If it goes well, I hope it continues!
BBC Comedy cutbacks Page 4
Quote: Agnes Guano @ February 9 2011, 12:33 AM GMTI do happen to know the Beeb are making a new series of Two Pints of Lager. Let's all hope and pray to whatever voodoo idols we worship that this series will be the last.
Quote: Aaron @ February 9 2011, 12:43 AM GMTIf it goes well, I hope it continues!
History teaches us that there were also a large number of people who were against the abolition of slavery and the emanciapation of women...
Ouch. Everything's being slashed these days.
Still on the positive side apparently radio comedy is untouched.
Now for me to work on my new script "Drown the Mathew Horne"
In house. So, was that basically a get thee to a production company?
Quote: Griff @ April 15 2011, 6:10 PM BSTI think in terms of online comedy (which was briefly covered) the BBC is going to be winding its neck in a bit. (But if you want to do that kind of thing you'd probably make it yourself anyway?) I was just adding that minor factoid to the general doom and gloom. Having said which, Mr.Writersroom was still encouraging people to send in radio, TV and stage scripts to his all-powerful shredder so the door isn't completely closed.
I wish they did shred it. F**kers still make you send a SAE.
Next time I'll read the post properly Griff. I missed the online bit until after I'd pressed send. But its still not good really.
Writersroom is something that comes up time and time again and more often than not there seems to be a negative comment or comments attached to it; whether it's them taking an interminably long time before responding (understandable as I'm sure they're inundated) or else, when they finally do, sending a fairly stock 'thanks but no thanks response' to those submitting.
So I have a question, and before asking I will lay my own cards on the table. I have never sent them anything whatsoever so don't have any first-hand experience of what they do or don't do. But I would have to say that if forming a view on whether it's worthwhile to take a punt on them, and basing it on virtually everything I've read (both on here and on other sites) I don't think I'd waste my time or indeed seemingly theirs.
Ah, I see I have digressed so back to my question. Has anybody ever had much by way of positive or practical feedback from them? And as a supplementary, am I wrong in writing them off?
If you've got a script why not?
I kinda take the view that the BBC is a business like anyother.
How likely are you to invest thousands in an idea an unknown just drops on your desk?
Agreed Sooty, inasmuch as if you don't send it to them then you'd never know.
But what I'm getting at is that virtually all I've read about what they do is pretty negative. Now as I've said I have no axe to grind but the consensus of what I have read about Writersroom is that material sent on spec seems to end up nowhere.
I assume they must put some stuff through or else they wouldn't be there, but I've yet to hear about one thing that was picked up, developed and subsequently went on to be a hit though that system.
I'm not an expert and my sole involvement with the site has been to visit and trawl through to see various opportunities they post up from time to time (that's an excellent part of their remit btw) and indeed my last statement about them finding and developing little or nothing might well expose me as being a completely ignorant berk. However if it provokes a torrent of info and examples of stuff that has made it then I'll be pleased to read all about it.
The advice I've picked up
is get a good enough script then worry about selling it
I certainly wouldn't bother sending anything to the Writers Room.
That doesn't mean I wouldn't try to get work sent to BBC producers etc (obviously). But from everything I've read/heard thus far I wouldn't bother using that avenue.
Quote: zooo @ April 16 2011, 11:51 PM BSTI certainly wouldn't bother sending anything to the Writers Room.
That doesn't mean I wouldn't try to get work sent to BBC producers etc (obviously). But from everything I've read/heard thus far I wouldn't bother using that avenue.
Pretty much the same view I've formed Zooo. I think individual producers or third party production companies are a better bet.
Quote: sootyj @ April 16 2011, 11:50 PM BSTThe advice I've picked up
is get a good enough script then worry about selling it
Soots, I'm not talking about the merits of the submission. It's how it's handled by Writersroom, irrespective of whether it's good or bad. All I'm saying is that so far, and taking into account all that I've seen and read, Writersroom would appear to be a very hard sell.
However what in writing isn't? 
Quote: Griff @ April 17 2011, 12:10 AM BSTWritersroom is a long shot. About one percent of the submissions they receive lead to writers being given other opportunities. But if you've got a script anyway, why wouldn't you send it to them?
It's all a bit hypothetical really as I don't have one to send. But based within the context of this thread (ever-diminishing Beeb budgets) I'm saying that, if I had one and if I didn't know anybody specifically by name to send it to, then based on nearly all the feedback I've ever seen, it appears that Writersroom is a bit of a black hole and probably not worth the effort. OK it's a longshot but not many put their money on the 100/1 shot.
I suppose my question is really what is their current remit? And set against the backdrop of the swinging axe might not the funding for it (well certainly the handling of unsolicited submissions part) be better spent elsewhere, given the seemingly low strike rate by both them and would-be writers?