Sam Bain and Graham Linehan quickly leap to the defence of execs, while John Warburton (and a number of people on a messageboard) attack them. Richard Herring's comment says it all. "So successful comedy writers think executives are good and unsuccessful ones think they are bad. Food for thought."
Not a meal though is it?
Yes, obviously the way to get ahead is to suck up to the execs. That's the lesson I'm taking from this.
I left the following comment on the Inn Mates thread. Maybe a better home for it is here:
This article by John has ruffled a feather or two with the likes of Sam Bain and Graham Linehan weighing in to the Twitter debate.
Still, it's an interesting perspective from a writer's point of view when the process isn't going smoothly and people are pulling in different directions. I've been there myself and it can be frustrating. The truth is though that nobody ever sets out to make a bad show, not the writer, the execs, the director, nobody. But I think what is universally accepted is that the best shows have a very stiff rudder that keeps the heading true.
The other problem (as I see it, anyway) is there seems to be a palpable nervousness when a new writer is at the helm. And of course there should be, to a degree, because a lot of money and reputation is at stake with any TV show being made. But any parent will know that when a child learns to ride a bike, eventually the stabilisers will have to come off. So off they come and junior pedals away - a little wobbly to begin with but soon he's happily whizzing about and pulling wheelies with the best of them. Whereas the overly-cautious Mum and Dad will keep the stabilisers on for far too long, and junior never gains the confidence that he would have done if he was only allowed to pedal free. In my humble opinion there should be more trust in the new writer's ability. After all, his / her show is being developed because the writing is good.
In Warby's case, his script got to the top of a very large pile. (Over a thousand, I believe.) And out of that pile, a shortlist was drawn-up, and out of that shortlist, Inn Mates was chosen to be made into a pilot. This decision was made by people with years and years of TV comedy experience. So the script was good. It must have been, or it wouldn't have beaten all the other contenders and got to the stage it did. But then things went a bit wrong. I don't know where, I don't know how, but the show lost itself. From what I remember, the show had lots of good ideas but it didn't quite mesh. It was quite naturalistic in parts then oddly surreal in others. So I may be wrong but I got the distinct impression that different people wanted different things from the show, and so the rudder was all over the place.
Maybe I'm over-simplifying things. Only the people who made the show will know what really happened. But it just goes to show how difficult it is to get the ingredients perfect.
Anyroad, I wish John well. He's a nice fella and a very talented comedian to boot. And I hope one day he comes back to TV comedy and writes a smasher.
It's just stupid to create an us vs them battleground. Everyone's on the same side here.
Edit: Not aimed at you, Lee.
Quote: MCharsley @ July 1 2013, 3:11 PM BSTSam Bain and Graham Linehan quickly leap to the defence of execs, while John Warburton (and a number of people on a messageboard) attack them. Richard Herring's comment says it all. "So successful comedy writers think executives are good and unsuccessful ones think they are bad. Food for thought."
Not to mention the dozens of middle-ranking writers who're staying quiet.
https://twitter.com/JohnWarburtonPR/status/351700593821233154
https://twitter.com/sambaintv/status/351713283742507009 https://twitter.com/sambaintv/status/351713403682832386
One problem with scripts that win competitions is that they aren't necessarily the best, merely the ones that offend least people involved in the judging process. They're the compromise candidates. So maybe Warburton's original script was a pretty insipid specimen to begin with that panicky execs tried to jizz up.
Quote: Aaron @ July 1 2013, 3:37 PM BSTNot to mention the dozens of middle-ranking writers who're staying quiet.
Who are they?
Quote: MCharsley @ July 1 2013, 3:42 PM BSTWho are they?
I don't think it's a secret that there are comedy writers other than Sam Bain and Graham Linehan working in Britain at the moment.
Quote: Aaron @ July 1 2013, 3:44 PM BSTI don't think it's a secret that there are comedy writers other than Sam Bain and Graham Linehan working in Britain at the moment.
How do you know they've stayed quiet or why they've stayed quiet, then? I assumed you had someone in particular in mind.
Quote: chipolata @ July 1 2013, 3:42 PM BSTOne problem with scripts that win competitions is that they aren't necessarily the best, merely the ones that offend least people involved in the judging process. They're the compromise candidates. So maybe Warburton's original script was a pretty insipid specimen to begin with that panicky execs tried to jizz up.
I seem to recall this wasn't a straight script competition so much as a talent-development initiative, in which the script was written with the BBC as part of the 'College', based on an original idea by the writer.
Quote: MCharsley @ July 1 2013, 3:46 PM BSTHow do you know they've stayed quiet or why they've stayed quiet, then? I assumed you had someone in particular in mind.
Yes, and I'm not going to prejudice anyone by naming them myself. They can speak up if they feel able. People stay quiet because they fear their current and future employment prospects.
See also: Jimmy Savile.
Quote: Aaron @ July 1 2013, 3:47 PM BSTSee also: Jimmy Savile.
I think the demonisation of comedy execs has gone far enough.
Be interesting to hear what James Cary makes of all this.
I can understand the frustration at seeing your script change from something you love and care about into something you don't recognise, but if it was me I hope I'd just treat it as a lesson learned and - above all - a TV credit.
Also, 21 regular characters in a non-radio sitcom was always going to be a hard sell in these days of austerity.
Quote: chipolata @ July 1 2013, 3:42 PM BSTOne problem with scripts that win competitions is that they aren't necessarily the best, merely the ones that offend least people involved in the judging process. They're the compromise candidates. So maybe Warburton's original script was a pretty insipid specimen to begin with that panicky execs tried to jizz up.
I might be wrong but I don't think the BBC was contractually obliged to film a pilot. If they didn't believe in the script it would have just been shelved.
Quote: Aaron @ July 1 2013, 3:44 PM BSTI don't think it's a secret that there are comedy writers other than Sam Bain and Graham Linehan working in Britain at the moment.
Yes but if they spoke at once could you even discern any words?
