BBC Writers Feed

Next generation of comedy talent from across the UK named in BBC's inaugural Comedy Collective

2023-05-25T08:56:32+00:00

BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie today announced the 10 recipients of a supercharged bursary scheme – the BBC Comedy Collective – for up-and-coming writers, producers and directors to develop their careers further in scripted comedy.

The BBC Comedy Collective is a commitment to nurture the next generation of comedy talent. Previous BBC comedy bursary winners have gone on to make BAFTA award-winning TV series, secure script commissions, get agents and produce radio shows.

Speaking at the BBC Comedy Festival, in Cardiff, Jon said: “Some of the best writers, producers and directors in TV and film started their careers on BBC Comedy shows and we’re committed to giving the next generation of talent their big breaks. The BBC Comedy Collective supports on and off screen talent from across the UK and will provide brilliant opportunities to our first cohort. I can’t wait to see what they do next.”

Each bursary winner will receive up to £10k worth of paid shadowing on a BBC Comedy production, along with an allocated production mentor, plus a £5k development grant to put towards new material at the end of their placement. They will also have a dedicated point of contact within the BBC Comedy Commissioning team to help guide them through their year, as well as access to the Comedy Collective representatives.

The BBC Comedy Collective comprises of estate representatives, Geoff Schuman and Paul Whitehouse (for Felix Dexter), Tessa Le Bars and the Galton Family (for Galton & Simpson), Lucy Ansbro (for Caroline Aherne) plus the new producer and director representatives, Ash Atalla and Christine Gernon, alongside the alumni of previous BBC bursary winners.

The Collective will work in partnership with BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Scotland and BBC Wales, with the support of BBC Writersroom, BBC History, BBC Academy, BAFTA and a range of screen agencies including North East Screen and Creative Wales.

Find out full details of the 2023 Comedy Collective Cohort

Lady Shorts

2022-06-24T09:01:06+00:00

Four fresh, funny, female-led shorts from some of Northern Ireland’s newest writing talent. Simon Nelson, Development Exec for BBC Writersroom, explains how Lady Shorts were produced.

Today sees the launch on BBC iPlayer of Lady Shorts, four comedy short films written by some of Northern Ireland’s most exciting up-and-coming women writers – Diona Doherty, Sarah Gordon, Susannah McKenna and Emma Moran. Several of the writers had previously been members of our Belfast Voices and Comedy Room writer development groups and Sarah has gone onto a place in our current Drama Room Group, and it is particularly satisfying to see them gain broadcast credits.

Lady Shorts: Fresh, written by Emma Moran

Watch Lady Shorts: Fresh

Each film is distinct, reflecting the unique nature of each writer’s voice: across the four pieces we encounter poignance, sadness, suspense, affection as well as laugh-out-loud joy. But in each piece the writer displays a unique, authentic view of today’s society and I feel privileged that we were able to work with these brilliantly talented writers, and to make their work come to life.

Lady Shorts: Sorta Stepmum (written by Diona Doherty)

Watch Lady Shorts: Sorta Stepmum

This series of shorts is the result of a collaboration between BBC Writersroom and BBC Northern Ireland’s Learning Department – as so often happens in the BBC Writersroom, we were able to combine our skills with those of another BBC department to create something exciting and new. Back in the early days of the pandemic, we teamed up with BBC NI’s Gareth Hawthorne and David Monahan to develop several scripts with a view to making some of them for BBC iPlayer. After some workshops, a couple of pitch sessions and a lot of hard work from our amazing writers, we commissioned several scripts with a view to taking three of these into production.

Lady Shorts: Shopped (written by Sarah Gordon)

Watch Lady Shorts: Shopped

As it happens, the scripts were so good that four of them were produced in the end (thank you to our script editor, the amazing Gemma Arrowsmith, as well as very our own Hamish Wright & Anna Hinds for their parts in making that happen). But getting them made was no easy feat – Covid was doing its worst and – along with the rest of the UK television industry – we had to quickly find ways to make programmes in a safe, healthy and socially-distanced manner. That task fell to our tireless producer, Chris Martin from Belfast-based Indie Movie Company and director Jonathan Kesselman.

Lady Shorts: The Catholic Marriage Bureau (written by Susannah McKenna)

Watch Lady Shorts: The Catholic Marriage Bureau

Thank you again to our writers and to our former NI Development Producer Keith Martin for kicking the whole thing off at the very beginning!

Watch all four Lady Shorts now on BBC iPlayer

DMs are Open - Slide into a Comedy writing credit

2022-05-31T12:19:09+00:00

DMs Are Open is BBC Radio 4 Extra's new open submission radio show. It’s the successor to Newsjack with one vital difference, it’s not tied to the news cycle. No more rummaging through newspapers for stories on a Sunday or Monday, you can write a sketch, one-liner or record a voice note on anything that will resonate with the British public.

That means you can write a piece on climate change, even if no one has glued themselves to the M6 that week. Maybe your favourite celebrity has gone viral and you have a unique take on that? Send a sketch on that to us too! We will always appreciate good writing about politics or current affairs, but we’re open to fantastic jokes about all the other conversations that are making people tick too.

Getting your work recorded and broadcast is hard. We receive so much material and can only use a fraction of it. However, here are my top five tips to help your work stand out:

DMs are Open

1. Choose your subject matter wisely

Even though your subject doesn’t have to be tied to the news cycle, it still needs to resonate. Consider how well known your subject is. The more it resonates, the better! We all know how expensive energy bills are now. Not so many appreciate the rising cost of plantain (though maybe they should…)

2. Start with a laugh

A great way to write sketches is to do a ‘vomit draft’, then delete the first page. Seriously, this is a great way to get to the point quickly. Once you have finished your sketch, ask yourself where the first laugh is. The closer you can get that laugh to the top of page 1, the better.

3. End with a laugh

Ending with a joke is like landing a triple axel on one leg. It’s the grand finale and an essential characteristic of all successful sketches.

4. Character!

Your sketches will have characters and a good way to find the funny is to give your characters a very strong emotion that you can lean into. Are they angry? Jealous? Happy? In disbelief? Exasperated? Make sure the emotional position of your characters is clear and consistent. This will also help you generate dialogue. Once you know how a character is feeling, it’s easier to know what they should be saying.

5. Premise

The best sketches don’t necessarily have funny jokes (though you do need these!). They actually have the best premises. What if the police were the ones to get stopped and searched? Boris Johnson said he was ‘ambushed by cake’ - how does Cake Delta Force prepare for an attack on a Prime Minister? A strong angle is a brilliant foundation for a good sketch.

And here’s a bonus tip:

6. (Strictly Come Dancing voice) Keeeeeeeeep writing!

I used to submit to Newsjack and I promise you, I failed many, many, many more times than I was ever successful. Writing is victory. Exercising that muscle will never not be beneficial so get into a routine and try not to be discouraged. Funny comes from practice. See every opportunity to submit to DMS are Open as practice and enjoy the process.

Good luck!

Submissions for DMs are Open are open with weekly deadlines for sketches on Monday at midday and for one-liners and voicenotes on Tuesday at midday for 3 more weeks (until 20th and 21st June).

Find out full details of how to submit your sketches, one-liners and voicenotes

Listen to previous episodes of DMs are Open (it is essential to listen to, and understand the show's format before submitting your own writing)

Episodes are broadcast on Thursdays at 10.30pm and on BBC Sounds

Creating Vandullz for BBC Wales' Festival of Funny

2021-11-23T14:00:26+00:00

We caught up with our former Welsh Voices Leila Navabi and Sion Edwards to hear about working together on a brand new comedy, which goes out this evening on BBC One Wales and BBC iPlayer.

Watch Vandullz on BBC iPlayer

Filming Vandullz

How did you find writing as a partnership? Was it something you had ever thought you would do before?

Leila: Genuinely so lovely. I think there's been a really strange push for atomised working in the recent past. Perhaps the 'Phoebe Waller-Bridge' effect? The idea that there's more value in art if it's someone's sole creation. I just disagree so hard. Collaboration and connection is absolutely the only way to tell stories that authentically ring true in our society.

Sion: I enjoyed it immensely. It was great! It helped writing with Leila, who's not just a great writer, comedian and performer, but she's also a great person as well, who I now consider a great mate of mine.

Writing can be very lonely as you are away from people for long periods. What was great with this was a chance to have someone else's company whilst writing, but also somebody to bounce ideas with, discuss ideas and characters with, to ask questions about characters and the story to, and to receive questions back in return about any of my suggestions about the characters and story. It was great to be creative with someone else whilst writing and working things through as we went along.

I had thought of writing with others before, and I've chatted with friends about sitcom ideas etc in the past, but actually writing a script with someone else - I've never done that. Now having written with someone else, I'd be eager to do it again - and most definitely with Leila.

Watch a clip from Episode 1 of Vandullz: Heledd has a Stowaway Band Manager, Carys, debreifs the band following the Swansea leg of their White Lion pub tour and Heledd has a stowaway.

What were the logistics of writing as a team – did you always write together or did you edit each other’s work?

Leila: So we absolutely had a moment at the start when we were like 'Cool. How on earth do we do this?' But we just chatted and laughed and found we had musical interest in common and ended up writing together the whole way through. Just us on Zoom, taking it in turn to type so our hands didn't ache.

Sion: Since I was in North Wales and Leila was in London, we just wrote over Google Hangouts and Zoom. So, we had a virtual writer's room together. At the start it was very much 'How do we do this?', but since neither of us had previous experience writing with someone else, this helped. It allowed for us both to approach it, with both of us, in the same position. We did it our way, rather than someone using a previous way of writing with someone else.

We laughed and chatted for hours, and we made a WhatsApp group, and during the day we'd be messaging each other or leaving voice messages with ideas and suggestions. We still do that now! And we also even wrote at Green Man Festival. The first time we met in person was at Green Man Festival, a few months after we started writing together and meeting to write over Hangouts and Zoom.

Vandullz

How has working together changed the way you approach scripts? Did it enable you to take more risks for example?

Leila: I think it allowed us both to focus on the funny. We spend most of our sessions just trying to make each-other laugh. It made the prospect of broadcast less scary because you're not trying to please the masses, just one person who you respect.

Sion: It’s made me consider things more, having that person opposite ask questions or come up with suggestions. I've always been open to questions and suggestions, but now even more so.

It helped that neither of us were precious about our ideas which meant we were constantly talking about what we were writing, this meant 'VanDullz' was a real joint writing effort and a sitcom which came from both of us. Back at the start of the year, we didn't know each other, but now Leila is one of my great mates. And we've written this together, a sitcom that's come from us both. That makes me proud.

Sion Edwards and Leila Navabi

Any stand out moments?

Leila: We just spent the whole time cackling, quite frankly. We were like naughty school children, seeing how cheeky we could get away with being in our writing. But you'll see that in the show, I reckon. Also once we got on location, seeing and sitting inside the Van (which is called Heledd and is played our dear friend, the incredible Kiri Pritchard-McLean). The art department made it look exactly what it was like in our head. That was cool.

Sion: The whole experience was great, working with Henry Widdecombe and his production company - Little Wander, who were amazing and so supportive of our idea was awesome. The crew were all superb. The cast were all superb and really got under the skins of their characters. Carys Lewis, our director, was superb. And of course, writing with Leila was so fun and exciting!

During the filming, I stayed on the peripherals, wanting to give our DOP (Rik Burnell - who was great) and Carys and the crew the space they needed to work. I didn't want to be in the way. When it came to the filming, at that point the script was written so it was a case of handing it over and trusting that everyone will take it further and bring it to life. Which they totally did! I just stayed on the peripherals, watching from a safe distance. I was keen to see how it looked, but also wanted to be completely respectful of Carys, Rik and the crew and their creative working process.

There was a moment, early on a Saturday morning (the 3rd morning of early starts!) when we were filming down Aberystwyth sea front, the sky was a light blue, and it was just stunning. I decided to walk up a bit to the set and got a quick glimpse of how it looked and it was that moment I thought - 'Yep!'. It was exactly how Leila and I had pictured 'VanDullz' looking. We always wanted this to be about Wales, but the Wales between the picture perfect postcard Wales. Away from the well-known sights. That's where these characters exist, they live away from the picture perfect postcard Wales. They're in their own world. Their own bubble. I hope people like it and want to spend more time with the 'VanDullz' in the future.

Watch Vandullz on BBC iPlayer

Watch more shows in the Festival of Funny on BBC iPlayer

How to Write TV Comedy Drama

2021-07-16T08:31:19+00:00

So you’re writing a TV comedy drama script. Compared to a studio audience sitcom, you’re probably aiming for it to be more naturalistic in tone, less joke driven and for the action to be richer and truer to life. Maybe it’s personal, autobiographical, and you've got a story you’re burning to tell. Even better if it’s a world and characters you feel we haven’t seen on screen before.

Moreover, the kind of script you’re writing can go deeper and darker, or simply be truer and rawer, than traditional sitcom. But the danger is you might end up with something insufficiently dramatic or not funny enough – or both! That’s where this blog comes in, as I offer you techniques and approaches to pull off the comedy and the drama.

I am focusing here on thirty-minute scripts, which I like to think of as “comedy drama sitcom”. There would have been a time when this phrase would have made about as much sense as "oboe concerto pop song". But today so many brilliant shows invite the description, from Fleabag, Chewing Gum and Detectorists to Modern Family, Silicon Valley and Atlanta.

But if it’s longer form you’re writing, then all of the following will still be helpful – as indeed it will if you are at the other extreme and writing a comedy short (which can be a great sandpit to try out your characters and world, and a terrific pitching tool for the bigger idea if it happens to do well online or in film festivals). Now let’s turn to your comedy drama script and consider areas that set comedy drama writing apart.

With comedy drama, you the writer can have your own vision for the look and feel of the production.

It’s the production style of the show that first tells the audience we are in the comedic-dramatic space: the music, the single camera style of shooting, the atmosphere. Consider. the opening of the first episode of Ghosts, which I would term a ‘family comedy drama’. Despite the inherently comic premise, the subdued lighting, moody shots and plaintive piano music shout drama.

There is also room for real heart and pathos in the show. For example in the first episode, Fanny’s story of how her husband pushed her to her death from an upper storey window is sensitively played. There is real drama too when, in the present day, Alison ends up being pushed out of a window herself, in an echo of Fanny’s tragic death. The seriousness of her injuries, how it’s acted, shot and musically scored are all pure drama.

Alison gets taken to hospital in a suitably dramatic way, and in new comedy series Bloods, where Samson Kayo and Jane Horrocks star as odd-couple paramedic partners, the look and feel of the entire show is of a medical drama – stumbling across the show in the midst of one of the big, dramatic set-pieces with ambulances and helicopters, you’d certainly assume it was a Casualty type series, in a way you never would with a traditional sitcom that doesn’t have the resources or ambition to look like drama.

