Sitcom Script Format: How to Format a TV Episode

September 25, 2026 · 14 min read

A TV script plays by different rules than a feature. An episode has to hit an exact running time, hold the audience through the commercial breaks, move the season arc forward, and still be clear to a crew that shoots an episode a week. And if it is a sitcom taped in front of a live audience, the page itself looks different: double-spaced dialogue, action in ALL CAPS, scenes marked with letters.

This guide covers how to format a TV episode: how TV script format differs from a feature, what single-cam and multi-cam pages look like, how half-hour and one-hour episodes are structured, what goes on the title page, and where writers most often slip.

How a TV script differs from a screenplay

A film is a closed story of 90 to 120 minutes. A series is a system that has to work episode after episode, so a few new documents join the usual screenwriting paperwork.

Episodic story. Every episode has its own mini-story, the story of the week, while also pushing the long-running lines forward. In procedurals the episode story dominates; in serialized dramas the season arc does.

The series bible. A document of 10 to 40 pages: logline and concept, the world, the main characters and their arcs, tone, sample episodes, and a plan for the season. Producers and the network read the bible before the pilot (see "Bible" in the BBC Writersroom glossary), and the writers check against it so that episode 7 does not contradict episode 2.

The pilot. The first episode has to introduce the world, the characters and the conflict, and at the same time show what a typical episode will look like. The pilot takes the longest to write and gets rewritten the most.

Season arcs. For every storyline and every character, the room defines point A (the start of the season) and point B (the finale), then lays out the turns episode by episode. This happens at the season outline stage, before anyone writes dialogue.

Running time. The rule of thumb is the same as in film: one page in standard format is roughly one minute of screen time. That gives the typical episode lengths:

Episode type	Screen time	Script length
Half-hour (single-cam)	22–26 min	≈ 22–30 pages
Half-hour (multi-cam sitcom)	22 min	≈ 40–50 pages, double-spaced
One-hour (drama)	42–60 min	≈ 45–60 pages

The basic rules for scene headings, action and dialogue are the same for TV as for film, so it is worth reading how to format a screenplay first and then turning to the TV-specific details.

Single-cam and multi-cam: two script formats

The terms describe how a show is shot, but the shooting method also decides what the page looks like. If you want the short answer to "what is sitcom format?", it is multi-cam; almost everything else on television is written in single-cam format. Below you will find both: the same story moment, formatted first for single-cam and then for multi-cam.

Single-cam

Shot like a film: real locations, exteriors, one or two cameras, each setup in its own take. Dramas, crime shows and more cinematic comedies are made this way. A single-cam script uses the standard master scene format: Courier 12, single spacing, action in upper and lower case, roughly a page a minute.

2   INT. OKSANA'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - MORNING                   2

    OKSANA (34) stands at the stove, not noticing the coffee has
    long since boiled over. On the table, an open envelope with
    a bank logo.

    OLEH (36) walks in, in a suit, carrying a suitcase.

                         OLEH
              You're not even going to ask where
              I'm going?

                         OKSANA
                    (without turning around)
              I've already read the letter.

    Oleh sets down the suitcase. Looks at the envelope. Sits.

Multi-cam

The classic sitcom, shot on a soundstage with three or four cameras rolling at once, often in front of a live audience. The action plays out on a handful of standing sets (an apartment, a bar, an office), scenes run long and the dialogue is dense. A multi-cam sitcom script looks different, and this is where writers get tripped up most:

Dialogue is double-spaced. This is the most visible difference: actors can mark up their lines in rehearsal, and the director has room for camera notes.
Action is written in ALL CAPS. That sets it apart visually from the dialogue.
Scenes are lettered (A, B, C…) rather than numbered. After Z come AA, BB and so on.
Entrances and exits are capitalized, and in the traditional format also underlined: OLEH ENTERS, OKSANA EXITS TO THE BEDROOM. It makes it easier for the assistant director to track who is on set.
Every scene starts on a new page, usually with a list of the characters in it.
Structural headings such as COLD OPEN, ACT ONE, TAG and END OF ACT ONE sit on their own lines, centered.
Parentheticals inside dialogue are also capitalized and in parentheses: (BEAT), (TO OLEH).
Because of the double spacing, 22 minutes of screen time takes up ≈ 40–50 pages, so the page-a-minute rule does not apply here.

