Well, you'd 'have a say', but you wouldn't have it ALL go your way.
Graham Linehan interview... Page 4
Yep, you'd have a say up to the point where your choices matched the producer's. 
I'll take a gun to an interview with a producer then.
Quote: cashback @ July 16 2008, 7:30 PM BSTUnless I had a say in the direction, editing, and casting I'd hang on to my script.
Yeah right.
Quote: cashback @ July 16 2008, 9:57 PM BSTI'll take a gun to an interview with a producer then.
Excellent.
I wouldn't like my writing or my ideas changed too much, so I'm quite prepared to still be clutching my script on my deathbed.
However, going back to a previous point, I'm not too bothered about which channel it appeared on, within reason.
Quote: cashback @ July 17 2008, 12:31 AM BSTI wouldn't like my writing or my ideas changed too much, so I'm quite prepared to still be clutching my script on my deathbed.
However, going back to a previous point, I'm not too bothered about which channel it appeared on, within reason.
I'm afraid new writers have to bend over and take it up the wazoo when it comes to others meddling. Everyone will want a poke about in your script, the producer, the script editor, even the commissioner. That's just the way it is until you're Ricky Gervais. If you start being too precious about your work you'll never get anywhere, believe me.
Plus don't forget some of these people know a thing or two about comedy themselves - they might just improve your script!
Wasn't The Office the first script Ricky Gervais wrote?
It may have been what he started first but long before the pilot was written he had written and stared in Golden Years, done sketches for Brusier, written his stuff for the 11 o'clock show, been in spaced and various 100 best shows and had his own chat show. While a lot of that was hit and miss the notion that when he and steve sat with the BBC to talk about making the Office he had no experience is miles from the truth.
If it WAS his first thing theres no way they'd have got the freedom they did have (i doubt they'd even have let him be in it)
However, one thing he has always said (which is a little relevant) is that he didnt NEED the job...so he was prepared to walk if he had to - his experience meant he got what he wanted though so no need to walk.