I have been reading interviews of writers who I admire and most of them started off by doing sketches and they would send them off to producers. The thing that puzzles me is how they actually manage to find the producers.
Is there anyone here who has been in touch with producers and how did you do it? Do you just Google their names and hope to find an address or what?
I found my producer by taping a photocopied picture to a few lamp posts and offering a small reward.
As Deep Throat said, "Follow the money". He might have also said, "Follow the cocaine and the gift baskets".
I successfully bid for a Producer on e-bay, but had to send it back... they'd sent me a Pirate by mistake.
Quote: feck, arse, drink, girls, gobshite @ July 31 2009, 12:13 AM BSTI have been reading interviews of writers who I admire and most of them started off by doing sketches and they would send them off to producers. The thing that puzzles me is how they actually manage to find the producers.
Is there anyone here who has been in touch with producers and how did you do it? Do you just Google their names and hope to find an address or what?
Did you just read the Northern Laughs interview at the BBC Writersroom? http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/northern_laughs.shtml
The good people at the BCG have put up a list of prod. companies. https://www.comedy.co.uk/company/overview/
But alot of the time people say 'watch the credits of a programme that is similar in format to your script, look out for the producer's name then do a bit of detective work and ask nicely if you can send them your script or a synopsis'.
Failing that I don't really know but if you find out please tell me because I want to bombard producers with as much of my shitty writing as possible, as a form of literary terrorism hoping that they will give in to me eventually.
Adam 
How to get hold of producers: By the scruff of the neck.
Quote: The Giggle-o @ July 31 2009, 12:53 AM BSTDid you just read the Northern Laughs interview at the BBC Writersroom? http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/northern_laughs.shtml
The good people at the BCG have put up a list of prod. companies. https://www.comedy.co.uk/company/overview/
But alot of the time people say 'watch the credits of a programme that is similar in format to your script, look out for the producer's name then do a bit of detective work and ask nicely if you can send them your script or a synopsis'.
Failing that I don't really know but if you find out please tell me because I want to bombard producers with as much of my shitty writing as possible, as a form of literary terrorism hoping that they will give in to me eventually.
Adam
All good advice. Producers are human beings who have to go to the toilet and have a poo just like the rest of us. It's probably best to let them have their poo in peace, but the rest of the time is open season.
Have you tried this book? It's still a corker.
I agree with Lee.
If you can afford it, get this one as well. I prefer it - although I get both to make sure. Each has 'bits' the other hasn't.
That looks a good one as well. I see Barry Turner edited both 'Handbooks'. Both of these must have dented Writer's & Artist's Yearbook sales!
Ok thanks alot.
Of producers. From the current issue of Private Eye...
'It used to be the basic job of a BBC producer to come up with ideas and turn them into programmes. Indeed, the ability to do this was considered crucial when candidates for jobs were boarded.
But now, producers incapable of coming up with ideas are no longer to be discriminated against. A new team of "creative facilitators" has been, er, created, "to find inspirational solutions for programme makers suffering from the deepest creative block".
They have already set up sessions to help hapless producers come up with ideas for the coverage of the Olympics: "They begin by asking participants for a favourite memory: a race, an opening ceremony, anything to help ease them into the topic." And for the severely challenged: "People are often asked to bring something to the session which could be used as an icebreaker - from CDs to Lego."'