If you were writing a studio audience sitcom, it will inevitably have a staged feel with, in the studio, several cameras shooting at once, mostly from the front, and of course with the laughter of the live audience. This form has produced multiple classics, such as Fawlty Towers, Big Bang Theory, IT Crowd, The Young Ones, Friends and Blackadder (to randomly jump across eras and continents).

Back in the nineties, Caroline Aherne famously faced down the idea that The Royle Family should be a studio audience show in favour of its groundbreaking and hugely influential low-key naturalism. Perhaps you too thirst for a very ‘kitchen sink realist’ tone, or maybe you have a fast-paced and filmic vision like Edgar Wright, or an innovative approach like the POV of Peep Show. Of course, realising the look of the show will involve others but a passion for a particular look or feel can be an engaging talking point when pitching the project. And as you write, picturing the look, tone and atmosphere of the scenes you are penning can help with hitting that comedic and dramatic style.

Your comedy drama script can have a dramatic starting point.

Classic studio audience sitcom Blackadder Goes Forth has that powerfully moving ending to the sixth and final episode of the series. The characters leave their trench on the First World War battlefield, go over the top and run suicidally into the oncoming fire. Beautifully slowed down and with moving music (the edit brilliantly saving an unsatisfactory shoot on the day), it’s one of the most memorable moments in TV comedy.

In contrast to the three hours of broad sitcom that led up to it, it’s the stuff of comedy drama. But if it actually were a comedy drama series, rather than the end of the final episode, that scene could be the end of episode one. Then the rest of the series would be dealing with the fallout from going over the top (with a number of those characters now deceased and the remainder appallingly injured.)

In a comedy drama, that sequence could even be the start of episode one! Take for instance the opening of Flowers: depressed children’s author Maurice, stands on a chair, ties a noose to a tree, puts his head through it and jumps... Okay he survives, but only thanks to the branch snapping – at which he bathetically comments: ‘F**k’s sake’. (More on bathos below). Here is a show that is willing to start at his lowest, darkest point and develop the comedy from there.

A question I always ask writers I work with is this: what has happened before your script begins? The richer the events leading up to the opening of your script, then the stronger starting point you will have. Aim for the viewer to walk into a situation that’s a powder keg just waiting to be detonated; with lies, deceit, tragedy and grudges stretching back long before we meet the characters.

Your comedy drama script can take the audience to uncomfortable places.

In John Cleese’s wonderful, farcical movie A Fish Called Wanda, for reasons I won’t go into here, a series of blameless dogs are accidentally killed in botched attempts to bump off their owner. At one point a dog is squashed flat on a zebra crossing by a falling piano. On the day this scene was shot, the director and Ealing Comedy alumnus Charles Crichton announced he’d been shopping at the butchers. He then proceeded to arrange bloody entrails around the fake dead dog.

When the film was shown to a preview audience in a test screening, they were laughing happily… until they saw this shot of the bloody, squashed canine. Suddenly the laughs turned into shocked silence. Luckily a concerned crew member had ensured a safety shot had also been filmed without the gore. When the shot of the blood free, comically flattened dog was inserted instead, the subsequent preview audience gave it a huge laugh.

For the audience, actually feeling the shock and horror of the dog’s death got in the way of the laughter and so it had to be presented as a cartoon that wouldn’t arouse difficult emotions. There’s only so much reality a broad comedy can take. In Peep Show however when Jez reverses a Land Rover over a family’s beloved pet dog, the audience is invited to feel the horror of it all. When Mark and Jez, in an attempt to cover up the animal’s demise, burn the canine corpse in woodland, the dog on the fire is appalling realistic.

As you write your comedy drama, if you’re going somewhere dark, you can actually invite the audience to feel the horror of the situation. Your comedy drama can also take risks with the likeability of characters too, as Peep Show does here. Mark and Jez are hiding the truth from the family because Mark is hoping for employment from the father and Jez is hoping to sleep with the daughter; two ambitions that would be seriously compromised by the knowledge Jez had run over their beloved pet. The form is free to explore truly appalling behaviour with real consequences. Comedy drama can take a lot more reality.

Your comedy drama script can handle real and challenging emotions.

Continuing our death theme, in Funeral, the Mr Bean comedy short, Bean’s antics in the church include snogging the widow and play-acting that the deceased is in fact alive and is knocking on the inside of the coffin. The assembled mourners react in a nominally appropriate way – they are shocked - but not in a way that would detract from Mr Bean’s antics or in any way hinder him.

Mr Bean’s comedy is of course in a broad, live action cartoon style (indeed it was successfully translated into animation), but let’s consider how people would react if this were really happening. In real life, the congregation wouldn’t sit and let it all unfold, letting out the occasional gasp of horror. No, someone would manhandle him out of the church, he’d be in severe danger of being punched, and in the aftermath his mental health would surely be investigated. And this is how you’d want people to react in your comedy drama script.

Whereas a (brilliant) cartoon like Mr Bean simply could not function with genuinely truthful reactions, your comedy drama will thrive on real responses and emotions to inappropriate behaviour. But your comedy drama doesn’t need extreme and outrageous behaviour to create humour. Your comedy drama script can find laughs in simpler, well observed, flawed everyday behaviour. You can write about relatable bad behaviour rather than OTT craziness, aiming for laughs-of-recognition as you capture people’s true-to-life failings.

As a contrast to Mr Bean’s antics, consider the funeral sequence in Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s brilliant comedy drama Catastrophe, when Sharon Morris’s father has died. It’s full of the comedy of people behaving badly – but it’s recognisable selfish, unaware or misjudged behaviour.

For instance, while her husband Rob Morris is in a white shirt and black tie, Sharon is aghast at her brother wearing a black turtle neck jumper; there’s a neat visual gag where Rob is far taller than the other pallbearers, unbalancing the coffin as they carry it; ex-partners Fran and Chris snipe at each other and Fran later tells Sharon that ‘I’m here for you’ and when Sharon opens her mouth to speak Fran turns and walks off; and Rob’s mother Mia (played by Carrie Fisher) tells Sharon’s elderly, respectable mother that a fellow mourner was trying to ‘get into her pants’.

And subsequently when Carrie Fisher died in real life, Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney wrote the death of her character into the show in a touching, poignant and funny way. The death of Nana in The Royle Family is similarly moving, with actor Liz Smith commenting that her final performance as the character was the most emotionally draining of her career.

Comedy drama opens up the possibility to explore real emotion in this way. The traditional studio audience sitcom of course doesn’t preclude this, witness the many moving moments in Only Fools and Horses or indeed the aforementioned end to Blackadder Goes Forth, but the comedy drama form particularly invites it and will go there more readily.

You can find comedy and drama in your script with dramatic irony.

Dramatic irony is where the audience know something that character(s) don't. This is one of the main things that can create comedy and drama in your scenes and plot. If the audience and the characters all know the same things at the same time you are definitely missing a trick.

The classic example for teaching dramatic irony in drama is found in the ancient Greek Sophocles play, Oedipus Rex. Oedipus doesn’t realise the older woman he is sleeping with is the mother he was separated from at birth – but we the audience do: dramatic irony. In a comedic example from Fawlty Towers, Basil is chatting to a guest as he takes him breakfast in bed. What he doesn’t realise is that the guest has died in the night. The comedy comes from the fact that we the audience know he’s deceased while Basil doesn’t; again, dramatic irony. Fawlty Towers is in fact absolutely full of dramatic irony. it’s one of the main ways John Cleese and Connie Booth create comedy in their farcical scripts.

Turning to comedy drama, in the fifth episode of Atlanta, Earn is mistakenly identified by an agent as a colleague named Alonzo. As this mistaken identity grants him access to the closed-door agents’ cocktail hour he plays along and begins to revel in the perks of being an agent. We the audience know who he really is, but the agent doesn’t. Once again, it’s dramatic irony. This episode “Nobody Beats the Biebs” also includes a fictional Justin Bieber — who in a surreal twist exactly mirrors the actual Bieber, except that he’s black. In a sense it’s an unusual, dream like, example of dramatic irony in that we the audience know that Bieber is actually white but in the parallel world of the show the characters don’t.

In the opening episode of the second series of Fleabag, we find an extraordinary example of dramatic irony that is both comedic and dramatic. As the family meets for dinner with the priest who will marry Fleabag’s father and step-mother, her sister Claire has a miscarriage in the bathroom of the swanky restaurant. Fleabag knows what has happened (as do we the audience) but as they return to continue the meal, no one else around the table does.

FLEABAG

Claire deals with the miscarriage by hiding it and throwing herself into loud and hedonistic enjoyment of the meal, grabbing a glass of wine despite hitherto being teetotal to aid becoming pregnant. Fleabag is in shock at the situation, but the rest of the assembled guests have no idea what’s going on and if anything are happy about Claire’s sudden levity.

This remarkable scene from Fleabag is certainly dramatic as the reality and sadness of the miscarriage is very much present. Then the comedy comes from how Fleabag responds to Claire’s denial of the situation. A reasonable approach to this appalling dilemma might be to create a space for Claire to share what has just happened to her. Or alternatively it might all remain unsaid, the unspoken truth weighing heavily on Claire, her sister and the audience. And this may well be what would happen in a serious drama.

But this is not what happens here. No, in order to break the silence on the subject, Fleabag says that she herself has miscarried in the bathroom. There is shock around the table. Claire looks at her WTF?! Fleabag is momentarily unsure – and then doubles down on her lie. (Note too how Fleabag pretends that she has miscarried as a misguided attempt to solve a problem: namely that the gravity of the situation is not being acknowledged. Characters attempting to solve problems but making things worse is at the heart of comedy.)

Dramatic irony then is a technique that can create drama or comedy – and can create both in the same scene. If you set up a serious situation where the audience know something that characters don’t, and then you have someone unskilfully or unwittingly reacting inappropriately or absurdly thereby undercutting the drama, this will bring comedy to it. Which brings us to our next technique, bathos.

Your comedy drama script will often find the funny within the drama through bathos.

In the fifth episode of the second series of Barry, the show about an aspiring actor turned hit man, there’s a scene that begins with Barry in a car with his handler. Barry has appalling wounds. He has clearly been viciously attacked. His handler, shocked and sympathetic, assumes Barry received these wounds at the hands of Ronny and his formidable taekwondo skills. But Barry reveals he actually received the vicous beating at the hands of Ronny’s middle-school-age daughter Lily. This is bathos. The idea of a beating by a powerful grown man is suddenly undercut by the revelation that is a child who was responsible.

With bathos, you build it up and then knock it down, as we saw earlier with Maurice’s thwarted suicide attempt in Flowers - the drama of the situation is undercut by the branch snapping and Maurice’s prosaic exclamation, ‘F**k’s sake’ (as if he’s just suffered a mundane annoyance like his printer getting jammed). Bathos is an abrupt change in mood or tone from the dramatic to the trivial, from the serious to the absurd, or from the refined to the crude. To put it simply, it’s going from big to small. It’s at the heart of comedy drama and is one of the techniques you will draw on most to find the comedy in the drama.

There’s also a huge amount of bathos in Ghosts. Early on in the first episode, Alison and Mike drive up to the property, and Alison goes into a speech about how this house she has inherited is uncannily familiar, as if she's known it all her life... then they realise it's the wrong house. And when Fanny tells the tragic story of her death at the hands of her husband who pushed her out of the window, a story she has kept a closely guarded secret in all the years since her death, it’s played straight – and is then immediately undercut by all the ghosts who died before her saying they already knew as they’d seen it happen.

As well as being a sudden change of tone, bathos can also be created when something serious is going on and is simultaneously undercut by the presence of something absurd or trivial. In this case, the big is undercut by the presence of the small. Turning to the final scene in the first series of Fleabag, Fleabag is at her lowest, she is self-loathing, she has ruined her life and the lives of those she cares about. But where is this scene playing out? It’s taking place in a guinea pig cafe; with cute pictures of all the little pet rodents on the walls. The very fact of the guinea pig cafe is an important ongoing undercutting of the big issues.

Imagine if this were a serious drama. We can easily picture the script editor saying, ‘this guinea pig cafe just feels too frivolous – it’s detracting from the drama. Make it a normal cafe.’ In comedy drama, the thing that feels too frivolous or daft, the thing that is jarring set against the drama, is the very thing you want for comedy.

Another aspect of bathos then, is where a dramatic scene takes place. Bathos can be created where serious or dramatic action is undercut by taking place somewhere that is inherently absurd or comical, thereby creating a bathetic friction between what is happening and where it’s happening. We see another example of this kind of bathos in Home, where where Syrian asylum seeker Sami has, in his desperation, taken a hostage… in the sauna at a chi-chi spa. The police officer notes that they are holding back initially as they are seeking to respect the energy flow of the spa.

So as you write your script, do lean into the dramatic moments – and then enjoy undercutting them. Imagine, for example, that in your script a family secret is at last being shared by a father to his son… on the dodgems at a fairground. You can also create a similar effect by what someone is wearing – for example when delivering a moving speech they happen to be dressed as a unicorn for a fancy dress party. Or they may be similarly undermined by a prop. For example, needing to fight off an intruder with a toy sword.

And more simply, characters' childish or ridiculous behaviour can similarly undercut a dramatic moment. In the Barry scene I describe above (where incidentally, in an absurd simile that serves to undercut the drama, the terrifying girl is described as being like ‘a feral mongoose’), when the hit man and his handler go off to take out the child, a shocking course of action, the heaviness of the moment is undercut by their ridiculous squabbling and terrible driving. Similarly as Mark and Jez burn the dog corpse in Peep Show, a truly appalling and bleak moment, they similarly undercut the drama with childish squabbling. ‘Gallows humour’ also creates bathos; where characters in a dark, tragic or grim moment, knowingly undercut it with ironic humour.

Your comedy drama script writing involves a playful tussle between your serious and comic sides.

When writing comedy drama then, you need the writing skills to pull off the actual drama… then the mischievous inclination to keep on undercutting it. It’s almost like there are two of you – the serious writer who crafts the dramatic situations and the naughty writer who keeps undermining the serious work. It’s as if you are both the teacher and the naughty kid at the back of the class. Both of these sides of yourself need to be fully engaged in order to write your brilliant comedy drama script.

What is Comedy Drama?

2021-05-27T13:16:29+00:00

The results of our most recent open submission Script Room window have just been sent out. For the first time, in this window we accepted both Drama and Comedy Drama scripts. But what is Comedy Drama? We turned to Robin Taylor from our reading team for some advice.

Considering Comedy Drama

When it comes to writing, there are several big questions, such as where did I leave my pen? How do you spell exeunt? And the biggest question of all, what is a comedy drama? Well, maybe it’s not the biggest question, but it is an interesting one.

Comedy drama has been floating around as a term for a while now, but still feels relatively recent. It was a prominent medium from the late 90s into early 2000s, but then became somewhat out of favour. Yet now it is potentially a booming genre, as shown by the fact it has become a distinct category in the annual BBC Writersroom Script Room opportunity. At the same time it is still possible to debate what is and isn’t a comedy drama, since it is not the most robustly defined style. It could be easy to say “It’s a drama with some funny bits” or “It’s a comedy that’s serious sometimes”. But this is quite a simplistic interpretation, and potentially part of the reason why comedy drama fell out of favour, as it was seen as a slightly wishy-washy halfway house, not necessarily satisfying from a comedic or dramatic point of view.

