Newsjack - Series 3 Page 41

Quote: Failed Comedy Writer @ July 22 2010, 1:20 PM BST

Nope Tim - I'm not missing the point, as it was my point in the first place. I'll try and be clearer:

I'm not suggesting a single person could shit out half an hour of topical comedy gold. The previous quote illustrated Steve Punt clicking his fingers to rally his minions (plural) and my gripe (on this occasion - I'm full of them)is that it's difficult to get appointed to that team.

The point is that it's not lack of ability. It's lack of opportunity.

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The main problem that we all face trying to get stuff on open subsmission shows like Newsjack and RFTP, is the sheer amount of people writing stuff. A whole lot more than the days of Weekending.

Quote: Failed Comedy Writer @ July 22 2010, 1:20 PM BST

It's lack of opportunity.

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It seems to me there are plenty of opportunities out there there for the grasping, you just have to go for it. You make your own opportunities.
And remember trying to get a line on an open submission radio show should only be one path you follow.

Quote: Failed Comedy Writer @ July 22 2010, 1:20 PM BST

getting a pisspoor pun onto NJ is not in the same league as being a full fledged in-house writer.

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Wot this?

As far as I can tell, BBC Radio has a grand total of about two in house writers who knock themselves out writing for just about everything that needs it.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ July 22 2010, 1:31 PM BST

You make your own opportunities.

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You're talking about blowjobs, aren't you?

Quote: Jinky @ July 22 2010, 1:38 PM BST

You're talking about blowjobs, aren't you?

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I'm not known around the BBC as 'Suck-job Stott' for nothing, sweet cheeks.

Quote: john lucas 101 @ July 22 2010, 1:25 PM BST

The main problem that we all face trying to get stuff on open subsmission shows like Newsjack and RFTP, is the sheer amount of people writing stuff. A whole lot more than the days of Weekending.

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I don't think this is right with Newsjack. Firstly Weekending was on Radio 4 and more people would listen to Radio 4 than Radio 7. Secondly Weekending was about 20 or so years ago and less people would be listening to the radio now anyway (Ok, there has been a bit of a renaissance, but usually with big shows such as The Now Show). Ok, not all would be radio writers listen to Newsjack, but you have to have some passing interest in radio comedy.

Quote: Tim Azure @ July 22 2010, 1:53 PM BST

I don't think this is right with Newsjack. Firstly Weekending was on Radio 4 and more people would listen to Radio 4 than Radio 7. Secondly Weekending was about 20 or so years ago and less people would be listening to the radio now anyway (Ok, there has been a bit of a renaissance, but usually with big shows such as The Now Show). Ok, not all would be radio writers listen to Newsjack, but you have to have some passing interest in radio comedy.

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Tim, it isn't going to matter to writers whether something's on Radio 4 or BBC7, is it? We all tend to discover these opportunities in the same way, either from Writersroom or sites such as this one.

The real difference between now and Weekending, is that pretty much everybody has a computer now. There isn't the physical effort involved in writing and submitting stuff to these shows. Contrast cut and paste with the physical typing and retyping of stuff. Big difference.

I've read that Weekending, especially in the early days, would invite you to come to the BBC and join the script meetings if you bothered to send anything in.

Newsjack, on the other hand, gets at least 400 submissions every week.

I'd say that Weekending was no better or worse than Newsjack. Perhaps having to use fax machines weeded out the no-hopers and kept the numbers down.

Quote: Jinky @ July 22 2010, 2:18 PM BST

I've read that Weekending, especially in the early days, would invite you to come to the BBC and join the script meetings if you bothered to send anything in.

Newsjack, on the other hand, gets at least 400 submissions every week.

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In the Non-Com writers meeting at Weekending, you'd get an average of about 30 writers. Obviously there'd be more people faxing stuff in, but technology has made a massive difference.

It's enough to make you pine for the days of Weakending / Huddlines, manual typewriters and tippex.

