This NYC Local News Story Is a Master Class in Screenwriting

You can learn so much about three-act feature writing from this 100-second 2001 news segment about a landlord-tenant dispute

January has kicked my ass, StoryTalkers. The fall of America aside, I’ve been juggling renovations on and moving into my family’s new house outside Melbourne with various writing obligations (narrative work and, of course, 5AM StoryTalk). Because of this, I want to close out the month discussing early 21st century landlord-tenant disputes in New York City.

It’s not what it sounds like, but also, it’s exactly what it sounds like.

We’re going to talk about an on-air segment from Good Day New York (WNYW-Fox 5) that aired on July 19th, 2001 and became so famous that Bill Hader used it as inspiration for his Herb Welch sketches on “Saturday Night Live”. I’m aware that 25-year-old local news isn’t exactly…well…news anyone wants to hear about. But hear me out, because I think the segment is an example of perfect three-act structure that you can learn a lot more from about screen storytelling than most screenwriting guides.

Here, watch it for yourself.

So, as amusing as this segment is aside — and it is fucking hilarious — the reason I think it’s so useful as a learning tool is because of how economically it all plays out. This isn’t a 100-minute film, filled with endless details that might confuse how you understand its structure. It’s a 100-second short film.

Act 1 (this video is missing just a bit of the original report): The TENANT — who apparently just got out of the shower and couldn’t be bothered to get dressed — explains to on-air reporter Dick Oliver about the shitty elevator situation in her building. Her opponent, standing next to her, looks lost as she hits him. End of Round 1.

Act 1 Turn: Ding-ding-ding. It’s time for Round 2.

Act 2: The LANDLORD jumps out of his corner like a machine, methodically attacking his opponent without breaking a sweat. The tenant goes down. Capitalism wins.

Midpoint: Not so fast. The anchorman JIM RYAN shows up at precisely halfway through this video to ask DICK OLIVER — seriously, these names! — to ask Dick, “What the hell, my man? I think the landlord just pulled a fast one on you. Get the tenant back on her feet so this fight can continue.” This is like the ring announcer climbing into the ring and shouting at the referee about a bad call — madness!