The classical divide of comedy and tragedy has essentially been supplanted by comedy and drama, especially in modern culture. There have been long held standards of comedy and drama on television and radio, particularly in terms of duration. Traditionally comedies/sitcoms have been in thirty minute slots and dramas one hour, with comedy dramas capable of filling either slot but usually meeting the sixty minute standard. However, particularly through the rise of streaming services, we are now in a period of significant flux in television, in terms of duration and genre. With the decline of traditional sitcoms, quite possibly accelerated by the coronavirus, there is room for increasing variation in writing styles. Comedy drama is likely to play a big part in that change, so it could be helpful to have a stronger understanding of what it may mean as a term.

This blog post will aim to assist that understanding by considering and defining the qualities which exist within the major genres of comedy and drama, identifying interesting exceptions, and how the two mediums can be combined effectively. Through this process we can also consider the importance of categorisation within your own writing, which genre suits you best, and how to create a script which effectively matches your intentions.

Upstart Crow

Sitcom

Sitcom is the easiest format to define as pure comedy, particularly in its traditional form. There was a time when sitcom referred exclusively to a comedy recorded in front of a studio audience, a la Mrs Brown's Boys or Upstart Crow. (You can read an article specifically on that subject here). With recent global developments it probably comes across as a naïve relic, but hopefully there are still interesting ideas in there and studio sitcoms do have some kind of future!

Pretty much since The Office, the definition of sitcom has altered to include single camera comedies, with recent examples including Motherland or Ghosts. Regardless of filming style, sitcoms have shared qualities. Primarily this is a predominantly comedic tone, with the aim of a high level of gags, and stories which build towards comedic rather than dramatic conclusions. As the ‘sit’ part of sitcom would suggest, they are often built around very clear situations, such as a family unit, workplace or flat share, with fixed regular locations. However they can also be focused upon a lead character, such as Hancock’s Half Hour or Miranda. Sitcoms also have a very episodic approach, with clear stories of the week and something of a reset button at the end of each episode, so the next instalment does not follow on but begins a new story. Obviously developments can carry over, such as changes in character relationships, but there is not necessarily a need to have seen the previous episode to understand what is happening.

There are exceptions to this, such as Two Pints which had an almost soap opera approach to a narrative arc, even including a “Previously on…” opening to each episode. Even here though, the self contained plots of episodes create a need to tell a complete story, rather than leave a situation to be resolved in the following episode. (Unless it was a two parter... I did say there are exceptions!) Despite any differences between them, these kind of shows all sit quite comfortably under the sitcom umbrella, even if now and again you may think “That’s a sitcom?!” when you look them up on your internet search bar.

Monique/Marie-Andrée Leclerc (JENNA COLEMAN), Charles Sobraj (TAHAR RAHIM) in episode 1 of The Serpent (Image Credit: BBC/© Mammoth Screen Photographer: Roland Neveu)

Drama

The most obvious distinction between comedy and drama is in the tone, with little to no emphasis on humour in a standard drama. Another difference is the progressive nature of drama, best exhibited by Continuing Dramas, (the technical name for soap operas like EastEnders, which have perpetually ongoing plots and generally require sequential viewing). Drama series are standard runs of narrative arc stories, usually told over six or more episodes, with the potential for multiple series, for example His Dark Materials, or Normal People, (which is interesting for being a thirty minute-per-episode drama). A limited series meanwhile is a contained, one series, singular story, such as The Serpent, and these can sometimes have lower episode counts too.

There are some dramas which fit the episodic model of sitcoms, with a story of the week format, often what is termed as procedurals, such as police, medical or legal dramas, while something like Doctor Who uses this approach alongside a series arc. Again, these require plots with beginnings, middles and ends that play out over the course of one episode. There is also some crossover, so Holby City would be considered a procedural continuing drama, while Line of Duty is a procedural drama series. Basically it can get quite confusing! This is in part because drama is a broad church full of genres - horror, sci-fi and fantasy would all be a part of the drama family.

It’s quite easy to think that anything that isn’t a comedy is a drama, whereas you wouldn’t necessarily say that anything that isn’t a drama is a comedy. (I mean, you might, it depends what kind of things you tend to say.) The progressive nature of many dramas also allows for a greater sense of character growth and development, while in sitcoms it can be more likely that the characters essentially stay the same. (Though of course exceptions can apply!)

In My Skin

Comedy Drama

And so we come to the subject of this big old blog post, comedy drama itself. In terms of its history, we could retroactively label some programmes as comedy dramas even though they may not have been called that at the time. Wikipedia identifies Minder as the earliest TV comedy drama, but arguably the genre was made most apparent by ITV's Cold Feet. The story of three couples, Cold Feet explored these relationships and some serious themes within them, including fertility, infidelity and illness, but balanced this with a lighthearted approach and strong comedic performances. Its success created a surge of similar shows, but as they struggled to emulate its popularity, it made the genre less desirable. It’s certainly interesting that a resurgence of comedy drama is occurring around the same time as the recent return of Cold Feet.

A great contemporary example of a comedy drama is In My Skin on BBC Three/BBC iPlayer, which tells the story of school girl Bethan dealing with her mother’s mental illness, her father’s alcoholism and her own burgeoning sexuality. Obviously these are big emotional issues befitting a drama, but they are matched by a strong comedic element in the main character’s ‘other’ life at school, which is raucous and funny. The two aspects of the story effectively split the styles of comedy and drama, but they work together incredibly effectively, with Bethan’s likeable, light-hearted public persona showing a potential happy life in contrast to her difficult home life. The humour and pathos complement one another powerfully. This is a great strength of comedy drama, the potential to show the light and dark sides of life. (You can read the scripts for In My Skin by Kayleigh Llewellyn here)

The Wrong Mans

The drama of comedy drama is not always determined by emotion though. The Wrong Mans is a comedy drama which takes the dramatic premise of two men becoming accidentally involved in a crime conspiracy. This very serious situation is juxtaposed by the inept characters who are thrust into it, and this contrast manages to create real tension alongside lots of humour.

Both of these examples point towards an intentional use of comedy drama and why the medium suits the idea, so when writing it is useful to think through why exactly you wish to use the genre you are writing. How does it allow you to explore certain ideas, tell your story a certain way or best utilise your skills as a writer?

Now that we’ve established the main genres, it’s worth saying that writers don’t necessarily need to know all of the sub-genres within them. Mostly these kind of definitions matter to commissioners and producers more than writers. But it can be useful when pitching an idea, and indeed writing it, to understand which category you are potentially working within. This knowledge can make it easier for producers to understand your intentions or for you to consider how your writing fits within an established medium. This can also help you ascertain whether your script is suitable for certain opportunities which are looking for particular styles or formats. Before we move on to what that involves though, let’s quickly look at a couple of outliers which may not fit the traditional moulds.

Back to Life

A Couple of Outliers Which May Not Fit The Traditional Moulds

Obviously a sitcom is not the only form of comedy, and a significant variation from that format is the comedy series. Again the tone is predominantly funny, but the biggest difference is a progressive plot that requires, or certainly benefits from chronological viewing. The best example of this would be Gavin and Stacey, although even here some might argue that it is a comedy drama. It’s noticeable that the concept is defined by the story of a long distance relationship rather than a situation, per se.

Another interesting mutation is dark comedy, which often tackles the kind of serious topics one might expect from a drama, but with a comedic perspective. A defining example of this would be Nighty Night, where the concept of a woman’s husband dying of cancer is entirely played for laughs. The recent Back to Life is similar in many ways, but has a more emotional approach which means it would be defined as a dark comedy drama, just to add another classification into the mix. Then there’s Inside No. 9 which is a dark comedy anthology, with every episode basically independent from one another. (I’m going to need a lie down after this.) The important thing to note here is that serious topics do not immediately transform a comedy into a comedy drama if the tone is still predominantly comedic.

Killing Eve

There are also examples which can potentially cross boundaries to the extent it could be a matter of personal perception. Is Fleabag a comedy series or a comedy drama, or even a sitcom? Personally I’d call it a comedy, but if someone else called it a comedy drama I wouldn’t drag them out of the room by their hair. Is Killing Eve a drama or a comedy drama, or a comedy? It feels safe to go with the middle option, but there could be arguments either side. With both of these shows the elements are so well integrated, emotion in the former and humour in the latter, that it never feels out of place, so however they may be interpreted, they remain strong, effective pieces of writing.

While reading this you may well have been thinking of other examples of exceptions, and it’s likely you’re either absolutely right, since the definitions are not rigid, or certain programmes can be perceived differently by different individuals. But this issue of interpretation points towards an interesting complication, that many scripts can contain elements of comedy and drama without being categorised as combinatory writing. (I used that term as a way of avoiding writing comedy drama for the 58th time, but then it seemed like quite a nice description.)

Happy Valley

A Few Jokes Do Not A Comedy Drama Make

In the opening of this blog post we discussed the idea that thinking of comedy drama as comedies with serious bits or dramas with some jokes was not a useful definition. Another reason for this is that a multitude of comedies have serious elements and dramas have funny moments without fitting the model of comedy drama. One Foot In The Grave had instances of incredible pathos, but the overriding tone is still comedic and designed to make the audience laugh. The ending of Blackadder Goes Forth is arguably one of the most moving television moments of all time, but that does not negate all the silliness that came before it and stop it being a sitcom. (Though there is room for an interesting debate whether if certain sitcoms had their studio audiences removed, that they may then come across more as comedy dramas).

Equally humour can be a huge part of dramas, in the form of comedic side stories or comic relief characters or simply funny exchanges. Happy Valley is a very serious and often bleak drama, but there are still moments of levity which can break up the sombre tone. This goes back to the idea of light and shade within life, because even in dire circumstances funny things can happen or be said, and a happy world can still be punctuated by instances of sadness and sentiment. What’s noticeable is that they are infrequent or rare, so that the primary genre remains dominant. Nonetheless, these moments are reflective of our humanity and can provide real depth and sincerity to writing, as well as exploring the complexity of characters so they do not just show one side of themselves and we empathise with them fully. This is also why the elements of a comedy drama potentially need to be more pronounced in order to differentiate a script from its composite genres. And within this there can be a real need for diligence and sensitivity.

Moving between tones in any medium is always a delicate operation. Humour in the midst of a serious moment can run the risk of deflating the tension being built. Conversely a painfully serious incident during the comedy can affect the audience’s proclivity to laugh. Obviously it is possible to mix moods, but it’s important to think about how it is being done so that it does not disrupt, jar, or even shift the tone in a way that it changes the entire mood of the script, creating apparent inconsistency. This concern is potentially heightened in a comedy drama because of the inherent coexistence of different tones. Sometimes this manifests in delineation, making it evident which are the serious characters/stories and which the comedic ones. It can also help to give a scene a solid mood which is not disrupted by incorporating the other element or to build from one mood to the other, so starting with a comedic tone but building drama and tension as the episode or series progresses. Even within this framework it’s necessary to think about how the two tones complement and enhance one another without stepping on one another’s toes, and while this is a challenge, it can create a very impactful script.

Only Fools and Horses

What Makes A Story Dramatic? (Or Indeed, Comedic?)

When it comes to describing story types it can be tempting to say a drama is dramatic or a comedy is comedic and hope there’s enough inherent information there to not sound like you’re just stating the blooming obvious. But this is supposed to be an educational blog post, so let’s try to dig a little deeper.

A useful method of thinking about story types is by looking at the stakes which are involved. For an example, we’ll have a think about the fairly familiar sitcom, Only Fools And Horses. As with most effective stories, Del Boy has a clear motivation (Oh look, here’s a blog post about motivation, what a coincidence) Namely, he wants to be a millionaire. While this drives the majority of his behaviour and the situations he gets into, the stakes are relatively low. It doesn’t really matter if he succeeds or fails, he will just continue trying, and while the audience root for him, if he were to make his fortune the situation would significantly change. (And Only Fools did explore this idea towards its conclusion) This lack of real jeopardy lets us enjoy his antics in a fairly carefree fashion, allowing us to laugh along without worry. Dramatic stakes would increase the jeopardy significantly. So if Del Boy had a more urgent requirement to make that money, such as needing to pay for Rodney’s life-saving surgery, the stakes have raised considerably. It now really matters whether Del Boy succeeds or fails, it’s literally a matter of life or death. While it could be possible to mine some comedy in such a situation, it is tricky with the serious nature of the predicament. The risk is that the comedy would undermine the tension, unless it were to embrace this and become a dark comedy. This doesn’t mean that all dramas must be deadly serious, but there is a need for a sense of significance in the story being told, whether it’s saving the world or simply two people falling in love.

A comedy drama story would potentially be somewhere in the middle of these two. So if for example Del Boy had borrowed some money from some gangsters and needed to pay them back, there is still dramatic jeopardy but it is not quite as heavy as his brother potentially dying. Within this plot there is still room for variation depending on tone. So if the gangsters were quite stupid and useless there would be a diminished threat and an increased sense of humour, which could befit either a comedy series or a comedy drama. If the gangsters were evidently violent and ruthless, the stakes are increased again as Del Boy’s wellbeing is more at risk. However his response of hare-brained money making schemes could still be humorous, building comedy drama sensibilities. Again, this comes back to the overall tone you are creating.

What’s interesting to note is that comedy has a very clear primary objective, which is to amuse its audience. A great comedy will do more than just make people laugh, but if it doesn’t make them laugh it is seen as failing. A drama has more open potential in that its aim is to make the audience feel something, which could be anything from a variety of emotions including empathy, excitement or intrigue. This is why comedies can elicit more visceral responses of “I hated it, it wasn’t funny.” It’s rare someone will berate a drama saying “It didn’t make me feel anything.” Thus comedy drama is potentially a more complex operation, because the anticipation is that it will make the audience laugh and provide additional emotions on top. (Just to reiterate, good comedies also make us feel things, particularly caring for the characters, but it is not the principle audience expectation, which is amusement.) Therefore a comedy drama needs to figure out how to create laughter which complements and does not hinder the drama within it. The aim here isn’t to deter people from writing comedy dramas because they are tricky, but to encourage you to really think about the process, an approach which should be ideally applied to any style you write.

Defining Your Writing

It can be very tricky when starting out to know exactly what you are trying to write or how to do so. Usually we just have an idea and start writing and exploring it in the process of getting it on the page. But it can be very useful to start thinking about what your script actually is, either before you begin or once you have finished writing. This is particularly true when it comes to comedy drama because it does bring inherent expectations and the need to differentiate itself from a pure comedy or drama. It suggests a strong level of humour, but not one that is so pronounced that there is nothing but laughs.

