Writing for Late Night Comedy

WRITING FOR LATE NIGHT COMEDY ONLINE

Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2024 workshop.

Do you want to write for SNL, Fallon, The Daily Show, Kimmel, Black Lady Sketch Show, Samantha Bee, Alternatino, I Think You Should Leave, Amber Ruffin, Colbert, Seth Meyers, Watch What Happens Live and more?

Join Emmy-nominated instructor Holly Wortell as she examines the successful writing elements of late night TV talk shows and sketch comedy shows. 

Learn joke and sketch writing format and structure, satire, content creation, how to identify trends in current shows, and how to create the POV or edge to make a writer stand out.

Master the ability to create new material daily, to take headlines or news stories and turn them into marketable material, and to pull from personal life and observations.

By the end of this workshop, writers will have created a complete talk show packet and sketch portfolio with elements specific to each writer’s goal, and leave with a plan to move forward with that material. 

This workshop is limited to 12 students.

This workshop is only available online.

Students must be 21 or over to participate in this workshop.

Apply Now

Deadline Dates

Application Deadline:
March 18, 2024

Tuition: $1200

This course meets online ten times over 10 weeks, on Saturday afternoons from 1pm to 4pm Pacific Time, beginning April 6, 2024.

FACULTY

HOLLY WORTELL

Holly is an actress, producer, director and Emmy-nominated writer. She started her career at Chicago’s renowned Second City Theater, writing and performing for seven years.  She served as a writer/producer on Warner Brothers/NBC talk show, The Bonnie Hunt Show for which she was Emmy nominated.  Holly also served as producer and editor on the ABC/Worldwide Pants sit-com Bonnie.  Holly has starred in three network primetime series, can be seen in HBO’s, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, and in many films, including, MGM’s Return To Me.  She directs and produces Couch Candy, a critically acclaimed talk show, and is on faculty for comedy writing and improvisation for The Harold Ramis Film School, The Second City Theater, Chicago/Hollywood, and Cal Poly, Pomona.  She has guest lectured for the UCLA Screenwriting department, Loyola Marymount University, among many other colleges and universities.

Special guests in Holly’s class have included Brian Stack (18 years for Conan, current writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), Laurie Kilmartin (Standup, 10 years writing for Conan), Steve O'Donnell (former head writer for Letterman and Kimmel, wrote for Seinfeld, The Simpsons, The Oscars, Norm Macdonald, The Chris Rock Show, The Dana Carvey Show, and many more!), Alison Tafel Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Bo Jack Horseman)

Apply Online Today

Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2024 Professional Program's Writing for Late Night Comedy Online workshop.

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Contact

102 E. Melnitz Hall, Box 951622
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1622
310.825.6124
professionalprograms@tft.ucla.edu