CV=((RxD+V)xF)+S:A - a good Sitcom's recipe
 

British satellite channel UKTV Gold hired neurobiologist Helen Pircher (incl. research team) to formulate the golden mathematic rule of TV-humour. For two months the team had analysed british Sitcoms from two decades to provide a future for british sitcoms.

The outcome was a formula which results in the CV (comical value)

CV = ((R x D + V) x F) + S : A

The comical value (CV) is a result of the recognisability of the main character (R) multiplied with its delusion of grandeur. After that you add the verbal wit of the script and then you multiply the result with the number of scenes in which someone falls (F) or gets hurt. After that you add the result of the status difference (S) of the lowest and the highest character in terms of popularity divided by the concept of the show (A).


Anarky's comment: makes perfect sense, but now someone should explain why the heck I get only negative values when I try that formula on German comedy. And I also think that people spend way too much money on pure idiocy.

How the heck you measure the concept of the show? By its complexity?

Because the less this value gets, the bigger final CV result is, so this number is quite important.

I can imagine that it is the story that is told along with the way it is told. You know, what you see behind the laughs. And yes, it is very important. I mean, nobody wants to watch a crappy story in sitcoms.

But I wonder what the standard for a good sitcom is. Is it 100 or 5?

So, with F=0 all your witty and marketing efforts are completely lost. Sad but true.

OK, I'm going to write now a very funny sitcom with lots of accidents. With U.S. President and a homeless immigrant beggar in it. And no particular plot at all. Tis would be funny like hell. ^__^.

This is a joke right?

Nope, I'm afraid not. I translated it from a very famous german news magazine called Spiegel (it has about the same reputation as TIME magazine... sort of. But TIME is better)