Defining your script in a certain category assists anyone reading it in understanding your intentions, and therefore allows them to evaluate how effective the writing is in achieving these aims. So it will be worth asking yourself, is your script really a comedy drama, or would it be better described as a comedy or a drama? Equally you may believe that your desire is to create a comedy drama, but the script could be worked upon to strengthen one side if it feels somewhat imbalanced. So would it benefit from more humour or gravitas? Does a comedy drama demand more humour than you are comfortable delivering, or does it even begin to feel like an obligation rather than something you want to do?

Knowing what you want to write is part of strengthening your vision, which is a truly valuable aspect of writing. And remember that scripts can alter and evolve either as they are written or edited. You may think you are writing a drama but find yourself creating a significant amount of funny moments, or be aiming for a comedy yet wish to further explore the emotional aspects of the characters without the need for consistent humour. In those cases you can evaluate how significant those elements are, whether they redefine the piece, and if you wish to heighten them further to build a hybrid of the genres.

As ever, the most important thing is to keep writing ideas that you are passionate about and stories you wish to tell, because that is what is fulfilling in the creative process and will hopefully lead to your work being enjoyed and appreciated. Classifying your writing need not be a major concern, especially when the definitions are not rigid, but it is certainly worth considering, as it may allow you to think about your aims within a script and ensure that you are creating work which fits the mood you wish for.

A great script is a great script, and sometimes it exemplifies a genre, other times it defies it. Working within a dual genre may bring challenges, but it may also afford you greater creativity and push you to really think about how you write and why, which can only be a good thing.

Find out more about our Open Call opportunity

BBC Writersroom no longer operates a submission window for pure comedy/sitcom scripts

Visit the BBC Commissioning website to find out more about Comedy opportunities at the BBC including the

Galton & Simpson Bursary

Beep - How my Comedy pilot was made for BBC Scotland and BBC Two

2021-03-11T11:57:18+00:00

Beep written by Bryce Hart was broadcast on BBC Scotland and BBC Two as part of the BBC's Festival of Funny.

Watch Beep now on BBC iPlayer

Beep is set in Glasgow and focuses on the dynamics and secrets of a working class family as they visit their Dad Tommy, who lies helplessly in hospital, in a coma.

On the day of his wedding anniversary Tommy is visited by his wife Liz and dysfunctional family members, including his emotionally challenged son Martin, sleep deprived daughter Hannah and lonely nephew Nigel.

Boasting a cast of exciting talent, including Siobhan Redmond (The Replacement, Unforgotten), Paul Higgins (The Thick Of It), Victoria Balnaves (Shetland, Garrows Law), Grant O’Rourke (Outlander), Kevin O’Loughlin (The Ginge, The Geordie and the Geek) and BAFTA nominated Lois Chimimba (Trust Me, Doctor Who). Beep was filmed exclusively on set and location in and around Glasgow.

We caught up with Bryce to find out about the show's journey to the screen.

Beep, written by Bryce Hart. Becks (LOIS CHIMIMBA), Dr. Roy (BHAV JOSHI), Hannah (VICTORIA BALNAVES), Liz (SIOBHAN REDMOND), Martin (GRANT O'ROURKE), Nigel (KEVIN O'LOUGHLIN), Father Sydney (PAUL HIGGINS)(Image Credit: BBC / HAppy Tramp North / Robert Michael Wilson)

You have been involved with the BBC Writersroom for several years. What was your first introduction to us?

In 2016 I was working in production as a researcher and managed to convince a producer I was working with to read one of my scripts. It was a day when it was just the two of us out filming so I knew he’d probably feel he had to agree, knowing that the rest of the day would be pretty awkward if he’d said no. But thankfully he did actually read it and liked it. He took it to the BBC and it went into development for a few months but ultimately didn’t get made. The commissioner at the BBC passed it over to the BBC Writersroom who read it and invited me to interview for the Comedy Room development group and luckily I managed to get into it.

How did being part of the Comedy Room help develop your career?

The Comedy Room was an incredible slice of luck for me to get on as it gave me the one thing any writer needs, which is access to the people you need to impress. In our second meet-up we were all put in a room with what seemed like every comedy producer in London. Although I did what most people do at these things, mainly stand in the corner and drink free beer and talk about how I wish I knew how to network, over the course of the scheme I did learn how to network and to build relationships with producers. It’s really simple. Just don’t talk about your work. Talk about comedy. It’s not an official rule but it took the pressure of me – as well as whoever was listening to me.

As well as that, we were given the opportunity to submit material for a whole range of shows and I very quickly managed to get some credits under my belt, which was huge. Mainly it was for things I’d never considered doing before, like radio or children’s TV. I didn’t think I’d be right for these things but teaching yourself to write for different mediums and audiences is a really useful thing to do. Adapting your voice to fit an existing show is really handy when it comes to getting jobs in writers' rooms.

I was lucky as well that the BBC Writersroom regionalised at the same time I was on the scheme so all of a sudden there was a Scottish office. I emailed and asked if I could come in for a coffee (generally good advice – people are always keen to get away from the office – when offices were a thing) and there I met Angela Galvin and Audrey McFadden. They have played such a massive part in my career from that day on and soon got me my first script commission for BBC Three’s The Break and put me up for a writer’s residency at The Comedy Unit in Glasgow, writing on BBC Scotland’s Scot Squad.

Angela and Audrey basically became my unofficial agents until I got my actual agent, who they introduced me to. So everything really goes back to the Comedy Room and meeting them.

Scot Squad

So you are about to have your first network pilot broadcast. Can you tell us how did Beep come about?

Back in 2018 I was invited to interview for the Scottish Comedy Writer’s Programme run by BBC Writersroom Scotland. You had to submit a spec' script which was going to be read by comedy commissioners so I was determined to write something new for it. Beep was an idea I’d been playing with in my head for a while and I used the deadline for the Comedy Writers' Programme to get the first draft done.

I managed to get selected for the programme and through it I met Neil Webster at Happy Tramp North, who is the exec on Beep. Happy Tramp were the perfect home for Beep and working with Neil and the team there was a real joy. We developed the script over the next few months and quickly went to a table read which went really well, despite me spending most of it shaking in the back row. A pilot was then commissioned off the back of that.

Was working with Happy Tramp North your first experience of working with an independent production company?

No I’d worked for the best part of a year at the Comedy Unit in Glasgow as a staff writer, which was the best job in the world. To get up in the morning and not dread going to work was a new feeling, mainly because I was mostly terrible at every other job. Also their office was a five minute walk from my flat so, perfect really.

I also worked in TV for six years in production, as a runner and then as a researcher on various shows. It’s a useful path I think for people wanting to break into writing as it gives you that insight into how the industry works - and I also have a very detailed memory of how a lot of people take their tea, so when this all blows up and I have to go back to it, I’ll be able to pick up seamlessly from where I left off.

Bryce Hart (with script) at the read through for Beep with Anne Edyvean (Head of BBC Writersroom) and Angela Galvin (Development Producer for BBC Writersroom Scotland)

Was the development process for Beep plain sailing?

The development process was challenging in terms of logistics. Beep is mainly set in one hospital room but that room is essentially a family living room and the ‘world’ outside (the corridors and neighbouring rooms) had to feel like a little world of it’s own. Nothing like that existed already in Scotland so we had to have a set built, which was incredibly exciting but naturally took a bit of time.

The pilot was commissioned in May 2019 and we were finally set to film in April 2020. And then...yeah. (The pandemic happened just to be clear).

So then I just panicked for six months but we finally managed to film in November last year. Making my first pilot during COVID was a weird experience. I still couldn’t really tell you what any of the crew look like from the eyes down. But it was great to get lost in the little world we had created and get some respite from the reality outside. We had the best crew in the world basically.

But other than that it was a breeze. I was working with fantastic people at Happy Tramp. Neil was a constant source of support and encouragement throughout – and helped pick me up when the show seemed to be on constant pause during COVID. I was also really fortunate to work with two amazing producers (Ali Marlow and Jane Bell) on the show. Creatively the development couldn’t have gone any better and I’ve met people who I hope to work with for the rest of my career.

I’m also eternally grateful to the BBC for sticking by the show. Their support never wavered really and that meant a lot.

The cast of Beep (Image Credits: BBC / Happy Tramp North / Robert Michael Wilson)

So when can we watch BEEP?

Beep will be on the BBC Scotland Channel on Friday the 12th of March at 10.30pm. It will also be going out on BBC Two as part of the BBC’s Festival of Funny on Sunday the 14th of March at 9.45pm. And of course it will be on BBC iPlayer (watch Beep now on BBC iPlayer). We’d love to make more so I’m not saying watch it three times but I am also saying that.

Any tips advice for writers when you have an idea rejected?

Just keep going. It sounds glib but it’s not. Rejections hurt and it’s fine to take a few days to lick your wounds but ultimately, writers write and soon you’re back in front of the laptop. Also, if the person who is saying no is explaining why it didn’t work for them and where to improve, try to take their notes on board. Some of the best advice I ever got was during rejections. And if they’re giving you that advice, it’s because they want you to come back fighting. I have definitely had lots of moments of sitting up at 4am, writing a spec' script that no one has asked for or is paying me for, wondering if anyone will even read it and feeling so far away from where I want to be. So no one is alone in feeling that. Keep going.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently a writer and associate producer on the UK remake of the French Netflix show Call My Agent! and have a few other projects in development. And hopefully there’s more Beep to come!

Beep was produced in partnership with Screen Scotland, find out more on their website

Find out more about Bryce Hart

The Latest from the Comedy Room in Lockdown

2021-01-18T17:35:25+00:00

Chris Anastasi reports back about taking part in this year's Comedy Room writer development group, which has shaped up to be a rather different experience than he had expected...

In this post lockdown, current lockdown, tiers 1 to 85, world, where the new going out is online and the new staying in is just bed - I was lucky enough to be selected for this year’s BBC Writersroom Comedy Room development group. An opportunity that comes up once in a blue moon (if I knew what blue moons were and if what they were is something that comes once a year, roughly around spring).

Thanks to the chaotic nature of the universe, this year’s Comedy Room has been held entirely over everyone’s new favourite friend, Zoom. While this may sound like a diminished version of the usual Comedy Room, where the comedy writers of the future roll up to the Big British Castle in their best tweed, it’s actually been extremely engaging. Thanks to the hard work of Amanda and Simon who run the Comedy Room and now parts of our scheduled lives, none of us feel like we’re missing anything other than the chance to brush shoulders with Fiona Bruce or lick the coffee stain Graham Chapman once left on an old office chair.

Look at those happy smiling faces! The Comedy Room development group embrace the virtual way of working.

Each of our course’s guest teachers/speakers (not sure what to call them… speechers?) has embraced the new way of working and allowed us into their living rooms, bedrooms and sometimes linen closets, to deliver incredible insight and education in the ancient art of writing comedy. But it’s not all just fun and jokes with a group of young and other up-and-comers chomping at the bit to deliver the next Fleabag (even though it kinda is), no, there is also an incredible amount of insight into the aspects of writing comedy that aren’t just coming up with keen observations on the sheer amount of avocados we buy. From the writing process to the structure of film and television, we are being given the tools to become professionals, so we no longer have to bore friends with our latest TV show concepts in between pints of Liebfraumilch.

One example is our full day session with legend of the business, John Yorke, whose list of credentials is as long as that mole hair on the back of my arm that I forgot to pluck. You may know him from his work on the screen or from his bestselling book on screenwriting ‘Into the Woods’ (I highly recommend it). He was incredibly warm and welcoming before taking us by the digital hand, onto a guided tour through story structure on the backlot of showbiz.

Watch an interview with John Yorke

Even though I have read his book, which covers the same points, I still had a lot of questions and there was nothing like a first hand deep dive from the author… Into the Woods. As well as listening and learning, we were set tasks throughout the day, putting it all into practice, unlike my belief that I’ll get fit just by watching YouTube videos of someone doing squat thrusts while pushing spoonfuls of butter into my face.

So far, it’s been brilliant. Truly it has, no joke… well, lots of jokes but only the kind that you can get paid for. Which is the point! Right? Other than this random collection of consonants and vowels, I cannot express enough how invaluable this opportunity has been so far. Coming from a background in writing for film and dreaming of a future in TV, I know this has been a huge step toward that goal.

Chris Anastasi (photo credit: Joe Magowan)

Sadly this is the last in a long line of BBC Writersroom Comedy Rooms and I feel honoured to be closing the proverbial curtain on that stage. However, the show ain’t over and the headliner’s about to hit the stage as the BBC launches the brand new BBC Comedy Association, which will be dedicated to creating even more opportunities across the rich landscape of funny people throughout Britain. So sharpen your joke pencils, lacquer your one-liners and get ready to join us in the home of comedy.

Find out more about the BBC Writersroom's Comedy Room

The BBC Comedy Association - More details on the BBC Commissioning website

See John Yorke's 10 Questions that every writer should ask of their story

InterConnected - Watch all Eight Lockdown Stories

2020-07-28T11:12:59+00:00

At the end of March 2020 life for everyone in the UK and in many other parts of the world, changed drastically. Confronted with a crisis unlike anything experienced before, we at BBC Writersroom thought the only thing we could do was turn to the writers - to make sense of these strange and isolating times, to bring hope, entertainment and escapism back into our lives.

And so InterConnected was born. An initiative open to everyone, from established writers to those who’d never before put pen to paper. The challenge was to create short form dramas between 5-10 minutes in length, about characters in isolation connecting via video conferencing software, so that we could actually make them via video software whilst in isolation ourselves.

The response was remarkable. We received just under 7000 scripts. An unprecedented amount for us, and in such unprecedented times.

Over the last 10 weeks we’ve been furiously reading, sifting, deliberating, script editing, casting, recording and editing all from our own homes. We’re delighted with all 8 films and their breadth of tone, themes and story. The acting talent they’ve attracted is attributable to the strength of the writing.

We hope this series will act as a creative marker, chronicling these strange times we’ve all been living through. But we also hope that they’re just bloody good pieces of drama by brilliant new writers that will make you smile as you watch them - and maybe feel less alone.

Watch them all below and read introductions from their writers:

Watch Party written by Alegría Adedeji and Jeremy Ojo

Party by Alegría Adedeji and Jeremy Ojo

This "slice of life" piece was a chance to highlight how the quotidien could be enlightening and funny, especially when shared from perspectives you don't often recognise. With lockdown and a pandemic added to the mix, this was an exciting opportunity to play to the strengths of everything suddenly not making much sense and how what would have been regular activities, like going out to see a girl, suddenly become jaw-droppingly exciting. Party came as a result of uncertain times: as the two writers, we'd never formally met despite creating a close bond over the period of writing together. But regardless (or because of!) the restraints of lockdown, our first contact was through Twitter and from there, Party, was born.

