With lessons from a few of the year’s best: Betty White, Tracy Morgan, Modern Family, The Good Wife, Justified, Ted Danson, Breaking Bad, Parks and Recreation, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Party Down, Dexter, and 30 Rock.
- 1: Embrace Change
- The industry is in turmoil. Hooray! By Michael Hirschorn
- 2: Stick With What Works
- An old tradition of scene-stealing comics gets a kick in the @#% from Betty White and Tracy Morgan.
3: Be Biting and Sweet- Modern Family rewrites the family sitcom.
4: Plotting, Not Plodding- The Good Wife's complex procedural is made exquisitely simple.
5: Don't Sacrifice the Character for the Joke- Amy Poehler gets de-cartoonified on Parks and Rec.
6: Pick the Right Cad - Ted Danson's genuinely endearing sociopath.
7: Accept the Inevitable
- Product endorsements aren’t going away, so RuPaul’s Drag Race works them.
8: It’s Never Too Soon to Suck Them In- Dexter's opening montage is a bloody good idea.
9: Build a Better Hero- Justified nixes the kids, keeps the hat.
10: Think (and Shoot) Big- Vision doesn’t end with the writing on Breaking Bad.
11: Less Can Be More
- Party Down uses its tiny budget for inspiration.
12: Write the Perfect Joke- Or just hire Tina Fey.
Advice for the Lost Finale Writers- Vets from The X-Files, The O.C., and more share tips.
The 2010 Upfronts- Get complete coverage on Vulture.
Ben Stiller on the Walter Mitty Set
Aubrey Plaza’s Perfect Game
Justin Davidson on the City Opera's Orpheus
Broadway Songwriting in Critical Condition 
Look Book: Dr. Lila Wolfe, Chiropractor
Manhattan-Style Tapas Come to Cobble Hill
Fashionables: Beach Sweaters
Where to Drink 2012
The Interminable Horror of the New Old Age
What George Romney's Doomed Run Taught Mitt
Frank Rich on the Post-Racial Farce
Will This Be the Worst Mosquito Summer Ever?
Join the Discussion
Read All Comments | Add Yours
Recent Comments On This Article