British Comedy Guide

At Your Expense

Hi all!

This is my first post on these forums and actually the first thing I've ever written. I'd appreciate any feedback on my idea/writing

At Your Expense - A Comedy about MP's

PM : Yes, no, papa I know. I know I have to do it but I never believed they would actually buy it. They actually bought all my promises, who would have known that people would vote for you if you promised them everything. No but daddy the hours are really long and the press are already out to get me, have you seen the front of The Mirror? I never did those drugs that they say I did.. What? Well that was at Christmas it doesn't count!. {Pause} Yes daddy, born to rule I know. I've got to go, important call on the other line, ok bye. (Pause) Hello? Oh yes, of course I remember you Michael of course. How is it on the financial precipice? Did I mean what? Oh what, taxing the bankers? (laughs) of course I bloody didn't. Look me and you were at Oxford together weren't we? You let me copy your economics essays, so it's only fair I give you a tax break? How will we get it through parliament? Leave it to me, leave it to me Michael. Ok take care, make a killing.

The PM is sorting the daily papers on his desk, the telephone is ringing but he is pre-occupied with sorting.

PM : Look at this, The Mirror has a picture of me doing something we're trying to ban, Prime minister says drugs are MDMAmazing. I can see the headlines now. And look at The Sun, "Expenses scandal rolls on'. Oh sweet Mary Jesus bitch. It's on all of them. We were supposed to be the party that would clean up society and politics and its come apart in 48 hours.

Telephone is still ringing. The PM finally answers it

PM: Yes yes, well then, who's this? Oh I Claudette, whose waiting? Michael and Simon, yes send them in immediately.

Door opens

PM: Michael, Simon, what an enormous headache you've given me

Michael: Worse than how you felt on your comedown? *Points to the front page of The Mirror still on the PM's desk*

PM: You let me deal with that. So Michael and Simon. What the hell have you done! Michael you've claimed for every piece of furniture in IKEA. And for a builder to come and put the stuff together!

Michael: Well you know I wasn't built to put flat-back furniture together

PM: Cut the crap Michael we both know there was no builder and you just pocketed the money! Now Simon, what are you? Some kind of mute witness?

Simon: No sir

PM: You claimed for 7 sofa's for your two homes from DFS. I don't care if there's constantly a sale on.

Simon: They are comfortable though

PM: Will they be comfortable with my boot up your arse? Now forgive me for my last outburst. Anyway, it was decided this morning that MP's are no longer allowed to claim for furniture on expenses.

Michael and Simon together: WHAT?

PM: I won't hear anymore about it. No more furniture on expenses. This was a cabinet decision.

Is it a standalone sketch or the opening to a sitcom?

Quote: MCharsley @ January 15 2013, 12:03 PM GMT

Is it a standalone sketch or the opening to a sitcom?

Its the opening to a sitcom, probably should have said that at the start!

Quote: MCharsley @ January 15 2013, 12:03 PM GMT

Is it a standalone sketch or the opening to a sitcom?

I was wondering this as well. I'm afraid that it seems terribly outdated either way. It also didn't seem like you had any great love (or hate, that's fine too) for the subject of politics that you really need to write a really good satire.

I don't think there was enough here to really get a handle on. It seems mildly amusing at the moment but I would need to see a bit more to give a better critique.

If it was my script and I was to rewrite it I'd do something like this, with Simon coming into the PM's office for a chat. I'd be looking less towards one-liners and more towards revealing character.

PM:
I've just been looking over your proposed budget, having a bit of trouble with those codes. Mind if we go over them?

Simon:
Yeah, of course!

PM:
Right. easy one to start you off. MOD?

Simon:
Ministry of Defence.

PM:
NHS?

Simon:
National Health Service, of course!

PM smiles at Simon, then glares at him intensely.

PM:
DFS?

Simon:
(guilty stutter)
Ermm....Defence...

PM:
(really angry)
[cutting off] It's a f**king furniture shop you tit! What did I tell you about expenses claims?! WHAT DID I TELL YOU?

Simon:
(defeated)
You said, "be more creative or suffer the consequences"

** PM shakes his head at Simon, and escorts him out **

Quote: Garry Lee @ January 15 2013, 1:10 PM GMT

If it was my script and I was to rewrite it I'd do something like this, with Simon coming into the PM's office for a chat. I'd be looking less towards one-liners and more towards revealing character.

PM:
I've just been looking over your proposed budget, having a bit of trouble with those codes. Mind if we go over them?

Simon:
Yeah, of course!

PM:
Right. easy one to start you off. MOD?

Simon:
Ministry of Defence.

PM:
NHS?

Simon:
National Health Service, of course!

PM smiles at Simon, then glares at him intensely.

PM:
DFS?

Simon:
(guilty stutter)
Ermm....Defence...

PM:
(really angry)
[cutting off] It's a f**king furniture shop you tit! What did I tell you about expenses claims?! WHAT DID I TELL YOU?

Simon:
(defeated)
You said, "be more creative or suffer the consequences"

** PM shakes his head at Simon, and escorts him out **

Thanks for the suggestions. I can see how this is sharper than what I've put

You haven't really showed us enough for us to know whether there's a plot, although it does hint there might be one with the crisis headlines

The dialogue is fine in that it reads reasonably like speech. It's just a bit cliched really. Vacuous but rude MPs do favours, drugs and expense fiddling.

With The Thick of It in everybody's mind and Yes Minister rumoured to be returning, a political sitcom is going to have to be very good indeed to catch the attention. Unless you really want to write a political satire, in which case it had better make some more subtle and original points, perhaps you're better turning your scriptwriting skills to a different subject

Garry's opening is pretty snappy and funny FWIW

I have to be a bit blunt here. This is rather weak.

The opening submission seems to be all set up for a hackneyed groaner-type "cabinet decision" pun/joke, as you might see in a weak sketch, as well as the usual stream of meandering banter that most strating scriptwriters tend to include (myself included).

As mentioned before, Yes Minister (I don't know about the new one yet) and The Thick of It set a very high bar for sharp political comedies, and are written by people with very advanced knowledge of the political system/process. This one all seems rather nieve.

That said, "At Your Expense" is a good title at least, but I don't see much in this at all really.

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