Didn't Gervais and Merchant spend a year writing all six episodes of 'The Office'?
Sending a pilot Page 4
Quote: David H @ December 1 2008, 11:48 PM GMTDidn't Gervais and Merchant spend a year writing all six episodes of 'The Office'?
That's already on telly then Gervais, and his already in at the Beeb mate Merchant?
Have you been drinking or have I?
Quote: Leevil @ December 1 2008, 11:58 PM GMTHave you been drinking or have I?
No, I just didn't punctuate properly.
Quote: Seefacts @ December 1 2008, 11:56 PM GMTThat's already on telly then Gervais, and his already in at the Beeb mate Merchant?
That's the 'already on telly then' Gervais, and his 'already in at the Beeb' mate Merchant?
Better?
Quote: David Bussell @ November 28 2008, 8:05 AM GMTThen you need to write a new pilot. And it needs to be funny from the off.
It's not that it's boring, it's just not as exciting as the other 5 episodes. You know what it's like, having to get all the exposition out of the way, it doesn't leave much time for wacky situations.
Quote: David H @ December 1 2008, 11:48 PM GMTDidn't Gervais and Merchant spend a year writing all six episodes of 'The Office'?
No - Gervais had written for other sketch shows, acted in other shows, appeared as a regular on the 11'o clock show, had his own TV show, written and stared in his own sitcom pilot with Merchant who also knew the right people at the BBC and both had been on the radio.......all they did was get a 10 minute video they made looked at by the right people. They may not have been big stars but they were a million miles from nobodies posting on the internet! (oh, and Gervais mrs was already in TV as well, just for icing on the "it's who you know" cake)
Just got an e-mail from a big time producer who I contacted back in April, he's letting me send him my script which is great, but I asked him whether it was best to send the pilot or the second episode, he said producers always like to see the pilot.
Quote: catskillz @ December 2 2008, 12:29 AM GMTIt's not that it's boring, it's just not as exciting as the other 5 episodes. You know what it's like, having to get all the exposition out of the way, it doesn't leave much time for wacky situations.
I do know what it's like - it happens when I've written a shitty pilot. So I redraft and redraft until, perhaps one day, the exposition is all but invisible and never at the expense of the comedy.
If you can exposition (is that the right phrase?) AND get some funny shit out then you're not doing it right.
My pilot is ALL exposition and introduction, but it's still funny. You forget the situation is basically being forced down your throat because you're laughing. I hope.
ALL storytelling is exposition.
Quote: Marc P @ December 2 2008, 4:05 PM GMTALL storytelling is exposition.
Yeah, and it's a skill making a story point funny (Graham Linehan reckons he's unable to do that, whereas someone like Renwick is brilliant at it)
Renwick is the guvnor.