Quaco wrote:Sir John Coan wrote:I still can't work out quite why he scripted it that way. There may have been some ulterior motive.
I'm not an aficionado of the show, though I like it, but my impression is that the show isn't scripted as such. I believe I've heard him say that he gets the people he wants, auditioning very carefully, and then puts them in the situations, then they work out what they're going to do on the spot. I don't know if that means the actual moments captured are improvised, or just that they work them out just before filming. Anyway, it sounds like an exciting way to do it.
According to an interview I've seen with him, he storyboards each show - he gets together roughly a seven-page outline of each 30-minute episode - no script. I think the cast only get to see the part they need to see, and no more. And often it's only revealed to them shortly before each shoot. So I think it's all improvised.
What's interesting is that he carries around a small notebook at all times, and puts ideas in as he goes about his business. These ideas are transferred to a bigger pad which he keeps at home, and this thing is the source of the material for the shows. Where his talent lies, I think, is choosing the ideas which are funny, and planning outlines for shows which bring all these ideas together.