The opportunities are still there, yep - just there are a lot more people going for them. I wonder what percentage of NJ's audience listen to it for fun, not with a view to getting stuff on.

I refer you to my earlier anecdote of how I crashed a Weakending writers meeting in BH. They'd need a much bigger room these days if people tried that way in nowadays.

That said - a BBC open submission programme is probably not the way in. Which brings me back to my earlier musing as to whether any of the successful NJ writers could (or have) used it as a springboard to bigger things.

(I'm thinking not.)

(And I'll think even less in about 4 hours when I see they've binned my stuff for the last time this season)

As mentioned earlier, open house subs shouldn't be the only egg in your basket.

But surely people do from time to time get noticed from these shows.

After all, they do pick people for their BBC workshops. Which I suppose are rather like job interviews in a way.

If you look at the in-house writers list of all the other radio comedy sketch shows, some names keep cropping up time and time again.

Presumbly they had to start somewhere, i.e. the open door shows.

In conclusion, could NJ be a springboard?
For some people, yes, I think it could be.

Quote: john lucas 101 @ July 22 2010, 2:03 PM BST

Tim, it isn't going to matter to writers whether something's on Radio 4 or BBC7, is it? We all tend to discover these opportunities in the same way, either from Writersroom or sites such as this one.

The real difference between now and Weekending, is that pretty much everybody has a computer now. There isn't the physical effort involved in writing and submitting stuff to these shows. Contrast cut and paste with the physical typing and retyping of stuff. Big difference.

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No, there is always snobbery about stations-why do they keep comedies on BBC2 and not stick them on BBC1? If you only have analogue and only library access to the internet, or even if you didn't search your digital radio stations on the TV or net you wouldn't submit to BBC7, would you? Ok, that doesn't narrow down the writers by very much.

I think it's probably the same with submissions of music-more people are going to submit songs to Radio 2 than Radio 6 Music, it's the way it goes.

I think it is more to do with ease of subbing that more people are submitting. But there also seems to be less shows as well.

I guess one question is what do you hope to get out of Newsjack.

Personally, I've loved (yes even more than I've loathed) the experience. Forcing me to write to a deadline and actually write rather than keep those ideas perpetually floting around in my hea. The mere fact of getting anything at all on air is more than I dared hope for when I started.

And if you're looking to get further surely it can't do your chances any harm to have another opportunity to have your stuff read? I (perhaps naively) think that if I was the next Curtis, Linehan, Armstrong & Bain (I'm not) I would get noticed and asked to do more. No idea if they did start like this but surely a once-in-a-lifetime talent would get noticed? And know that Dan Tetsell said on his blog somewhere he started on an open submissions programme.

However...
... is it enough just to be a writer? Dan Tetsell also does lots of performing as well. And I remember the head of Channel 4 Comedy once saying he's not interested in people who just write, for him you should link up with a performer and learn to write for them. No idea if his view is the majority view but given the number of writer-performers there are out there vs. just writers perhaps there is some truth in it.

Quote: Failed Comedy Writer @ July 22 2010, 2:23 PM BST

I wonder what percentage of NJ's audience listen to it for fun, not with a view to getting stuff on.

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Considering that Newsjack doesn't even get mentioned in the 'radio comedy' thread on this very forum then I think we can say the audience is very small.

Quote: StephenM @ July 22 2010, 3:17 PM BST

I (perhaps naively) think that if I was the next Curtis, Linehan, Armstrong & Bain (I'm not) I would get noticed and asked to do more. No idea if they did start like this....

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Bain's grandmother was one of the old ladies in Fawlty Towers.

Nepotism!!!

You may get noticed. You may not get noticed.

You may be noticed, be talentless and lucky. You may be the greatest wit since Wilde and only ever make people laugh down the pub.

Who knows?

David Mitchell and many others will swear blind their first big break was Weekending. Other like the Boosh hit the circuit till they were spotted.

Newsjack is an oportunity. But if you're not enjoying comedy and taking every chance to share the laughs. Well you don't really think you're going to go far now do you?