AI sitcom: same desk, same recruiter, a new disaster every time

Sketch writers call it the game of the scene: find the one unusual thing, then heighten it. A sitcom-style series makes the game a habit. Viewers know the setup, so the first second can go straight to the new twist.

@hr_department is one recruiter interviewing absurd candidates with total seriousness: a shark for lifeguard, a sloth asked about overtime, a crow for security, a mime who can't answer out loud. Each runs about 30 seconds, with one question, one disastrous answer and one line from the recruiter that ends it.

@suburb_2031 is a near-future street where impossible technology keeps going wrong and nobody is impressed. Titles read like a neighbourhood group chat (“garage door update”, “wheelie bin update”), which makes each short feel like the next instalment.

1. 01

   Pick the fixed setup

   One place and one straight character. Describe them the same way every time so they look the same.

2. 02

   List ten guests or gadgets

   Each one is a short. The weirder and more specific, the better.

3. 03

   Keep lines short

   One line per shot, under ten words, in a medium shot. Comedy needs timing, not speeches.

4. 04

   End on the button

   A last reaction or one more absurd act. Never explain the joke.

• Deadpan office job interview, two-shot across a desk: the recruiter asks a knight in full armour why he wants the delivery driver job. He points at his horse, waiting outside the window.

  Make this

• Job interview comedy: a recruiter interviews a shark in a tank for the lifeguard position. She asks about teamwork. The shark circles slowly and says nothing.

  Make this

• Near-future suburb, 2031: a resident's robot lawnmower has started mowing the neighbour's fence instead of the grass. Both neighbours watch from their porches, unimpressed.

  Make this

Each short stands on its own, so people can join at any one. If a short ends on a question, viewers can tap Watch more and the story can continue as numbered parts. See the AI series guide.