Hmmm, never had any dealings with Micheal. Never sent him any scripts, gags or jokes etc. Never met him at any workshops or any Beeb shindigs, but he certainly does sound like one of the good guys so...
Micheal, before you leave Auntie, is there any chance you could have a word with that effing Newsjack robot and see what it has against me?
Oh, and best wishes for whatever you do next of course. 
Maybe you could start an online team written sitcom when you leave the BBC Micheal?
Strangely, someone recently pitched me a show about cleaners, Marc. One day...
In terms of what I may or may not be doing, I'll have a clearer idea by the beginning of April, but I'm thinking about some kind of script consultancy among other stuff.
And I really appreciate people's kindness.
Quote: Marc P @ February 24 2011, 10:59 AM GMTMaybe you could start an online team written sitcom when you leave the BBC Micheal?
I recently found the entry I did for that comp but never got round to submitting. It involved an Indian Dolly Parton tribute act called Bolly Parton. Comedy gold!
My first dealings with Micheal were around the time when the College Of Comedy scheme started. A great idea and a welcome chance for new writers. I wasn't successful with my application.
I e-mailed Micheal, I can't remember exactly what I said, but I asked his advice on other writing opportunities and also asked whether he could tell me why my scripts were rejected.
He sent me a long email and told me exactly why I hadn't progressed in the scheme, with the main point being that I was a long way from being a good enough writer. I appreciated his honesty and the way he told me, which was very straight-forward and direct, no sugar coating. He promised to read my next writing attempt, which was completely separate from the College Of Comedy.
Sure enough I e-mailed him almost a year later with my next attempt, to which he replied with some good feedback and noticed an improvement in me as a writer, but the script wasn't something he would pursue. I asked him if he laughed when reading the script, he told me "Yes - I laughed", which I could be nothing but happy with.
Whilst the shows he's been involved with are not shows I particularly seek out to watch, I am appreciative of the help he gave me during that period, where I perhaps needed a kick up the arse and to be told that I wasn't as good as I thought I was at the time.
Excellent blog by Micheal: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/2011/03/and_its_goodbye_from_me.shtml
Dan
Yup thanks for link, very good read. Good luck with the reading in summer Micheal!
Thanks for the link. Interesting stuff! Especially about the changes in technology.
Very interesting read!
Best wishes for the future, Micheal.
Thanks for posting that Dan. That was a great swan song from someone who I found to be a very friendly and helpful man.
Def.
Thank you all, though it's a swan song from my perch in the writersroom, rather than a final descent beneath the waves. Indeed, this swan will sing - or honk - again once I've had an opportunity to set up a website and establish myself in a new existence. It looks as if I'm going to be very busy, at least in the immediate future,so to mix creatures, there's life in the old dog yet.
Quote: Micheal Jacob @ March 31 2011, 11:14 AM BSTThank you all, though it's a swan song from my perch in the writersroom, rather than a final descent beneath the waves. Indeed, this swan will sing - or honk - again once I've had an opportunity to set up a website and establish myself in a new existence. It looks as if I'm going to be very busy, at least in the immediate future,so to mix creatures, there's life in the old dog yet.
Doh! At me. I meant obviously your sw from the beeb and not that you are dead. Or worse.
Def.
Quote: Micheal Jacob @ March 31 2011, 11:14 AM BSTThank you all, though it's a swan song from my perch in the writersroom, rather than a final descent beneath the waves. Indeed, this swan will sing - or honk - again once I've had an opportunity to set up a website and establish myself in a new existence. It looks as if I'm going to be very busy, at least in the immediate future,so to mix creatures, there's life in the old dog yet.
And the address of your new website is ?
I haven't got it set up yet Bill. I'll be announcing it here should moderation allow.
No need to be modest Micheal. Oh... I see what you mean.