The big key word for us was authenticity; we wanted our characters to feel as genuine and realistic as possible as though the audience were listening to a real friendship group, something that seemed to have translated well. The process was incredibly enriching and very funny as we worked on Zoom, sharing the screen and firing jokes at one another. The title, Party, comes from the Party chat used by friends as they talk to one another during a video game; it’s a strangely comforting and comfortable space for men to share their experiences and talk openly about day to day stuff without feeling any pressure hence why our characters speak so freely whereas in other formats they may not have been able to.

Watch Solitaire written by Will Sebastian Clempner

Solitaire by Will Sebastian Clempner

Everything is a commodity these days, including people’s loneliness. Lockdown has increased long-standing societal divisions and allowed some to capitalise on the intrinsic value of human connection. Solitaire was written as a study of the morally corrupt versus the morally conscious and, most importantly, a study of how easily the line between the two can be blurred.

Watch Fred Gets Feedback written by Jill Worsley

Fred Gets Feedback by Jill Worsley

*Winner of the Rose d'Or Award for Multiplatform Series 2021*

Fred Gets Feedback was inspired by a headline about people reconnecting with their exes during lockdown. After I’d clicked on that, Facebook conveniently (creepily) suggested I check out a thread about the most ridiculous reasons for breaking up with someone, and that influenced Act One of the story.

And then somewhere along the way it turned into a rom-com, which is interesting because despite being described as a cynic by most of my friends, it turns out I have a romantic streak. That, or I was feeling the need for hope in a very bleak time.

I think there are a lot of Freds - both male and female - who spend time questioning why they’re single, and assuming there must be something wrong with them. I imagined lockdown would be a time where those thoughts could become overwhelming, and I hope this story will offer a new perspective on that intrusive inner monologue.

Watch A Month of Sundays written by Anna Mawn

A Month of Sundays by Anna Mawn

My Nan always says "that'll never happen in a month of Sundays", and I always thought that sounded so great - chilling at home every day, always having Yorkshire puddings for lunch, no Monday morning to get up for... Then the unimaginable did happen and I was faced with something that looked a bit like a month of Sundays but without the Yorkshire puddings. Wanting to stay creative, and with my final year at drama school on hold, I started to write. The idea for this character-led comedy came to me after trying to hold a weekly online book club that never seemed to go to plan.

Watch Another World written by Lizzie Nunnery

Another World by Lizzie Nunnery

Another World is one of those ideas that's lurked half-formed in the back of my mind for years. For ages, I've toyed with writing a play set in two parallel universes - a naturalistic love story across time and space. And then in the early days of the lockdown, I kept getting stuck on an impossible question: 'Why this? Of all the versions of our world we might have lived in, how did we get here?' So, I started typing and this script came out at speed. The conference call set-up provided a really useful dramatic question: if the call is a room with an open door to any location in the world... who might walk in? What if the life that got away comes staring you in the face?

Watch Commuter Experience written by Munro Gascoigne

Commuter Experience by Munro Gascoigne

Commuter Experience follows a man missing his pre-lockdown life - stress and all. So he employs an online service that allows him to recreate the discomfort of his daily commute, right from the comfort of his own home.

The idea for the film came from me really starting to miss our everyday rituals - the good and the bad. Trapped in your flat all the time, suddenly your nightmare commute can begin to feel like a fond memory. I thought being able to act out those absent rituals could prove to be quite therapeutic, or at very least - funny to witness.

Watch Psychic Overload written by Amna Saleem

Psychic Overload by Amna Saleem

*Nominated for Best Short Form at the RTS Scotland Awards 2021*

This short was inspired by a very brief conversation I had with my ma, when she was stranded abroad at the beginning of lockdown, where she decided to pass her time asking psychics about my love life.

The brief had very specific requirements so I decided to keep my concept simple yet (hopefully) entertaining. I figured that since this short was being made on video-messaging, it would naturally have certain limitations, so it was my responsibly as a writer to work around those.

I wanted to write something that captured the essence of a family who might be separated but are still very much together no matter the distance between them. A few thousand miles isn’t enough to squash that inner child which returns every time your siblings and parents annoy you. No one knows how to push your buttons like your family.

Watch Salvation Calling written by Sinéad Collopy

Salvation Calling by Sinéad Collopy

*Nominated for Best Lockdown Programme – Comedy, Entertainment & Scripted in the Broadcast Digital Awards 2021*

When I first read the spec' for the BBC Writersroom Interconnected submission I started by simply writing down random words and phrases. I had a page filled with words such as emotional impact, humanity, closeness, connect, human touch, silence. I took each of these words and tried to delve deeper into what happens to the human psyche when we are asked to do something that goes against, what we as a species, are essentially designed to do to ensure our survival. When do we need closeness, connection, human touch most in our lives? The answer came instantly to me.

When the person we love most in the world dies. We turn to our families and communities to wrap their arms around us and help us grieve this monumental loss. This vital part of the grieving process has been denied to families across the world as a result of Covid-19 restrictions and self-isolation. Seamus is a reflection of the thousands of people who are mourning alone.

Whilst Seamus is grieving the physical loss of his wife, the character Elizabeth is grieving her separation from her parents who are on the front line. Both totally alone with no one to talk to, Elizabeth has sought solace in her religion and Seamus has sought solace in trying to keep his wife's memory alive.

Whilst we have been asked to physically stay apart, in reality, more and more of us have been reaching out and coming together via volunteering and the internet. The urge to connect as humans has not gone away, it has simply gone online. Pre-Covid-19, Seamus and Elizabeth would have lived in entirely different social circles given their ages and the communities they come from. Having spent many years travelling to Northern Ireland, the history of Belfast as a divided City along these community lines is one that has always fascinated me.

I wanted to write a story that brought two strangers from these divided communities together where the need for human connection outweighed their differences. They laugh together, cry together, heal together, proving that at the end of the day, through wars and pandemics, our humanity will always be our salvation.

Find out more about all the shortlisted writers and watch their video introduction

InterConnected - get Feedback and Advice on this blog post

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Four practical tips to help your script reach its full potential

2020-07-20T13:14:22+00:00

As our readers reach the end of the scripts sent into our latest Comedy Room window we asked a member of the team to share some top tips and advice. We will be sending out emails very soon, so keep an eye on your inbox.

I recently joined the BBC Writersroom reading team, and it has been such a pleasure and a privilege to read the scripts that you wonderful writers send in for Drama Script Room and Comedy Script Room. We get some absolutely brilliant submissions, and I’m so impressed with the imagination, inventiveness, and diversity of the writing. Reading work by developing writers is always so exciting and rewarding.

There are some common challenges that we encounter in scripts of both genres, and in comedy dramas too – we’re seeing more and more cross-genre pieces. Here are some suggestions for how to tackle some of these challenges, and show off your very best work, whether you’re writing a drama, a comedy, or a hybrid of the two.

Back to Life starring Daisy Haggard as Miri Matteson and written by Daisy Haggard and Laura Solon

1) POWER UP YOUR STORY BY CREATING A ROBUST PREMISE:

When dreaming up your premise, make sure it will give you enough story.

Your fundamental concept is your roadmap. It is your core story idea, which generates and shapes the narrative action in your script, and defines your characters’ journeys. It’s absolutely crucial that this idea is sturdy, intriguing, and dramatic, and that you can see how you might begin to transform it into words on the page. If you’re struggling to write scenes, your premise could be underbaked.

Very often, an initial premise is halfway there, in that it describes part of a story. A really good example is this kind of set up: circumstances force our protagonist to return to their home town. That’s promising, but you’ll need more, or risk running out of steam too quickly. Consider where you want to take your character. What happens next, to stoke the conflict, suspense, and tension that you will need to sustain the rest of your story? Now they’ve returned home, what must your protagonist do, and how will they change? What sort of obstacles and complications will they confront? The BBC’s Back to Life (watch now on BBC iPlayer) is one great example of a returning-home story with dramatic and comedic legs.

Sorting out your premise is just as important for comedy as it is for drama. So much of comedy hinges on the tension between who a character is, and what they are forced to do. You’ll need a strong story spine to dramatise this tension and carry the humour; it will help you to deliver those hilarious situations, predicaments and character turns.

Giri/Haji written by Joe Barton

2) GIVE YOUR CHARACTER A SPECIFIC, CONCRETE TASK – ACTION IS CHARACTER:

Once you’ve cooked up a fantastic premise, you then need to execute it practically, in your script. It’s crucial to decide what your protagonist wants, and how they are going to accomplish their goal.

To jumpstart your story, and give it drive and purpose, your protagonist needs a task. Pursuing this task will give them agency in the story, and a strong, clear narrative arc.

In this context, a task isn’t something abstract or internal, such as the desire for respect. It should be crisp, concrete, and evident to the audience. So for instance, it’s Indiana Jones resolving he must find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis get to it. A task focuses the action and gives your protagonist purposeful scenes, with things to do. This empowers you to explore character to your heart’s content, by putting your characters and their relationships through their dramatic and comedic paces. For the audience, it gives us something clear and unambiguous to root for.

Some fantastic examples of shows where there’s a clear task: the BBC’s Giri/Haji (read the scripts by Joe Barton in our library), The Last Kingdom for BBC/Netflix, and Save Me on Sky Atlantic.

Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred in The Last Kingdom (adapted by Stephen Butchard from the novels by Bernard Cornwell)

3) CONSIDER COMING INTO THE STORY EARLIER:

The standard screenwriting advice is to come into your story and scenes as late as possible. But I often find that developing writers come in too late, meaning that vital scenes and story beats have already happened, off the page.

To tell the most exciting story available to you, make sure that your most thrilling scenes are happening on screen, that you haven’t missed out your inciting incident, and that you’ve set up your protagonist or protagonists. HBO's Succession does this brilliantly, economically establishing its lead characters, before throwing a big (story) grenade into their lives.

If you have an amazing backstory, think about how you can tell it as front-foot story, that unfolds in the timeline of your episode.

4) POV IS YOUR SECRET WEAPON:

Giving a character a point-of-view invites empathy for that character, and it enables you to control how we feel about the people in your script. It tells us which characters we’re supposed to care about, and whose story this is. We’re much more likely to root for someone when we experience events as they do, and when we know what they know.

So don’t give a POV to all your characters. Scripts will often try to introduce multiple characters with multiple POVs very quickly. This tends to fragment the narrative, and makes it hard to invest in a story emotionally.

Fleabag written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge

It’s usually wise to restrict yourself to a few significant POVs at the beginning. That way, we have someone to hold onto emotionally, as we explore the world of your story, and can access it in a way that feels enticing and engaging. I love the way that the BBC’s REV does this; at the beginning, we meet all its weird and wonderful characters through Adam the vicar, its protagonist. Some other shows which use POV masterfully are the BBC’s Fleabag (watch now on BBC iPlayer) and Keeping Faith (read the scripts by Matthew Hall in our library), and The Good Wife for CBS.

Good luck, and happy writing! We can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Download and read scripts from our Script Library

More great resources to support your writing including interviews and our podcast

Watch a series of eight short animations on the Essentials of Scriptwriting

Lockdown Learnings from two of our Northern Voices writers

2020-05-11T14:16:41+00:00

BBC Writersroom is as busy as ever during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked two of our Northern Voices writers (Sara Cocker and Léonie Higgins, two-thirds of Manchester's Eggs Collective) to describe how their recent day devoted to Comedy writing played out in a socially-distanced world.

Léonie Higgins and Sara Cocker

Hi, we’re Sara and Léonie, a pair of writer-performers based in Manchester. We’re part of the BBC Writersroom Northern Voices group for 2020, which means we get access to monthly sessions led by industry professionals from across the broadcast landscape. There are 18 of us, and although we’ve only all met in the flesh twice, we’re using the time in lockdown to replicate the experience we should have had, trying just as hard as everyone else in the world to maintain breezy social bonds with only fibre-optic broadband and a couple of in-jokes.

This month’s session was about comedy writing. It all happened on Zoom (where else?), but we tried to make it feel less remote by firing up the group chat. We tried our best at doing some banter on WhatsApp, and played a drinking game where you have a sip of tea whenever the cornerstones of great writing are mentioned (amongst them, ‘voice’, ‘authenticity’ and, for the instant jackpot, ‘Fleabag’). To replicate our whole experience, we’ve put some dispatches from the WhatsApp frontline below (in italics) and you can play along with the drinking game, using whatever beverages are left in the Co-op.

For the session, we collectively overdressed. People were wearing make-up and bras only to realise that this was actually a cameras-off situation. There’s something v depressing about seeing your own face, fully made-up, reflected in your blank computer screen. But we made the best of it. Leanna and Houmi put their BBC lanyards on, and the rest of us pretended we were at Media City by imagining our bedrooms filled with lifesize cardboard cutouts of BBC Sport presenters.

SESSION ONE

Our first session was beamed live from the WFH desk of BBC Writersroom Development Executive, Simon Nelson. Simon talked to us about what makes a script stand-out from the reading pile: original, authentic voice (DRINK!); brilliant, robust, three-dimensional characters with a comic flaw that drives the story; a plot that hits the ground running. A page one that makes you want to turn to page two.

We watched an episode of Derry Girls together (the one with the dead dog that’s not dead), as Simon talked us through the mechanics of structure and character: notice how each character pushes the story forward by acting from their flaw. Erin lives like she’s in a movie about herself, everything she does comes entirely from that. She could stop the story by clearing up all the confusion, but her comic flaw doesn’t allow her to, so we are driven onwards and the crisis escalates. The truth, of course, outs and by the end of the episode there’s the traditional sitcom reset: no-one has learnt anything, no-one has changed. So we can all be back on the settee, same time next week, for more misadventures with the characters we love.

In the break, Ellie had some ginger nuts in Hull. Taiba helped herself to a jam slice in Halifax. Over in Leeds, Samran had his breakfast.

SESSION TWO

Session Two was with comedy writer and story producer, Sarah Morgan, who kicked off by explaining the ‘The Sitcom Family’. This is the theory that, in most hit sitcoms, the four central characters fall into the roles of Patriarch, Matriarch, Craftsman and Clown.

It all sounds very gendered, but it’s not, which Sarah demonstrated by using the example of The Beatles. John’s the patriarch: the driver, the decision maker. Paul’s the matriarch: the voice of reason, the soft place for the others to land. Ringo’s the clown - very much the Bart Simpson of the most influential rock band of all time - and George is the craftsman.

Sitcoms are all about the characters, she said. In fact, often the ‘sit’ is the least important part. But they need to be trapped together in some way: there has to be a fundamental need for them to keep interacting, which could be financial, sexual, or just a fear of what would happen if they left.

The first line for each character should be a joke that tells you who they are. The first episode of Friends is a masterclass in that. For example, everything Joey says tells us very clearly, “Hey, I’m a sex guy who likes sandwiches”. And remember that every character thinks they’re the star of the show. The E character doesn’t know they’re not the A character, so they need as much detail as the lead. Gunther has dreams too.

In comedy the stakes don’t have to be objectively high, but they’ve got to feel sky high for your character. If the character cares, and we care about the character, then we’ll care about those stakes too.