The same moment in sitcom format:

                              SCENE A

FADE IN:

INT. OKSANA'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - MORNING
(Oksana, Oleh)

OKSANA STANDS AT THE STOVE. THE COFFEE HAS BOILED OVER. ON THE
TABLE, AN OPEN ENVELOPE WITH A BANK LOGO.

OLEH ENTERS IN A SUIT, CARRYING A SUITCASE.

                         OLEH

          You're not even going to ask where

          I'm going?

                         OKSANA

          (WITHOUT TURNING AROUND) I've already

          read the letter.

          So has the bank.

OLEH SETS DOWN THE SUITCASE. LOOKS AT THE ENVELOPE. SITS.

                         OLEH

          Then you know the suitcase isn't mine.

                                                  CUT TO:

Notice the difference: in the single-cam version the subtext works through action and silence, while in the sitcom the same scene ends on a joke, because in multi-cam every scene needs a laugh out before the transition.

Episode structure: teaser, acts, tag

Act structure in television grew out of commercial breaks: every act ends on a hook so the viewer does not change the channel. Streaming shows have no breaks, and their scripts often drop the ACT TWO headings, but writers still build the episode in acts. It makes pacing easier to control and puts the turns in the right places.

Half-hour episode (comedy, sitcom)

Teaser / cold open (1–3 pages). A short scene before the titles: a joke, or the setup of the problem. Often unrelated to the main story of the episode.
Act One (≈ 8–12 pages). The problem of the week (the A-story) and the launch of the B-story. Ends on a complication.
Act Two (≈ 8–12 pages). Escalation: the characters make everything worse and the storylines collide. It ends on the climax or the lowest point.
Act Three (if needed, 3–6 pages). The resolution. Many current half-hours have only two acts, with a long ending to Act Two doing the job of the third.
Tag (½–1 page). A short scene after the resolution, often under the end credits: a final joke, a callback to the cold open, or a hint of the next episode.

One-hour episode (drama)

Teaser (2–5 pages). The inciting incident: a body, an explosion, a betrayal, a strange phone call. The goal is to stop the viewer leaving during the titles.
Acts One to Four (10–14 pages each). The classic network structure; some formats use five acts plus a teaser to fit in more commercial breaks.
Act breaks are where the cliffhangers go. The strongest turns land at the end of Act Two and Act Four (the midpoint and the finale of the episode).
A tag is less common than in comedy, but it can close the episode with a short emotional punch or set up the next one.

Whatever the running time, every episode needs its own setup, climax and resolution for the story of the week, even if the season arc stays open. "An episode where nothing ends" is the complaint editors make most often about new writers.

Paper size, house templates and reference scripts

US television writes on Letter, while many productions elsewhere, including in Europe and Ukraine, work on A4. The difference in page height changes the page-to-minute ratio, so if you write on A4, check your episode length against the running times of the show's earlier episodes rather than against US tables.

Networks and production companies also have their own house templates: some keep scene numbers, some want tables for sitcoms, some ask for a separate column for timecodes. So before you turn in your first episode, ask the script editor for a reference: a script from an episode of the same show that has already been shot. Formatting "like the reference" counts for more than formatting "like the textbook".

If there is no reference (say, you are writing a pilot to pitch), use standard single-cam format for a drama and multi-cam format for a classic sitcom (BBC Writersroom's Medium and Format page has samples of both). ProfiScenario has a dedicated A4 sitcom (multi-cam) template, so you do not have to set up double spacing and scene letters by hand.

The episode title page

A TV title page differs from a feature's in that it carries both the name of the show and the title of the episode. The minimum:

                        "12 FACTORY LANE"

                   Episode 3: "Someone Else's Suitcase"

                           written by
                       Oksana Lytvynenko

                      created by Oleh Moroz




Draft 2 (Director's Draft)                      10 Sep 2026

What goes on it:

Series title, in capitals or in quotation marks.
Episode number and title: Episode 3: "Someone Else's Suitcase". You can add the season number too (S01E03).
The episode writer and, where relevant, the series creator.
Draft number and type: writer's, editor's, director's, shooting. The shooting draft also carries the revision color if the production uses colored revision pages.
Date of the draft.
Contact details for the writer or the production, if the script is going outside the studio.

