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Examples

  • There's a character that gets killed in Peaky Blinders, and it resolves so fast (mostly offscreen) that I had to pause the episode to catch my breath from laughing. It wasn't done poorly, it just made me go "Well, DAMN!" It was effectively a Gilligan Cut of a character dying lmfao.

    ShrapnelStars (@shrapnelstars.bsky.social) 2025

  • Mostly used in comedy, a Gilligan cut, also known simply as a “Gilligan,” refers to a cut which contradicts what we’ve just seen. Dating back to Gilligan’s Island, where the device was often used for humorous effect, it’s a pretty efficient way of visually doing a set-up/punchline. For instance: “Gilligan is fixing the boat right now.” CUT TO: Gilligan accidentally setting the boat on fire.

    13 TV Writers' Room Terms You Should Know - The Script Lab Christopher Osterndorf 2024

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