The BBC Writersroom Northern Voices writers 2020

SESSION THREE

The third session was from BBC Comedy Commissioning Editor, Gregor Sharp, who talked to us about what audiences expect from comedy nowadays. There’s been a gradual sophistication of comedy as a genre: comedy shows now have characters with real psychological depth. There’s been an evolution in how we consume stories, a shift in viewing appetite, so we’re less used to watching shows where the characters are just vessels for jokes.

There are always landmark moments that bend what’s possible in the format, shows like Outnumbered, The Royle Family, Fleabag. (DRINK!)

Someone asked Gregor what they’re not looking for at the moment, and the main headlines were: give Zoom-based lockdown pitches a swerve. Unless it’s genre-bendingly brilliant. Nor are they looking for confessional, self-discovery shows at the moment. Unless they’re genre-bendingly brilliant. Basically, that seems to be the caveat to any piece of advice. If it’s genre-bendingly brilliant you can write what you want.

Similarly, if you’re worried you’ve not got enough experience? Well, if you’re funny enough, you’re experienced enough.

Look, he said, treatments are always hard to write, scripts are in the doing, and if you’re creating something for a mass medium you’ve succeeded when it reaches a mass number of people.

They’re looking for scripts full of compelling characters, that are unexpectedly funny and somehow hit the zeitgeist before anyone else knows what the zeitgeist is.

SESSION FOUR

Our fourth session was with comedy producers Jim Poyser and Rebecca Papworth. Jim and Rebecca don’t work together, but they had a lot of similar advice to share. When you come in for a first meeting with either Jim or Rebecca, they’ll want to have a good chat about your idea, but also get a sense from you that you’ll be prepared to work hard and take getting notes well. They’re looking for that idea that stands out from the crowd, and they both love a grafter.

Their advice was to read scripts of successful shows to see how economical they are, how tight the technique. Your characters should have soul, and an authentic point of view. (DRINK!)

If you’ve got an agent, your script is much more likely to be read by a producer. The relationship between writer and producer is so key, you'll be working closely together on a shared vision, so make sure that the relationship works for both of you. It’s helpful, if you do get a meeting, to have a few ideas up your sleeve.

So, take notes well, be flexible with your work, be prepared to graft. Oh, and have a fabulous voice (DRINK!) with an original concept. And if it’s a comedy: be funny.

Following some frankly terrifying advice about how it’s a good idea to be funny on social media, Jacob sent this meme, direct from the the Silicon Valley of the north (Sheffield), in 5 seconds flat:

SESSION FIVE

Our final session was with This Country writer and performer - actual Kurtan - Charlie Cooper, and the series director, Tom George. This was such an inspiring session, but maybe surprisingly, it was really reassuring (not intimidating, which it easily could have been from two lads who are partly responsible for one of the most beloved and lauded shows of recent years).

Charlie told us that when he and (co-creator of This Country) Daisy May Cooper write together, they do it in short bursts. Daisy lies on a bed, they improvise a bit as they write and when they run out of steam, they knock it on the head for the day. Both Tom and Charlie talked about the importance of finding the working practice that’s best for you. Do whatever works, whenever you’re most creative, and don’t feel guilty about what shape that takes. All the work you do is valuable, bad ideas can lead to good ideas. It’s not about how many pages you do each day or your self-imposed deadlines. Know when to call it a day when you hit a wall.

Charlie Cooper sharing advice during the Northern Voices session

They talked about a book called ‘Daily Rituals’ (currently priced at £89 from one online retailer, or £5.99 for the e-reader version, so take your pick starving artists), which goes through the massively varied daily routines of history’s most creative geniuses. We’ve not read any so far that involved sitting in elasticated waistbands chaining grab bags of Doritos in the midst of a global pandemic, but we’re only about 10 pages in. Apparently Beethoven counted out sixty coffee beans per cup, which does sound like the sort of thing that starts to really matter seven weeks into lockdown, so we’re gonna stick with it.

This session was like extra gold dust for us, because we’re a pair of writer-performers. Director Tom is also a part of the writing and storylining process on This Country, and they talked to us about how writing in a pair or a team means that you’ve got to try and take the ego out of it. Don’t censor anything, share your ideas even if they’re appalling. You have to have trust in each other.

A nice practical tip, was to share scripts with people you share a sense of humour with, they don’t have to be in the industry. For Daisy and Charlie, this person is their mum. If she laughs at something, they know it works. Thank the vicar for Mother Cooper then, eh?

Here we are in happier times, swinging by the cardboard cutout of CBeebies The Furchester Hotel (Media City branch).

Meet the Northern Voices 2020 writers

Follow @saracocker and @leoniekate on Twitter

My Left Nut

2020-02-27T11:18:00+00:00

Michael Patrick and Oisín Kearney are the writers of BBC Three's My Left Nut, their first project for the BBC, which was adapted from their award-winning stage play about friendship, family, grief and ... testicles. They were also part of our Belfast Voices writer development group. Michael and Oisín spoke to us to explain how My Left Nut was brought to the screen through an opportunity with Kay Mellor's Rollem Productions. BBC Three’s My Left Nut is available on BBC iPlayer from Sunday 1 March at 6am.

Conor (LEVI O'SULLIVAN), Tommy (OLIVER ANTHONY), Mick (NATHAN QUINN-O'RAWE), Patricia (SINEAD KEENAN) (Image Credit: BBC/Rollem Productions, Photographer: Christopher Barr)

You’re a writing partnership - have you always written together, how did that come about?

We originally met at university. Being Irish lads in an English University, you kind of gravitate towards each other. We actually ran the University Ireland Society together, which was great fun. We made some student theatre together - Michael acting and Oisín directing. Then when we graduated, we formed Pan Narrans Theatre back in Belfast and Oisín directed Mick in a number of plays. We didn’t start writing together until we wrote the initial stage play for My Left Nut, and we’ve continued writing ever since.

And how did you decide to write the My Left Nut stage play?

It came about through a programme called Show in a Bag, run by The Irish Theatre Institute, The Dublin Fringe Festival and Fishamble: The New Play Company. The idea is to take actors who have never written anything before through the process of writing their own one-person show. The deadline for applying was coming up and we met up in a pub to talk about ideas. Michael had a big list - alien abductions, the cultural history of the sandwich - but Oisín told him they were all terrible. Michael then began to reminisce about the time he had a giant testicle, and Oisín turned to him and said “write that play”. Michael had always wanted to write something about his father’s death as well - so combining the two seemed like a good way of exploring masculinity. We were accepted onto the programme and wrote the play together, Michael acting and Oisín directing.

How did you find that process? Writing that together?

It worked well! It wasn’t without its difficulties, but it felt like a nice extension of our previous working relationship. As we knew Michael would be performing it and Oisín directing, Michael would get up and perform and try things out as we were writing the script, while Oisín would make suggestions as we went along. It was all quite organic.

Conor (LEVI O'SULLIVAN), Tommy (OLIVER ANTHONY), Mick (NATHAN QUINN-O'RAWE) (Image Credit: BBC/Rollem Productions, Photographer: Steffan Hill)

So the play toured Ireland and went to Edinburgh - how did you come to develop it for television?

As part of the BBC Writersroom Belfast Voices development group, we were invited to attend workshops and found out about a number of opportunities, including an initiative with Rollem Productions, run by Kay Mellor OBE (Band of Gold, Playing the Field, Fat Friends, The Syndicate, In the Club). Following the success of Overshadowed by Eva O’Connor and Hildegard Ryan, they were looking for stories that would really resonate with young people. At this stage we had already premiered My Left Nut at the Dublin Fringe and begun our Irish tour, so we applied to the programme with an idea of adapting the play. We got through the first round, and Michael actually ended up doing a skype interview from the dressing room of the Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire an hour before he had to go onstage and perform the play! The interview seemed to go well, but I remember Rollem asked for more examples of our writing… and I don’t think we really had anything other than My Left Nut. So we cobbled together a few various bits and pieces - scenes from half-written plays and short films - and thankfully Rollem still trusted us, or trusted the story, and agreed to work with us. This meant a 6 month development programme working under the mentorship of Kay Mellor as we developed our scripts and put together pitch documents.

And how did you find that?

It was a bit of an eye opener! We didn’t even own any paid-for script writing software at the time. A lot of our first drafts barely had any stage directions in them at all - so there were a lot of practical things like that which we learnt. The biggest learning curve was the episodic nature of the whole thing. With a stage play you have a fully captive audience - they can’t leave half way through (well… they can, but you’d like to hope they won’t). The biggest thing we struggled with was structuring it in such a way that people would finish one episode and immediately want to watch the next one. So we did have to rework the story a bit to get in those ‘hooks’ and ‘cliffhangers’.

How about dealing with script notes?

Script notes are part of the writing process. You have to remember that producers and commissioners will have a different perspective and are seeking content that is representative, and that they want to put their own stamp on. Taking notes is difficult, but we viewed it as someone experienced having a question or a concern. We would leave it 24 hours before tackling them, and tried to find a solution to any concerns. We received reams of notes and completed countless drafts, sometimes coming back to things we had in our very first draft. It was about trial and error, to create the right tone and style for BBC Three.

Are there many other differences from the play?

We’ve updated it to bring it into the modern day - the play is set when Mick was a teenager (early 2000s). The only thing we’ve really lost are some silly jokes about Bebo and MSN messenger - but we gain a lot more and it certainly feels more relevant. The big thing we added was an extra storyline of Mick’s girlfriend, Rachael. This was in an early draft of the play, but had to be cut for time reasons - so it was really nice to be able to thread that back in, when we had the ability to extend and develop the story. It’s also different in that the play is Michael performing his own story - so it’s very personal. Now that we had a young actor playing Mick, and other actors being cast as his family and friends, we had to step back from the real life story and understand that the TV show was different - it was ‘based on a true story’. It’s not quite as true to life as the play was, as we had to think about what was best for the story in TV format. But the heart and the message of the story is still absolutely true - which is what was important.

Rachael (JESSICA REYNOLDS), Mick (NATHAN QUINN-O'RAWE) (Image Credit: BBC/Rollem Productions, Photographer: Steffan Hill)

And what is the heart of the story?

It’s about negotiating life years after the death of a parent. It’s not about the immediate grief on their death, but what happens years later. The main relationship is a mother and son trying to deal with the difficulties of a young man growing up without a father to help. It also looks at male teenage friendships and how, under all the bravado, there can be a real tenderness and care. It’s also about balls.

And then it was commissioned - how was that process?

Exhilarating. Lots of meetings and possibilities and conversations - which was all great - but you’re always still thinking “this is probably not going to happen”. Then, suddenly, it does happen and everything moves so quickly. We still can’t believe it’s happening, and probably won’t really feel like it’s happened until we can actually see it on BBC iPlayer.

Were you involved in casting at all?

We weren’t, no. It was cast predominantly by Carla Stronge who is just amazing, and we knew she’d find brilliant people. What was lovely is that Michael got the chance to meet with Nathan Quinn O’Rawe (who plays him) and Sinead Keenan (playing his mother) to talk them through what actually happened in real life - but also telling them to bring their own spin to it. It’s not a documentary at the end of the day. Sinead also met with Michael’s mother and they had a good long chat about everything.

Patricia (SINEAD KEENAN), Mick (NATHAN QUINN-O'RAWE) (Image Credit: BBC/Rollem Productions, Photographer: Steffan Hill)

How was it writing about your friend’s experience, Oisín?

It was daunting. I understood that the basis of My Left Nut is some very personal and sad things that happened to Michael’s family - the passing of his father and his mother’s husband, and then the strain of dealing with a medical issue. I was humbled that Michael trusted me to co-write the play. I tried my best to be respectful of the subject matter, but also to bring some distance to the writing process - something I had done frequently in working as a documentary director. When it came to the TV series, we both understood we were creating something new, based on real experience but to be developed to create more drama. We knew we would be working with a bigger team, and would thus have less control, so we endeavoured to create the tightest scripts we could. We were delighted when we heard that Paul Gay (Vera, Skins, Desperate Romantics) would be directing.

And how does your mother feel about it all, Michael?

It took her a while to come round to it all. When I first read her the play she didn’t speak to me for a week. Mainly because the play had the stage direction “Mick masturbates” and she was absolutely mortified. But she eventually came round when she read it again a few times. In a way the piece is a thank you to her for always being there for me. But she’s very pleased with it all now, and how the play was received, and she absolutely loves Sinead - which is great.

Patricia (SINEAD KEENAN), Finn (ODHRAN CARLIN), Mick (NATHAN QUINN-O'RAWE) (Image Credit: BBC/Rollem Productions, Photographer: Steffan Hill)

What do you hope people take away from the piece?

If there’s any young lads watching - check your balls! Don’t be afraid to talk about it to friends or family. It might seem embarrassing, but it takes strength to talk about your issues. We hope people have a good laugh at it and find the drama compelling. We shot it all in Belfast with a local crew which was great for us as well. We hope people enjoy seeing Belfast on screen in a unique way.

BBC Three’s My Left Nut is available on BBC iPlayer from Sunday 1 March at 6am

Meet the Cast and Characters

The Comedy Room Writers

2020-02-12T14:32:24+00:00

The Comedy Room writers at BAFTA (Photo credit: Kwame Lestrade)

Find out more about the writers who have been part of our most recent Comedy Room development group, beginning in autumn 2019. They've been attending monthly workshops, having introductions to different scripted content areas across the BBC and have each been developing an original spec' script. Last night they were introduced to BBC commissioners and independent producers at a special event at BAFTA.

The group were selected following our unsolicited Script Room window for Comedy scripts which closed back in April 2019. In that window we received 2728 scripts.

The next window for submitting Comedy scripts opens on 23rd March and closes on 20th April 2020

Read a blog post by John Hickman and Stephen Robertson about their first Comedy Room session

Read a blog post by Amy Xander about Day Two of the Comedy Room - Generating Ideas, Writing to a Brief and Pitching

Read a blog post by Helen Parkinson about Children's Day and an opportunity to pitch to Radio Drama North

Radhika Sanghani

Radhika Sanghani

Radhika Sanghani is an award-winning freelance features journalist who writes regularly on women’s issues and social affairs for The Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Guardian, Grazia, Glamour, BBC Three and Cosmopolitan. She is the author of two coming-of-age novels, Virgin and Not That Easy, which tell the comic story of a young woman's sexual exploration. The novels have been published in 13 countries and turned into an online TV series, for which Radhika was a consultant. She is currently working on her third book.

Radhika is also a regular guest on TV and radio shows, from Good Morning Britain to Sky News, and a TedX speaker. She is a body positive campaigner who launched the viral #sideprofileselfie movement to celebrate big noses, and a part-time yoga teacher. Radhika is also the founder of a Nail Bar pop-up scheme where volunteers give manicures to elderly women struggling with loneliness.

Ravi Chand

Ravi Chand

Ravi Chand studied media, design and communications at Richmond upon Thames College, specialising in video production, journalism and media theory.

