BBC Opportunities - Comedy/Comedy Drama - Anyone know who the judges were over the past few years?

Hello,

I'm curious about the old BBC Opportunities competitions for Comedy and Comedy Dramas going back about 5 years. Does anyone know exactly who the judges were for these? Were they scriptwriters? Were they jobbing BBC Scriptwriters (i.e. well known)? Interns with no experience? Was their 'judgement' double-checked or was it enough that they looked at scripts once and didn't like them?

Were you a judge for these? Could you explain the procedure?

They've obviously changed things in the last couple of year to where you need to have a production company support your work but I'm asking about the period before that.

Thanks,

I was also curious about this! From what I remember, the judges were a mix of BBC script editors, producers, and experienced writers. I don't think they were interns or people without any industry knowledge

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dacocket
From: https://snake-game.io

If it's like any other competition - or real world writing come to that - the first 'cull' would have been done by relatively inexperienced people.
As the entries get winnowed and travel further up the chain, the level of seniority will increase (a bit).
The final desicion will have been taken by someone relatively senior.

Quote: Lazzard @ 28th August 2024, 11:27 AM

If it's like any other competition - or real world writing come to that - the first 'cull' would have been done by relatively inexperienced people.
As the entries get winnowed and travel further up the chain, the level of seniority will increase (a bit).
The final desicion will have been taken by someone relatively senior.

View original

Yeah, not sure about in 2024, but a few years back it was just script readers in general then it escalates?

So if reader 1 likes it, a few more readers (I guess these are all the 'lowest rung' here) then an editor then a producer.

For ages it's just about developing voices rather than commissioning though - Red Planet Prize is the same. That said as a production company Red Planet may take something then run with it if a channel is interested - I don't know if it was the script he entered, but Rob Thorogood did Red Planet Prize and ended up with a multi-show franchise (Death in Paradise etc.), haha.

Years ago BBC Writer's Room had Comedy Production companies and big writers and sometimes actors as judges for the final stage. One I entered (Laughing Stock I think) had Simon Nye and Rebecca Front and a bunch of others.
Sitcom Mission and BAFTA Rocliffe at least still have writers/performers and production company folks involved!

Quote: Feeoree @ 4th September 2024, 10:28 PM

For ages it's just about developing voices rather than commissioning

View original

I think that's the main thing people have to get their heads round.
It's not about getting your show made.
It's about getting one step closer to the next thing you write (or the one after that, or the one after that etc etc) getting made.
Always be working on the next thing.

While exact lists of individual judges from five or so years ago are often not publicly disclosed, the judging panels typically included a mix of both prominent names in British television writing and experienced production staff.
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Donnie Gardner https://fireboy-andwatergirl.io

Hi there,

I'm not sure about the specific judges for the BBC Opportunities competitions, but from what I've heard, they were often a mix of experienced scriptwriters, producers, and industry professionals. It's unlikely they would have relied solely on inexperienced interns, as the goal was to find promising talent. The judging process probably included some level of cross-checking or collaboration to ensure fairness, but it's hard to say how thorough that was. If scripts were rejected, it might have been based on a single read, given the volume of submissions.

Hope this helps!

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Allen Paul from https://anythinggenerate.com/generators/british-name-generator