Quote: Sophie Petzal @ October 8 2010, 1:23 PM BSTSurely if they do not want something, then receive something that makes them throw their preconceptions in the bin, and go along with it, that is a good thing!?
Yes, channels will always say there are certain things they don't want, until someone brings them something that makes them change their mind.
How often have we heard 'Nothing in the media!', only for a sitcom like Moving Wallpaper to pop up?
Quote: Sophie Petzal @ October 8 2010, 1:23 PM BSTSurely if the BBC do not want something, then receive something that makes them throw their preconceptions in the bin, and go along with it, that is a good thing!?
Absolutely. It's probably how most stalwart hits came into being.
Quote: 2ChristianTypists @ October 8 2010, 1:23 PM BSTIt's my own observations based on perusing these forums from time to time. Whether it gets folk's backs up is for them, not me.
I do not intend to make waves - certainly not an (it appears) an anything goes forum like this where agreeing with someone a lot of you respect suddenly becomes brown nosing and someone deems photographic allusions to that as necessary or progressive to the discussion in hand.
It's really this part I was concentrating on...
Can't folk just be happy for someone's writing success? Folk really need to stop circling what they think such and such want from a script and just get down to writing it instead of firing back and forth badly veiled bitterness and then try and mask it with lazy quips which The Chuckle Brothers would balk at (these forums do a lot of that - ie. "oh so hilarious" wordplay that betrays whether some people's personal scriptwork is actually funny at all... to anyone). Can't folk just get on with writing what they find funny instead of trying to constantly prove they are in forums like this...? (sorry - rant over).
Take who you percieve to be offenders to task by all means but I'm sure we could all do without sweeping generalisations that seem to tar a whole community.
Quote: 2ChristianTypists @ October 8 2010, 1:23 PM BSTIt's my own observations based on perusing these forums from time to time. Whether it gets folk's backs up is for them, not me.
I do not intend to make waves.
You sir are a hypocrite, that was precisely what you intended to do, seizing on the first sign of dissension as an excuse to preach to and sneer at the posters on this forum.
And they call themselves Typists
Quote: Sophie Petzal @ October 8 2010, 1:23 PM BSTSurely if they do not want something, then receive something that makes them throw their preconceptions in the bin, and go along with it, that is a good thing!?
I'm not sure Sophie. As I said, a sitcom of mine was a hair's breadth off being accepted [so I know I can write funny] Two years down the line there was a series { I can't remember if it was just two eps or a few but it was set in a brothel!!!!] Is that not risque then?
With mine the Head of the Comedy dept rang me to explain that the script was good but they felt the 'setting' was too risque but had I got anything else. I didn't at the time.
I will stress again, I was not getting at you or the other writers, I was questioning the subject in this post and the confusion of writers when told such a sitcom is not required as that situation has been over done, then they accept one.[not yours]
This is the only thing I have been trying to question on here.
I even had Thora Hird ringing me up at length about a script I sent to her.
I am not bitter not astonishing, just puzzled with the reaction on here and why I can't question without being told it's sour grapes. I'm the least jealous of anyone I know, you either have jealousy in the genes or you don't And I don't.
Nevertheless, I will submit my 'all mixed up' family situation script to ITV and see how I fare with them.
Again for about the fifth time, very good luck with yours and the other five.
It must be extremely exciting for you
Quote: bushbaby @ October 8 2010, 1:22 PM BSTIf the beeb say they don't want flat-share or family based sitcoms, then they accept one...or two, is that not confusing? This is not a complaint about writers, like my other posts, it's a question
Maybe what they mean is that they don't want a million flatshare scripts just like the influential ones (MEN BEHAVING BADLY, COUPLING, FRIENDS, HOME TO ROOST....). Using MY FAMILY as an example... GRANDMA'S HOUSE is very different. It is coming from a valued comic individual, it has a modern Jewish sensibility running through it, it was a family-based show but not one for the whole family to watch (maybe), was not a live-audience show and had been in development for a couple or so years and gone through various approaches.
Quote: Timbo @ October 8 2010, 1:31 PM BSTYou sir are a hypocrite, that was precisely what you intended to do, seizing on the first sign of dissension as an excuse to preach to and sneer at the posters on this forum.