After college, Ravi entered the television industry as a production assistant, working across various genres, including the David Dimbleby’s India documentary, light entertainment show Robot Wars and television commercials for Chinese and other Asian broadcasters.

Ravi left the television industry four years later, seeking different life experiences outside media, and was initially employed as an administrator for Asylum Immigration and Social Services.

After that, Ravi created experimental short films in his spare time, while concurrently running his own videography business for special events, serving as producer, director, editor and cameraman.

Ravi then moved into a sales environment, working for Neil Stewart Associates, promoting their central government conferences for premiers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. After this, Ravi decided to travel around the globe for a few years as a teacher in a range of countries, from Ukraine to India, before returning to the UK to work in the not-for-profit sector as a Data Officer.

Katie Bonna

Katie Bonna

Katie Bonna is a writer and performer. Her one-woman show All The Things I Lied About won the 2018 Off West End Award for Most Promising New Playwright following runs at the Paines Plough Roundabout (Summer Hall, Edinburgh 2016), Soho Theatre and a UK tour in 2017. Dirty Great Love Story (co-written with Richard Marsh) won a Fringe First Award in 2012 following a sell-out run in the Pleasance Dome. The show transferred to Soho Theatre, 59E59 Theaters in New York and most recently to The Arts Theatre in London’s West End in January 2017.

Paper. Scissors. Stone. won a Live Lab Bursary from Live Theatre Newcastle in 2017 and a Highly Commended award at VAULT Festival 2018. Recent credits include The Rules (a Long Project commission for LAMDA drama school) and The Try Hards (a devised show for the University Of Worcester Touring Theatre course). Katie is currently developing a new one woman comedy The Real Deal. Her plays are published by Methuen and Oberon.

Chris Cockerham

Chris Cockerham

Chris Cockerham is a North of England based writer and is at best the fourth funniest person he knows.
After years of writing in his free time, having written a number of novels and screenplays, he has recently decided to pursue this passion more seriously.

He is proud of being northern, and would love to be a part of creating a greater presence of television based in the region, which he feels has been quite underrepresented in recent times. He is looking forward to being a part of such an exciting opportunity and developing his writing.

Chris is something of a TV veteran, having appeared as a non-speaking extra on A Touch of Frost, for a total of around three seconds, when he was fourteen. He has a black belt in Judo, and an interest in board games, which he also enjoys designing.

Amy Xander

Amy Xander

Amy Xander is originally from Dorset but has lived in London for the last ten years. She had always wanted to try stand-up comedy, but ignored this ambition by attempting to write a novel for several years, until finally taking the plunge and telling her first joke on stage at the end of 2017. It didn’t go as badly as she thought it would, and in 2018 she was a semi-finalist in the So You Think You’re Funny new act competition.

This year she took her first stand-up show to the Brighton and Edinburgh Fringe festivals. She’s written jokes and sketches for Newsjack, Newsjack Unplugged and The Now Show on Radio 4, and her sitcom pilot was recently awarded the runner-up prize in the David Nobbs Memorial Trust competition. She is equally surprised and ecstatic to have joined Comedy Room!

Helen Parkinson

Helen Parkinson

Helen Parkinson trained at the Drama Centre, before workingas an actress, voice over, director and producer in theatre for many years. She also devised and adapted new material, notably The Sensualist which transferred for a short run in the West End and, more notably, made a profit. After a small hiatus (two children), she obtained a Master’s in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media with two darkly comic scripts and a critical reflection on Heidegger and ‘What makes us, human beings, the kind of creatures that can make and comprehend jokes?’ Not exactly a barrel of laughs, but hugely enlightening.

Subsequently, she worked as Literary Associate at Theatre by the Lake, reading scripts, developing new work and judging the Cumbrian Playwright’s Award where competition was stiff (well, most of the participants were over 70).

More recently, she had three short plays produced in London, a short story published and directed a short piece at Edinburgh Festival. Weary of how short everything was, last year Helen decided to change tack and write a full-length TV pilot and discovered how much fun it was to work outside of the restrictions of two actors and a one set.

John Hickman & Stephen Robertson

John Hickman

John Hickman is a screenwriter based in North Shields, who has written for various TV shows such as EastEnders, Doctors and The Dumping Ground.

He's currently developing a number of film and TV scripts, including work with Clerkenwell Films and Lime Pictures, as well as several comedy projects with long-term co-writer, Stephen Robertson.

Formerly a social worker, John has a PhD, with a focus on the onscreen fictional depiction of looked-after children.

Stephen Robertson

Stephen Robertson resides in Whitley Bay, a coastal town, not far from where he was born, in Newcastle upon Tyne. Having studied Art in college Stephen went on to University, the result of which was a degree in Animation and Film and a new partnership with his long-time collaborator and writing partner, John Hickman. They moved back to the North-east and went on to form their own production company.

Stephen has written and directed a number of short films and sketches and is currently co-directing his first feature – a low budget comedy horror film- again in collaboration with John Hickman. Over the years, Stephen has freelanced as a graphic artist, illustrator, cartoonist and has also dabbled in Stand-up comedy.

Zara Janjua

Zara Janjua

Zara Janjua is a Scottish-Pakistani TV presenter, journalist, actor and comedian. She began her career as a print journalist before moving into news presenting and reporting on national news programmes. Zara has presented RTS award-winning daytime shows, cookery, sport and comedy programmes; recently hosting BBC Scotland’s The Comedy Underground. Zara has written and performed in sketches on STV’s Late Show and regularly performs stand-up in comedy clubs and festivals around the UK. She was nominated for Scottish Comedian of The Year in 2018 making it to the semi-finals. In August she performed and presented a variety show at the Gilded Balloon at Edinburgh Fringe.

As an actor, she has appeared in theatre productions Spamalot, The Commitments and Die Fledermaus. She has appeared in adverts and global campaigns for Liz Earle Skincare. Zara recently moved to London to work in TV production as a producer and director. This year she celebrated an NTA win on ITV’s This Morning team. She is currently working as a producer and director within a creative agency and continues to do corporate and charity event hosting, after dinner speaking and commentating.

Claire Rammelkamp

Claire Rammelkamp

Claire Rammelkamp is a writer and performer from Bristol. She studied English at Oxford University and then became part of the first all-female cohort of the National Youth Theatre, where she formed her feminist theatre company, Wonderbox, associate company at both The Space Theatre and Greenwich Theatre.

Her play A Womb of One's Own headlined the King's Head's Playmill festival and received the Charlie Hartil Special Reserve Award for a run at the Pleasance at the Edinburgh Fringe. The play was nominated for the inaugural Popcorn writing award alongside Bryonny Kimmings and was a finalist in the Sit Up awards. Claire's collection of short comedies, FFS!, was aired as a radio play on BBC radio Bristol and was performed to critical acclaim at the Space Theatre.

Her play The Night is currently being developed for BBC Sounds. Her writing explores the themes of queerness, taboo, female experience and filth.

Athena Kugblenu

Athena Kugblenu

Athena Kugblenu is a 2017 nominee for the 99 Club Female Comedians’ Bursary and a former BBC New Comedy Award Finalist. She has written for Radio 4's News Quiz, The Now Show and multi cultural sketch show Sketchtopia.

In 2017 she performed at the Johannesburg international Comedy Festival and followed that with her debut hour, KMT, at the Edinburgh Fringe. Her second celebrated hour was Follow the Leader, a political show with a personal twist. She’s supported Daliso Chaponda, Nish Kumar and Fern Brady on tour.

A regular co-host of The Guilty Feminist, she also makes appearances on Radio 4 staples such as Comedy Club, Museum of Curiosity, Loose Ends and Will Gompertz's Arts Club. She the host of new podcast Keeping Athena Company, interviewing interesting people whilst eating fried plantain. It’s a great excuse for her to eat fried plantain for work.

Bexie Archer

Bexie Archer

Bexie Archer trained as an actor at RADA, National Youth Film Academy, National Youth Musical Theatre and Almeida Young Friends. She has been acting professionally for five years and has performed on stages such as The St James Theatre, The Almeida, Theatre Royal Stratford East and Birmingham Rep. Bexie has also won Triforce Productions' MonologueSlamUk several times.

She graduated from The University of Salford’s Comedy Writing and Performance BA (HONS) after completing the three year course in two. After starting out on the stand-up circuit , she won the Chortle Student Comedy Award 2018 and has since played venues such as The Pleasance Theatre, Warrington Parr Hall, Latitude Festival, The Bill Murray, London and The Frog and Bucket, Manchester.
She also has a background in writing, which led to working with Podium.me on Drama Shorts for radio, and DORA Productions on a full length radio play. She also has a sitcom treatment with Various Artists Limited.

In 2019 Bexie was shortlisted for the BBC Caroline Aherne Bursary

Emma Moran

Emma Moran

Emma Moran is a Northern Irish writer and comedian. Usually based in London, she is currently living in Manchester completing an MA in screenwriting. She began writing and performing sketch comedy and stand up while at UCL and took up a sketch show, Galpals, to the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe.

Since then she has been writing and producing comedy sketches for The Hook, a digital publisher, amassing tens of millions of views across Facebook and Youtube.

She is a cat person but acknowledges that dogs are also pretty great.

Catherine Dyson

Catherine Dyson

Catherine Dyson is a writer and performer based in South Wales. She is Associate Artist with RedCape Theatre company for whom she has written two plays, Be Brave and Leave For the Unknown and black comedy Thunder Road, both of which toured the UK. Thunder Road is touring the UK for a second time this year.

She is currently developing the next RedCape play, about women and protest through time. Other current work includes Transporter, a solo performance for ages 11+ performed in UK and India; and Future Girls, a commission from a school. For radio Catherine has written If We Were Fish (BBC Radio Wales). Short plays include The Red Hair and Tupelo (both for Dirty Protest) My Electric Soul (Sherman Theatre) and The Writer (part of a large outdoor promenade performance in the ruins of an abbey).

She was part of the Sherman New Welsh Playwrights programme 2016, and BBC Writersroom Wales 2018/19, through which she has developed a spec television script, an eco drama called Rain. Catherine is interested in how comedy can be a way of examining the more disturbing aspects of life and is delighted to be part of the Comedy Room 2019.

Robert Darke

Robert Darke

Robert Darke was raised in Claygate, a village south of London, where he lived with his parents and sister. He studied at the University of Leeds for 3 years, graduating with a 2:1, and somewhere, roughly in his first year of University, he began writing.

After University he decided to go travelling, as finding oneself in India seemed much easier and slightly more fun than finding employment in London.

He was a student on the National Film & Television School’s ‘Writing and Producing Comedy’ course from January 2018-June 2019.

He currently resides in Tooting, and is pleased to have joined the BBC Writersroom’s Comedy Room last September.

Eva Scott

Eva Scott

Eva Scott is an actor, writer and theatre maker from Sheffield but currently betraying Yorkshire by living down in London.

She began writing on finishing her acting training at LAMDA in 2017. She was a finalist for the BBC’s Caroline Aherne Bursary in 2018 and subsequently took part in the London Comedy Writers Group at the BBC.

Eva is currently working on various solo writing projects whilst also collaborating with Maude Theatre Company on their upcoming production, Penny.

Her acting credits include Trial by Laughter (Watermill Theatre & UK Tour), Coronation Street (ITV) and Good Women (Edinburgh Fringe).

The Comedy Room - Children's Day and an opportunity to pitch to Radio Drama North

2020-01-27T15:00:00+00:00

Helen Parkinson is part of our Comedy Room writer development group. She gives a rundown on the group's recent two-day workshop at Media City in Salford (also including the Drama Room writers) which covered writing for Children's plus an opportunity to pitch a short Radio Drama.

Hey, I’m Helen and I’m not sure why I’m in the Comedy Room. My background is seriously serious. I was a pensive ‘Method’ actress, an earnest (read minimal budget) theatre director and producer of material that was of no laughing matter. As a writer I tackle dark topics. I thought I’d written a very serious piece of TV until everyone who read it told me it was funny. It seems the BBC thought so too. So, here I am with a bunch of stand-ups and comedy writers who are genuinely hilarious and I’m seriously hoping no one will notice that I’m not. So far, I think I’m getting away with it.

I’ve been asked to write about our third BBC Writersroom session - a two-day sojourn to the BBC's base at Media City in Salford to discover all there is to know about writing for CBBC and Cbeebies.

To be honest, I hadn't previously thought about writing for children. This may have something to do with the fact that I’ve raised four of them. When you’ve been through twenty years of child-rearing, you sort of don’t want to have anything to do with them for at least another two decades. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve nothing against kids' TV. Quite the reverse: Tellytubbies gave me the chance to clean my teeth, Spongebob let me soak up a few minutes of respite in the shed and Pingu kept me from putting my head in the oven. But writing for kids? Animation? Puppets? Not convinced. You see, I write deeply flawed, egotistical characters in dark situations, who go on harrowing emotional journeys and find redemption, only to have it taken away. Not the stuff of pre-school TV. But, as we sat on brightly coloured stools under the Tree Fu Tom backdrop in CBBC’s reception, I determined to keep an open mind. This is important at my age. Although, maybe I should close it – I’ve noticed things keep disappearing.

The writers waiting watched over by Tree Fu Tom

But before ‘Children’s Day,’ we had an afternoon workshop with Radio Drama North. Instantly, I felt at home (in front of the ironing board actually – radio drama has accompanied me though many a pile of school shirts). Now we were to be given not only top tips, but the opportunity for a commission to write a short audio drama script for BBC Radio 3’s programme The Verb. The remit was to explore language-use, to realise something interesting about the way we talk to each other, with an emphasis on experimentation. Producer Sharon Sephton stressed the need for making the audience care about the characters and what happens to them. ‘Openings’ were important: we should aim for instant jeopardy and intrigue to hook the listener in. She suggested we ask ourselves a series of questions before beginning to write: whose story is this and what do you want to say with it? How do the characters change? Is there a resolution? A twist? What makes it unique and fresh? And what makes it good for radio? This last question was possibly the most thought provoking. Especially, as Sharon pointed out, radio drama can take us anywhere, any time and into any body, even a non-human one – no need for expensive prosthetics, just a few choice words would do the trick. I was seriously inspired: we had the blank canvas of the listener’s mind to play with. No holds barred. The universe was our oyster (or even an oyster). Unlimited no strings… Then I heard Sharon say: ‘Oh, and it all needs to be done in five minutes. So, have a think over the tea break, then give us your pitches.’

