# Non-sketch TV shows written by the cast **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [July 27, 2025, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388 "2025-07-27T17:50:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388/1 "2025-07-27T17:50:39Z")
It’s not uncommon for a TV series to be created as vehicle for a single person who both stars in and writes the show. An example of this is _Seinfeld_, whose star Jerry Seinfeld co-wrote most episodes of the first two seasons (with sporadic writing credits thereafter). What is much less common is for _multiple_ regular cast members of a TV series to also serve as regular writers of the show. Where this does occur, it tends to be writing partners (_Fawlty Towers_, written by and starring John Cleese and Connie Booth) or established double acts (_Bottom_, written by and starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson). If more than three actor–writers are involved, it tends to be with sketch comedies like _Monty Python’s Flying Circus_, where all episodes were co-written by all six regular cast members, and _Saturday Night Live_, where in any given season several of the cast are usually also on the writing staff. Are there any shows **other than sketch comedies** where **three or more regular cast members are also regular writers**? The only one I can think of is the American version of _The Office_, where regular cast members B. J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, and Paul Lieberstein wrote about a quarter of the show’s 200 or so episodes, usually independently rather than jointly. (Steve Carrel also wrote two episodes, but this isn’t enough to count him as a “regular” writer. In a similar vein, Michael Schur wrote and appeared in about a dozen episodes, but he was never billed as a regular cast member.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388/2 "2025-07-27T18:02:33Z")
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia? ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388/3 "2025-07-27T18:06:06Z")
The British version of _Ghosts_ is written by the various members of the Them There collective, who also play most of the characters. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388/4 "2025-07-27T18:06:37Z")
_Mythic Quest._ ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388/5 "2025-07-27T18:13:36Z")
Gina Yashere played a regular character in the first 4 seasons of Bob Loves Abishola (and a recurring character in the last season) - and she is created as co-writer of the script or story for many episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388/6 "2025-07-27T22:11:42Z")
_Ted Lasso_ has three main cast members as main writers. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388/7 "2025-07-27T22:24:36Z")
The TV Land sitcom _Teachers_ was created by a comedy troupe called The Katydids. IMDb shows at least 10 “written by” credits for 5 of the main cast. > **[Teachers (2016 TV series)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teachers_(2016_TV_series))** > > Teachers is an American television sitcom on TV Land that aired from 2016 through 2019. It is based on the web series of the same name by the improv group The Katydids (all members of the group by coincidence have the first name Kate as a root name), and is written by the six members of the group who also play teachers at the Chicago-area Fillmore Elementary School. > The series' initial 10 episodes premiered on January 13, 2016. On March 3, 2016, TV Land renewed Teachers for a 20-episode The se... Likewise, the truTV sitcom _Those Who Can’t_ was created by a comedy troupe called The Grawlix. IMDb shows at least 7 “written by” credits for 3 of the main cast. > **[Those Who Can't](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Those_Who_Can%27t)** > > Los Angeles, California > Those Who Can't is an American sitcom that aired on truTV. The series revolves around a group of teachers at a fictional high school in Denver, Colorado. It premiered February 11, 2016, and ran for three seasons before being canceled on April 24, 2019. > Those Who Can't is a half-hour sitcom set in Denver, Colorado. The show follows three dysfunctional teachers, played by show creators Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Orvedahl and Ben Roy of the Denver-based comedy trio The G... The show _Workaholics_ was created by a comedy troupe as well. IMDb shows at least 7 “written by” credits for 3 of the main cast. > **[Workaholics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workaholics)** > > Workaholics is an American adult television sitcom created and predominantly written by Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, Anders Holm, and Kyle Newacheck, all of whom star in the series. Workaholics initially aired on Comedy Central from April 6, 2011, to March 15, 2017, with a total of 86 episodes spanning seven seasons. The series also stars Jillian Bell, Maribeth Monroe, and Erik Griffin. Anderson, DeVine, and Holm play three college dropouts who are housemates, friends, and co-workers at a telem... ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388/8 "2025-07-28T13:58:45Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia? Good one! ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2025, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-sketch-tv-shows-written-by-the-cast/1021388/9 "2025-07-28T14:06:09Z")
And, not coincidentally, overlapping with _Mythic Quest_ in some of its cast and creative approach.