You are all effectively proving each other's points. You want to write? Go and write. Stop plaguing the forums with bile.
Butting out for good now. Bye all. Good luck.
Quote: Sophie Petzal @ October 8 2010, 1:33 PM BSTYou are all effectively proving each other's points. You want to write? Go and write. Stop plaguing the forums with bile.
Spoil sport.
Quote: Sophie Petzal @ October 8 2010, 1:33 PM BSTYou are all effectively proving each other's points. You want to write? Go and write. Stop plaguing the forums with bile.
Butting out for good now. Bye all. Good luck.
It was a reaction against a reaction, Sophie. Timbo was essentially told he was an embittered hack by someone who doesn't know him in the least, so pulled them up on it. Bile begats bile. I should also add that writers have been known to divide their attentions between their work and wider discussions. It really doesn't make them any less effective at their jobs.
Quote: Sophie Petzal @ October 8 2010, 1:33 PM BSTYou are all effectively proving each other's points. You want to write? Go and write. Stop plaguing the forums with bile.
Butting out for good now. Bye all. Good luck.
Christ!
You want to hear real writers when they get started.
Please don't go.
Or go.
Whatever. Your contribution was valued.
Quote: Sophie Petzal @ October 8 2010, 1:33 PM BSTYou are all effectively proving each other's points. You want to write? Go and write. Stop plaguing the forums with bile.
Butting out for good now. Bye all. Good luck.
I just become a little arsey when the only time someone posts on a forum is to tell the other posters that they are bitter, untalented wasters. (I am referring to 2chritiantypists who has a lot of form in this respect - we are discouraged from using the word troll.)
If you do decide to return you will generally find this community to be supportive, friendly and entertaining. Which is the reason why you are right to get out now while you still can.
Congratulations, Sophie. You sound healthily realistic as a person and as a comedy writer. This trait will serve you well. All the very best with your project, stick to your guns where necessary and, most importantly, enjoy the ride. If it all comes to nothing, be prepared to pick yourself up and start again, with the aim of making your next script so good that they'd be mad to say no. (Admittedly, this might take many years and many scripts.)
As for bitterness and bile, perhaps think of this arena as a place where a lot of steam can be let-off? Experience will teach most comedy writers that this is actually a healthy thing to do - although I appreciate that it might not always appear that way to the casual reader.
Good luck. 
Quote: David Bussell @ October 8 2010, 1:20 PM BSTNo worries, let me cast your memory back...
It was a question which Sophie kindly replied to.
Quote: bushbaby @ October 8 2010, 1:31 PM BSTI'm not sure Sophie. As I said, a sitcom of mine was a hair's breadth off being accepted [so I know I can write funny] Two years down the line there was a series { I can't remember if it was just two eps or a few but it was set in a brothel!!!!] Is that not risque then?
With mine the Head of the Comedy dept rang me to explain that the script was good but they felt the 'setting' was too risque but had I got anything else. I didn't at the time.
I will stress again, I was not getting at you or the other writers, I was questioning the subject in this post and the confusion of writers when told such a sitcom is not required as that situation has been over done, then they accept one.[not yours]
This is the only thing I have been trying to question on here.
I even had Thora Hird ringing me up at length about a script I sent to her.
I am not bitter not astonishing, just puzzled with the reaction on here and why I can't question without being told it's sour grapes. I'm the least jealous of anyone I know, you either have jealousy in the genes or you don't And I don't.
Nevertheless, I will submit my 'all mixed up' family situation script to ITV and see how I fare with them.
Again for about the fifth time, very good luck with yours and the other five.
It must be extremely exciting for you
I know exactly what you mean. I too had the idea of writing about a brothel.
A few years back I went to Amsterdam and after getting off my face on something I bought from a guy in the street, I decided to see what all this red light district fuss was about. The upshot was that on returning home I discovered I had come back with a few extra presents - two of which, according to my GP, you can only get from livestock.
I decided to put my experience into a sitcom and sent it to the writers room. The feed back I got was not good with comments like 'Unimaginative' and 'contrived' and 'what the f**k'. I always got the impression that it was just too real for them. They don't like 'real'. They only 'not real'.