Watch Scriptwriting advice from Radio Drama North

Now after three months spent in the Comedy Room there are two things I’ve learned about writers. Firstly, they like their food, preferably sweet and starchy and served at frequent intervals and, secondly, they don’t like pitches. We had pitched ideas in a previous session, but that had been to the group and Comedy Room Executive Simon Nelson and Assistant Producer Amanda Farley, who didn’t really count, because we’d been out drinking with them at the BBC Club (a definite perk) and realised they were just ordinary, fun people. But now we were going to have to pitch to SIGNIFICANT SERIOUS BBC PEOPLE. It’s fair to say, even the mince pies and gluten free bars didn’t alleviate the onset of the ‘pitch sweats.’ As it turned out, the pitching wasn’t at all harrowing. We disseminated into groups, each with a producer/script editor and discussed ideas, some half formed, some fully fledged, all unique and full of potential. Then we were given individual feedback followed by another mince pie. All in all, pretty painless. Sighs of relief all round. But not for long…

Watch Advice on writing for Radio from the team at BBC Radio Drama North

There’s another thing I’ve discovered about writers. They hate networking. Like really hate it: a frontal lobotomy is more appealing than talking to an ‘industry professional.’ So, when the catering trolley rolled in, heralding the start of the ‘Industry Drinks – Meet the Producers’ event, the writers huddled together around the table, swilling and grazing and pretending not to notice the VIPs arriving. Simon had tasked us with getting email addresses and he and Amanda, cattle prods in hand, herded us out into the room. Maybe it was the alcohol, or the fact that the VIPs were really nice, keen to talk and happy to hand out email addresses, that made it an (almost) enjoyable experience. Needless to say, there was a lot of email bartering in the bar afterwards.

The following ‘Children’s Day’ consisted of a packed schedule. In preparation, we all tucked into a substantial breakfast at the hotel.

First off was the Scripted Development team. Executive Producer, Anna Davies gave us the run down on how they develop content with writers. Very briefly, if they like your idea, a writer is commissioned (paid!) to produce the ‘Outline.’ Get past this stage and then they help you develop it into a ‘Scene by Scene’ and if it is sufficiently gripping and unputdownable, you get commissioned to write the script. This is sent to the commissioner who will make the final decision. Of course, in the Q&A, everyone wanted to know what the secret ingredient was, the top tip, the magical pathway to the holy grail of the commissioner’s endorsement. The answer, it seemed, was simple: character. Yes, they want exciting new concepts, fresh perspectives, and compelling stories that can appeal internationally, but, ultimately, it comes down to character. Be they covered in fur, unable to utter a word, (or a sponge), children want characters to care about. And producers want children to spend time with these characters for series after series, after series.

Next up was Emma Hill, Senior Content Producer for Children’s Interactive TV. Now, the only part of interactive TV I have any experience of is the red button on my remote. So, it was an eye-opener to discover that there is a whole world of digital opportunities for writers, including Web dramas and storytelling on social media platforms such as Instagram, offering children a chance to follow characters outside of the world of the series (in my day the closest we came to this was the TV annual); offering writers the opportunity to develop much-loved characters further.

Danger Mouse on CBBC

Coffee and biscuits and an episode of Danger Mouse took us into the realm of children’s animation. Animation lets children go to places that live action can’t. Things can happen to characters that don’t happen in the real world, without scary real-world consequences. This makes it fertile ground for the comedy writer (that’s me out then) as the action can be extreme. But, don’t be duped, the Animation Development team emphasised, it’s not the animation that makes for a successful TV series, it’s the characters. The animators, like actors, get inspiration from characters. The script is their blueprint. So, work hard to give characters flaws, inner lives and outer conflicts, moral conflicts. This is what makes kids come back for more.

After sandwiches and cake, Connal Orton, Executive Producer of the 4 o’clock Club, emphasised the need to roll up our sleeves, and get down and dirty with the development process. Don’t hate it, embrace it. This, he said, was the secret to creating a long running series (plus lots of dosh, acclaim and further opportunities). Needless to say, everyone had their pens ready when he announced the three golden rules to help us achieve this:

Rule 1: You can’t polish a turd. In order to avoid this, spend a lot of time in development. Embrace the process. Explore the ‘What if…’ as far as it will go. And further.

Rule 2: You have to kiss a lot of frogs. Check out a shed load of ideas. Be brave. Don’t worry about making mistakes. Be robust! Test and retest the idea until you find one that is indestructible. Dump it if it isn’t working.

Rule 3: The devil is in the detail. Make sure you have nailed down every detail before beginning to write a line of dialogue. Be a technician, a craftsperson. Aim at all times for excellence in this process. Produce watertight story maps across A, B and C strands and DO NOT integrate them until the final draft. And importantly, produce fully fleshed out characters with flaws and skills that will help them deal with what is thrown at them and ultimately provoke emotional change.

4 O'Clock Club on CBBC

By now I was beginning to realise that there was a recurring theme throughout all these sessions. No matter what the medium, radio, animation, puppetry, no matter what age group, from pre-school to teen, it was all about the characters. Now, I know this. I do. And I love writing characters. In fact, most people say it is my strength. But, for some reason, when it came to the task we had been set a couple days earlier, that of pitching an idea for a scripted show for a CBBC slot, I hadn’t given the characters much thought.

I had been desperate to make the ‘idea’ exciting/appealing to a teen audience, spending hours plotting a Black Mirror meets Hunger Games scenario. I’d researched the ‘world’ I knew what was going to happen to my ‘bunch of kids,’ but now I realised I hadn’t fully developed any of the characters. Of course, I’m pretty sure I’d have tackled this at some point, but now, as I sat with Senior Development Producer Hannah Rodger and four other writers, I knew that this pitch wasn’t going to catch fire. It lacked what kids want most: great characters they want to spend time with. For me, this was a lesson well learned.

What I also learned is how attuned Development people are on picking up on an idea, instantly spotting what is interesting and different. Or not. We had five minutes to pitch and believe me this is enough. The pitches that made the most impact were the ones that gave the broad brushstrokes of setting and story, touched on themes, followed by a succinct description of a couple of main characters: needs, wants, obstacles, emotional journey, and then popped in the odd fine detail to spark an image/idea that was irresistible. Too much detail and like white noise, it started to lose impact, too little and it wasn’t engaging. I don’t think any of us got it ‘just right’ but, hey, for most of us, this was a first time and one which was an invaluable learning experience.

Tree Fu Tom on CBeebies

Fortunately, tea and scones followed (I do feel I ate my way through the BBC) and then the opportunity to hear from three real (i.e. paid) writers Toby Hadoke, Sameera Steward and Lucia Haynes. This was the perfect antidote to the pitch sweats. Hearing their stories was encouraging, if only because it seemed most of them got where they were by a series of events that did not include giving the best pitch ever.

Just as we were flagging (or perhaps sinking into a food coma) the last act appeared, Vanessa Amberleigh, Executive Producer at CBeebies, roused us with a brilliantly, speedy delivery of what pre-schoolers like. Here are a few I jotted down: ‘Hellos’ and ‘Goodbyes’ are popular. Slapstick too, but only of the ‘best behaviour’ variety. Pre-schoolers have enormous egos (does this change?), so use emotional journeys that teach empathy (good luck: my Y.A.s still struggle with this). Pre-school is the ‘gang phase’ – what one says the others follow – so try to give them confidence in their own opinions. They like format, the anticipation is half the fun (I can relate to that). And they like humour, as well as songs and puppets. Remember these characters can shape a child’s outlook on life (I wonder if Worzel Gummidge removing his head and replacing it with another has impacted on my world view…). More importantly, they will imitate behaviour, so ask yourself, would you be happy to see a child doing what your characters are doing?

This last question resonated as I popped open my salad box on the train home. I’d thought I’d struggle to write for kids TV. But now I realised Danger Mouse wasn’t so very different from the vain, egotistical, hubristic people who appear in my scripts. (Let’s face it, even Peppa Pig can be a bit of a cow). The harrowing journeys I put my characters on, aren’t so very different – Danger Mouse regularly has the daunting task of saving the world – and the redemption/resolutions are short lived: he will always forget how much he needs Penfold and Baron Silas von Greenback will always have a plan…

So, as I sat back munching through my spinach, it occurred to me that, after all, there may be a space in all this fun for a seriously serious writer like me.

Find out more about the Comedy Room and Drama Room

Daly Grind - Bringing a pilot for a new sitcom to the screen

2020-01-17T14:59:48+00:00

Dominic and John Reynolds are two comedy-writing brothers who were previously part of our Comedy Room writer development group. We spoke to Dom about creating the pilot for their new sitcom, Daly Grind, which launches on BBC One Scotland and BBC Scotland next week.

Watch the trailer for Daly Grind - Daly life goes on and on..

Dom, you write together with your brother John, how did that happen?

Our dad used to write sketches for shows like Scotch & Wry and Spitting Image back in the 1980’s. He never made it full time, but we got our interest in scriptwriting from his influence. By the time we were teenagers we ended up studying the same film and TV course at University, then an opportunity to submit sketches to a small show on BBC Radio Scotland came up and we decided to give it a go. John and I have always had the same taste and sensibilities so working together seemed an obvious thing to do.

How did you get started with taking writing seriously, as something you could consider doing professionally? Do you remember the first time you got paid for writing?

Yes! We managed to get a twenty second gag on that radio show. Think we made about twelve quid each. Around that time, John read an autobiography called ‘Which Lie Did I Tell?‘ that was written by the famous screenwriter William Goldman. He gave the book to me and I remember rattling through it in a day then going back almost immediately to read it again. Something clicked and I made the decision that scriptwriting was what I wanted to do. John felt the same way.

What’s your process for developing work together? Do you have specific roles in the writing process?

I do the typing but we’re always in the room together when the pages are written. If we’re not writing a script we’re coming up with new ideas, trying to create strong one-pagers that we can use to pitch to our contacts.

John (l) and Dominic (r) Reynolds

What are some of the projects that you’ve worked on before? Were any particularly important in your development as writers?

We worked for years on a radio sketch show called Watson’s Wind Up then a TV sketch show called Only An Excuse. Thereafter we moved away from sketch work and started making our own radio comedy and drama programmes for the BBC. That was great because it finally gave us the opportunity to start telling longer form stories which was ultimately where we wanted to be.

It’s hard to pick one project in particular. We learned and developed by working on all of them. That being said, I do remember working on a pilot script for So Television a few years back and our script editor (a very talented woman called Barunka O'Shaughnessy) gave us a bit of advice that’s always stuck with me. I was lamenting the fact we had to cut – what I felt – was a very funny scene in order to service the story structure and she said, “so what, if you think you’re a good writer then throw it away and write a better scene”.

That was good advice. Do what’s right for the story first and foremost.

How did you find out about BBC Writersroom in Scotland and get involved with our Comedy Room group?

We were working with Angela Galvin at CBBC in Glasgow, then she moved departments to start BBC Writersroom Scotland and asked us to keep in touch. Overall it’s been a great experience. BBC Writersroom has widened our network and it has helped to cement relationships with some great people.

How did you come up with the idea for Daly Grind? How would you describe it?

In early 2018 we had a meeting with Steve Canny (who’s an exec at BBC Studios) to talk about ideas. The new BBC Scotland channel was launching and they were looking for sitcom concepts. After we left the meeting, John and I brainstormed the central premise for the show in the car journey back home. I think we sent a pitch to Steve later that day and he immediately liked it (which doesn’t happen very often!).

How would we describe Daly Grind? Think The Royle Family meets Malcolm in the Middle! It’s a comedy that takes place entirely in the home of the Daly family. It focuses on the morning rush to school, work, etc, then picks up in the evening when everyone comes home. It’s a family sitcom that you can watch with your kids and we’d like to think it’s warm and portrays the Scottish people in a positive way.

Daly Grind

What was the pitching and development process?

It began with the Steve Canny meeting. He gave us a brief for what they were looking for (at that time it was content for the new BBC Scotland channel) and we put something together which he immediately liked. We wrote a one page pitch then we were asked to write a longer outline. After that we were asked to write some sample pages and eventually a full pilot script.

Owen Bell came on board as development producer in the early days then when he had to leave to work on a project in Wales, Jacqui Sinclair took over. We loved working with Owen and we’d worked with Jacqui on a few projects in the past so there was a very smooth transition. Daly Grind is the first project we’ve managed to get over the line with Jacqui so that’s been very satisfying. Maybe it was fate.

This is a pilot episode, has it changed much from your original pitch? What’s the function of a pilot?

The core premise and central characters haven’t changed but we went back and forth on the title a good few times. Originally, the father character wasn’t meant to be in the show. We saw him more like Maris Crane from Frasier, someone who’s never in the show but is always referenced. We were asked early on if we could include him and I’m glad we did. It’s a much better show with Joe Daly (Jordan Young) onscreen.

The function of a pilot is to test the water really. Find out what the audience liked, what they maybe didn’t like, and take that feedback into the series (if we’re lucky enough to get one).

What are your ambitions for the show?

First and foremost we want people to enjoy it. We really hope our audience find it funny, relatable and make a connection with the characters. There’s a great deal of polarisation in the world right now and we hope Daly Grind is the kind of show that has something for everyone. As I say, we’ve always wanted to write a comedy that portrays Scottish families in a positive way. Hopefully we have.

Dominic and John with our 2018/19 Comedy Room writers

What other things have you got going on? Is it important to have lots of ‘irons in the fire’?

We’re making a comedy series for CBBC called School Bus and have a few scripts which are about to go to market. We’ve also recently adapted a famous book for an independent production company (but we’re not allowed to say much more than that right now!). Having irons in the fire is extremely important. The failure rate in this industry is extremely high, even for the most successful people. The more plates you have spinning, the less disappointed you feel when one of them comes crashing down.

From the day we first pitched Daly Grind to the day the pilot is to be broadcast will be two years and nine days (and that’s considered a reasonably quick development period). You can’t just have one thing on the go. You need to have as many as possible.

What are the most important things you’ve learnt during the process of seeing Daly Grind make it to the screen?

Simply that it’s a process. A very long one. It can be frustrating and tiring but that’s the job. You’re under pressure and getting pulled in every direction but you’re not the only one. Producers, Directors, Execs, etc, they all have frustrations to deal with as well. If you have a good team around you who value and respect each other's contribution that’s half the battle.

There was one moment where we were asked to scrap the entire central plotline and start from scratch after we had already completed a few drafts. It’s easy to go into your shell at that point but John and I took the attitude that we just needed to dust ourselves off and go again. Ultimately, that request was coming from a good place and from an experienced mind. Looking back, we’re glad we did it because it’s made the show better.

Do you have any advice for writers who are thinking of writing a comedy script?

Push yourself. Write the best draft you possibly can. Before you send it to anyone, give your script to people who aren’t afraid to tell you what they really think. Mum will always say it’s good. What you need are savages. Readers who will leave you gasping at their critique. That’s good for you. Nobody gets better by surrounding themselves with people that are only going to tell them what they want to hear.

Be different. Fleabag was massive, and it was recent, so don’t write something that feels like Fleabag. New writers can fall into the trap of trying to script their own version of the current hit. Whatever’s in vogue, write the opposite.

Ask yourself, what haven’t we seen in comedy before or what haven’t we seen for a very long time? That will increase your chances of scripting something that’s fresh and different.

Watch Daly Grind on BBC One Scotland on Monday 20th January at 10.35pm and on the BBC Scotland channel on Friday 24th January at 10.30pm or on BBC iPlayer