The Sitcom Trials: Next Generation

Tentative news, especially for those of us that entered and didn't hear anything for so long: The Sitcom Trials appears to be back around November/December time.

Brief details here: http://sitcomtrials.co.uk/

and there appears to be a Facebook group here: http://surrey.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5951180247

and an extremely long link for anyone that wants to go watch the first heat: http://events.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventID=376211.64636&hashcode=5CCE8907-4E84-45E6-975C-CC2B4DD47A2F

I have no idea what's going on bar the above (in fact, I'm disappointed if anything that I didn't hear back about my own sitcom entry -- sob!)

Dan

Here's their press release, not sure if that's of any help:

Just when you thought sitcom couldn't get any better...

Just when you thought it was safe to come out from behind Homer Simpson's sofa...

Just when you thought "blimey, they’re not remaking Love Thy Neighbour and bringing back To The Manor Born for a one-off Christmas special..."

...The Sitcom Trials is back!

It's not enough that The Sitcom Trials does Edinburgh, does national tours, does an ITV1 show and is the springboard for such mega-talents as Stephen Merchant, Russell Brand and Miranda Hart. We're back with a knockout tournament - four sitcoms enter, two sit-coms leave.
November sees The Sitcom Trials' biggest venture yet - sixteen fresh, new comedies bat-tling for the prize of Best Sitcom 2007. Each Thursday night for four weeks, four different situation comedies will go head to head. The audience votes for their favourite, and the top two from each night go through to the Semi-finals. The Grand Final is at the Soho Theatre in December before a specially invited industry audience. And there's a Christmas Party and prizegiving ceremony on December 13th.

All we need now is for Mad About Alice to get a second series and our work is done.

Venue: The Hobgoblin pub, opposite Forest Hill BR (12 mins to Charing X)

Dates:
Quarter-finals:1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd November
Semi-finals: 29th November, 6th December
Grand Final: 13th December 1pm Soho Theatre
Prizegiving and Christmas Party: 13th December 7.30pm Hobgoblin, Forest Hill

At the moment though it's more a question of loads of scripts they've already got that they're whittling down.

I notice that they are looking for new writers though.

I've just had a reply to my e-mail.

The writers of the 16 winning entries were notified by e-mail last night, but the trials are ongoing, hence, they are still looking for writers. I didn't have any luck with mine either.

Basically, if you haven't received an e-mail by now, it's time to start writing your next script!

This is coming back:

"The new 2008 season of the award-winning Sitcom Trials will be taking place in the autumn, at a great new Central London venue and with some interesting new partners."

"You may remember The Sitcom Trials as the stage and TV show where new sitcoms are tested in front of a live audience who vote for their favourites. Below is a link to a clip from the first ITV series, more can be found at http://www.myspace.com/sitcomtrials

"Scripts are wanted now. Writers should check out the new Writers
Guidelines at link

Quote: David Chapman @ October 7, 2007, 10:19 PM

At the moment though it's more a question of loads of scripts they've already got that they're whittling down.

I notice that they are looking for new writers though.

View original

Buggered if I remember writing that - or how I knew.

Is this not the same thing as Every 1's a Critic?

I entered a script with a fee of £5, then got the cheque back yesterday in the post as the Beeb won't agree to them charging a fee.
A scibbled note with the cheque said...'looking forward to reading your script'

The Sitcom Trials 2008 is indeed connected to The Sitcom Trials 2007 and Every1sacritic. Oh, it's complicated.

To cut a long story short, The Sitcom Trials (which I created and have run since 1999) took a break in 2006. I gave Declan (Hill) and Simon (Wright) permission to revive it in 2007, and they did so with a season at the Hub in Forest Hill and a final at the Soho Theatre.

Then we won the Fringe Report Award for Best Encourager Of New Talent. Then our exciting new venue got interested in running the show in the West End as partners. So I've got involved again. (I presented the 2007 season, but didn't get involved with its production).

So, The Sitcom Trials is back and looking for scripts. For details check out either: http://sitcomtrials.co.uk
or http://every1sacritic.com

And we'll try and keep everyone briefed as we proceed.

Kev F Sutherland
Executive Producer & series creator
The Sitcom Trials

Hi Kev,

GLad to see you're still going strong. Whatever happened to that Peirson guy who used to organise similar sitcomshowcases for the London Screenwriters workshop I wonder??