Common mistakes in an episode script

Mixing formats: double-spaced dialogue in a single-cam drama, or single spacing in a sitcom that will tape in front of an audience.
An episode with no story of its own: it only "moves the arc" and has no setup and resolution of its own.
Act breaks without a hook: the act just stops instead of making the viewer stay.
A five-page teaser that is really Act One.
A new location in every sitcom scene: multi-cam lives on three or four standing sets, not twenty.
A character walks into a scene with no entrance marked, and nobody on set knows when they arrived.
Scene numbers in the writer's draft: numbers go on the shooting draft, once the script is locked; before that they only muddle revisions.
Contradicting the bible: a character suddenly has a different job, or a sister who was not there in episode 1.

Checklist before you turn in an episode

Page count matches the running time for the format (allowing for A4 and for double spacing in a sitcom).
Teaser, acts and tag are labeled and sit where the act breaks belong.
Every act ends on a turn or a cliffhanger.
The story of the week has a setup, climax and resolution inside the episode.
The season arc has moved at least one step.
Characters, locations and facts about the world are checked against the bible and earlier episodes.
Formatting matches the network's or studio's reference (paper size, font, spacing, scene labels).
The title page has the series title, episode number and title, writer, draft and date.

Frequently asked questions

How many pages should an episode be?

In single-cam format: ≈ 22–30 pages for a half-hour comedy and ≈ 45–60 for a one-hour drama. In a multi-cam sitcom, double spacing means 22 minutes of screen time takes ≈ 40–50 pages. On A4 the numbers run slightly lower than on Letter, so always compare with episodes of your show that have already been shot.

Should I number the scenes in an episode?

Not in the writer's or editor's drafts. Scene numbers (or letters, in a sitcom) go on the shooting draft, once the script is locked and the production is doing the breakdown and the shooting schedule. Add them earlier and every revision will break the numbering.

Do I need a series bible?

For pitching to a network or streamer, yes: it is the main document alongside the pilot. For a writers' room, also yes, or every writer will end up writing their own version of the lead. For a pilot you are writing on spec, a short document of 3–5 pages is enough: concept, characters, tone and a season plan.

How do I format a scene shared by two storylines?

If the storylines physically meet in one location, it is one scene: write it as a normal scene and switch between the pairs of characters in the action ("At the other end of the room…"). If the storylines run in parallel in different places, use short scenes with an INTERCUT, or write a single scene headed "INT. KITCHEN / INT. OFFICE - INTERCUT". When two people talk at the same time, use dual dialogue in two columns.

Writing a sitcom in ProfiScenario

The ProfiScenario editor has a dedicated sitcom (multi-cam) formatting mode: double-spaced dialogue, action in capitals, lettered scenes, COLD OPEN / ACT / TAG headings, all on an A4 template. The mode works both in the editor and in export (Pro). Auto-formatting places the elements for you, so you write instead of fiddling with indents.

Writers' rooms get real-time co-writing: several writers work on the same episode at once, see each other's cursors and can follow a colleague through the script. Named versions and change comparison show exactly what changed between the writer's draft and the editor's draft. Dual dialogue is there for scenes where lines overlap. On the Pro plan you can generate actor sides for auditions and rehearsals.

PDF and Fountain export are free; Word and Final Draft export come with Pro (₴299 per month, with a 7-day free trial). Details are on the pricing page. If you are just starting out and want to understand what the story itself is made of, rather than how it looks on the page, begin with how to write a screenplay.

Try it for free

Sources

Medium and Format: BBC Writersroom samples of standard script formats, including the TV screenplay with act breaks and the US three-camera sitcom format.
Scriptwriting Glossary: BBC Writersroom definitions of screenwriting terms, including the series bible.
Single-camera setup and Multiple-camera setup: Wikipedia on single- and multi-camera production.