Now thats funny! - the art and craft of writing comedy

There is a feeling of pure delight that comes from laughing out loud while watching a hilarious film or a TV programme. Yet as funny as these lines may be, they are the work of people you will never see. The magic behind any comedy hit begins when an idea is hatched in the mind of a comedy writer and is then put down on paper. Desberg and Davis provide an intimate look into the minds of twenty-four of Hollywood's funniest comedy writers, who have given us such shows as: Saturday Night Live, Monk, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Simpsons, Frasier, Valerie, Modern Family, Cheers, There's Something about Mary, The Honeymooners, Suddenly Susan, Newhart, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Archie Bunker's Place, The Tracey Ullman Show, Wings, Who's the Boss? and more.

How do you get to see the creative wheels turn? The authors' premise was simple. Using a Q and A format, they provided each writer with a story idea and let them run with it. Each of the writers was told there were no rules, no boundaries and no limits! Because everyone started with the same concept, the authors could see how some writers jumped in and began creating, while others asked lots of questions. Some writers stuck closely to the premise, while others turned it on its head.

What emerges is an entertaining look - illuminating and hilarious in turn - at the creative process behind hit TV programmes.

If you're one of the millions who have enjoyed watching the work of comedy writers, here is an opportunity to go behind the scenes and see the madness unfold. Now that's funny!