Me vs. Lenny Henry
I don't have an answer for you catz, but I'm sure your sitcom is miles better so I wouldn't worry too much if I was you.
They were pitching a series, not a pilot. I don't recall for certain if it was actually given the go-ahead but I expect so.
It's not a definite end to your sitcom, but it's unlikely to help it any.
It might signal the end of your show in the short term but not the medium or long term. My memories of RRR is that it was enjoyable but flawed. There's every chance the TV version will fall flat. Just bide your time and concentrate on other projects.
Quote: catskillz @ June 19 2010, 8:35 PM BSTif both mine and his show made it to T.V., they could both gain publicity, by creating a Blur vs. Oasis style rivalry. If this is the end, I might have to try America, although that would mean I'd have to scrap many funny lines that included references that only Brits would've found funny.
Yeah... that doesn't really happen a lot with sitcom. But as you say if the worst comes to the worst you could always try America.
Don't worry about that Catskills. I wrote a script last year that I submitted in the first instance to the BBC. I was told that a couple of years ago they'd filmed a pilot in exactly the same setting, and that series was ultimately turned down by the commissioner, therefore they wouldn't be interested in pursuing a script with the same setting so close after.
I was gutted to be truthful, but then I just transported all the characters from that problem setting to another one that seemed to work as well, and suddenly there's interest again. Not loads, but some. Which is better than nowt.
A wise comedy guru-type fella once told me that the trick is to not have your stories revolving around your location, but the characters that inhabit it. It seems an obvious point but it's so easy to let your script focus on the 'sit' and not the 'com' if you know what I mean. If your characters are alive, they could potentially live anywhere. 
So my advice would be to sack the record shop idea - Lenny Henry's got that covered obviously. Pick your characters up and shove 'em somewhere else.
Catskillz - it's not the end of the world, you can still use your script as a writing example to get you noticed at the Writer's Room for instance.
Honestly, just put the idea away and start on something afresh. One egg in one basket does not a tasty comedy omelette make.
Or something.
I'm doing okay thanks. "Plodding on" would probably be the right phrase.
People seem to be mincing their words a little.
You really, really should give up on this idea for the medium term.
Every moment you spend fretting about it is time that should be spent on your next project.
Record shop sit-coms will be off the agenda for the forseeable future, either because there is an existing succesful one on air with Lenny Henry in it, or it's such a shocking failure it'll be cursed for the next five years.
If you've written one good sitcom you can write another.
Plus it will be better.
One of my sitcoms was set in a record store, but due to "Rudy's Rare Records" it doesn't like it's going anywhere right now.
Quote: catskillz @ June 20 2010, 3:16 AM BSTI don't suppose anyone on here has got any contacts at the BBC, have they? Maybe I could tell them about my sitcom, and they'd realise it was funnier than Lenny's. I've actually been working on mine for years, and I've got a whole series written.
Lots of contacts, but Rudy's Rare Records has 2 successful Radio 4 runs under its belt. Not sure how long you've been working on this for, but to be fair, RRR was broadcast in early 2008, so has been around the Beeb since at least early 2007.
Record shop comedy was also explored in Nick Hornby's High Fidelity. Later made into an excellent film.
As Lee said, most sitcoms should be about characters, you should be able to, with a bit of tweaking, change the actual setting and to have most of the original idea remain intact.
If you want to know what RRR is like, there's a sample script for one of the episodes on the BBC Writer's Room site. Chances are *they* wouldn't go for another sitcom with the same setting so soon, no matter how strong the writing was. It's just one of those things you have to deal with when you're submitting stuff on spec (and why you need to keep an eye on recent/current sitcoms. In other words, research the medium).
Still pass it around if you're happy with it though. If the writing is strong, you'd just be asked to submit something else.