure to deep‑dive into genre, tone, and advanced craft choices.

Over the course of 11 weeks online, you’ll analyse iconic scripts and key film and TV episodes each week, learning how professional writers blend story, character, and plot to create comedy that is not only funny but emotionally grounded and thematically sharp.

Each week you’ll develop original material that reflects your understanding of that week’s genre, supported by focused craft work on the spectrum of comedy, 3‑act structure, character construction, world‑building, dialogue, rewriting, and pitching. In weeks 9 and 10 you will choose one genre to focus on, then deliver a premise, a one‑page story outline, and up to 10 pages of script as a final assignment for detailed feedback, giving you either a strong first portfolio piece (for newer writers) or a sharpened, market‑ready sample (for more experienced writers).

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:

Identify and apply the tropes and structures of eight key comedy subgenres.
Analyse and deconstruct comedy in film and television.
Write original comedic material tailored to specific genres and develop a personal comedic voice within different genre frameworks.
Draft and revise scenes using a practical toolkit and feedback from peers and tutor.
Be eligible to apply for the full MA in Comedy Writing, regardless of your prior academic background.

The course structure is as follows:

Week 1: Horror Comedy
Week 2: Romantic Comedy
Week 3: Action and Crime Comedy
Week 4: Satirical Comedy (War and Political)
Week 5: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Comedy
Week 6: Comedy Drama
Week 7: Historical Comedy
Week 8: Musical Comedy
Week 9: Project Planning and Genre Recap
Week 10: Final Assessment Presentations
Week 11: Conclusion and Next Steps

Course team

Simon Nicholls

Course Leader, MA Comedy Writing

Simon is a multi-award-winning TV and Audio comedy producer. He has 20 years comedy industry experie...

Simon Nicholls

Andy Dillon

Lecturer & Deputy Course Leader

Andy Dillon is Deputy Course Leader of the online MA Comedy Writing and a Lecturer in Creative Writi...

Andy Dillon

How you'll learn

This course delivers an immersive, flexible online experience tailored to developing your screen comedy writing skills over 11 weeks.

Weekly live video lectures unpack iconic scripts and episodes from the eight subgenres, paired with script extracts and guided readings from key sources. We recommend that you allow around 4 hours a week on top of the live lectures to review the learning materials and complete the exercises and activities, which can be done at times that suit you through the week.

Although lectures are delivered as live webinars, these are always recorded so that you can watch any you missed afterwards.

Asynchronous discussion forums allow you to share insights and analysis with your peers, while structured writing exercises build directly on that week’s genre focus, such as crafting horror‑comedy set‑pieces or rom‑com banter. Each week ends with a creative task submitted for peer‑reviewed feedback, fostering practical skills in drafting, revising, and receiving constructive critique.

Individual online tutorial sessions, formal assessment of your weeks 9‑10 project (premise, outline, and 10 script pages), and personalised tutor feedback are fully integrated, ensuring you refine your work with expert guidance.

This blended approach supports both new writers building core competencies and experienced ones honing genre‑specific techniques, all at your own pace.

Who is this course for

This course is your gateway to mastering screen comedy writing, whether you’re a complete beginner dreaming of your first script or a seasoned writer ready to sharpen your edge across untapped subgenres.

New writers will gain a rock‑solid foundation in storytelling fundamentals, story, character, plot, while discovering how to make audiences laugh through horror gags, rom‑com reversals, and satirical jabs, all without needing prior experience.

Experienced scribes, TV pros, and film enthusiasts will relish the deep‑dive into eight high‑impact comedy modes, from action‑crime chaos like Hot Fuzz to sci‑fi absurdity in Everything Everywhere All at Once, unlocking fresh techniques to elevate your voice and make your next project stand out in a crowded market.

Everyone - emerging talents building a portfolio, career writers seeking genre versatility, or comedy lovers wanting structured skill‑building, will finish with original material, expert feedback, and Comedy Writing MA (Online) eligibility, transforming your passion into professional momentum.

Each week, you’ll tackle one of eight tricky comedy subgenres, where blending horror with laughs or satire with stakes often trips up even pros, and break it down through short, focused video lectures that make the challenge approachable.

You’ll get downloadable script extracts from icons like Shaun of the Dead and The Thick of It to study hands‑on, spotting exactly how masters handle structure and punchlines, followed by guided readings that clarify pro techniques without the guesswork.

Expect structured writing exercises tailored to that week’s genre, building to a creative task you submit for peer review, all paced to fit your life with asynchronous forums for discussion and consistent tutor feedback to iron out hurdles as you go.

By weeks 9‑10, you’ll channel it into your own premise, outline, and 10 script pages with individual tutorial support, emerging with a polished portfolio piece and real momentum in comedy writing.

To hit the ground running, watch at least one essential or cult film or TV episode from each week’s reading list, such as Shaun of the Dead for horror comedy or When Harry Met Sally for rom‑com, and, if available, read one corresponding script before the course starts.

This upfront viewing and reading familiarises you with the key beats, tone shifts, and humour engines we’ll dissect together, ensuring you engage fully from week one rather than playing catch‑up. No need to binge everything; one strong example and script per subgenre unlocks the discussion and writing exercises, maximising the value of lectures, peer forums, and feedback right away.

The following resources are available to participants enrolled on this online short course: 

Dedicated easy-to-use virtual learning environment (VLE)
24/7 technical support available through the VLE 
An online learning community  
Accessible online written and audio/visual content   
Live webinars and drop-in sessions
Feedback from your online tutor and 1:1 tutorials
Support from your online tutor for all course-related and academic queries.

You can also contact our shortcourses@falmouth.ac.uk email if you require any support with any other aspects of your studies. 

This course is taught online in our dedicated virtual learning environment. You'll learn through a blend of recorded learning content, written content, learning activities, live webinars, tasks and discussion forums.

No formal qualifications or prior writing experience required, just a passion for comedy and a desire to turn your love of sharp laughs into screen‑ready scripts. Whether you’re new to storytelling or have dabbled in drama, this course starts from enjoyment of iconic films like Hot Fuzz or shows like The Thick of It, building your skills week by week into professional‑level genre mastery.

Your enthusiasm for comedy’s wild subgenres is the only entry ticket, unlocking a pathway to original material, expert feedback, and Comedy Writing MA (Online) eligibility that levels the playing field for all.

To get the most out of your online studies with Falmouth, we recommend using a desktop or laptop computer with reliable internet access. This will enable you to fully experience our Virtual Learning Environment, which houses your course materials, videos and webinars, discussion forums and more. Please note while a mobile phone or tablet can support you in your studies, they are not suitable as your primary means of engagement.

Progression benefits

Students who complete this short course are eligible to apply for our MA Comedy Writing (Online) regardless of prior level of achievement, offering the opportunity to build on their work at postgraduate level.

Completion of this short course also results in eligibility for our Short Course to Master’s Pathway Award entitling you to a tuition-fee discount for our MA Comedy Writing (Online). All details of this are available on the Short Course to Master’s Pathway Award webpage.

How to apply

To apply for this course, make your selection from the available dates below, this will take you to an event page where you will be able to book yourself onto the course via the Book now link.

Tuition fees per individual: £650