You have to admit when a TV drama gets dramatic, we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

1. The punctuation seems wrong because the comma separates the verb (have to admit) and the object clause (we really are looking at . . . ).

I think there should be a comma in front of when too to separate the adverbial clause.

You have to admit, when a TV drama gets dramatic, we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

Or it can be written as

When a TV drama gets dramatic, you have to admit we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

2. Can it be written without any comma?

You have to admit when a TV drama gets dramatic we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

When a TV drama gets dramatic you have to admit we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

Question

You have to admit when a TV drama gets dramatic, we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

1. The punctuation seems wrong because the comma separates the verb (have to admit) and the object clause (we really are looking at . . . ).

I think there should be a comma in front of when too to separate the adverbial clause.

You have to admit, when a TV drama gets dramatic, we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

Or it can be written as

When a TV drama gets dramatic, you have to admit we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

2. Can it be written without any comma?

You have to admit when a TV drama gets dramatic we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

When a TV drama gets dramatic you have to admit we really are looking at extreme cases that are usually far-fetched.

Answer

Commas in English sentences are not always used consistently, and different writers and editors have different preferences for when to use them. While there are certainly grammar "rules" about when to use them, which sometimes help to clarify meaning, the easiest rule is to use them where the reader would naturally pause.

Personally, I like the comma after "dramatic" because that is probably where I would pause when saying the sentence out loud.

Answer

The original sentence is correct. When a sentence begins in a dependent clause, the dependent clause is followed by a comma. If you wish to omit the comma, you can start with the independent clause. You can start with the independent clause if you wish to omit the comma :)

“You have to admit (that)” is not usually followed by a comma, as it is not a dependent clause.

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