Another voice of dissent http://sitcomgeek.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/seven-deadly-sins-of-giving-notes-to.html
None of this will make any difference of course, there will always be bad notes, good notes, bad producers, good producers. It's basically a matter of luck who you get paired off with.
The truth of the matter is it's your job as a writer to learn to deal with it.
Moaning about it is pointless and pretty well guarantees people won't want to work with you.
To do a bit of brown-nosing, the executive who optioned my latest script has been incredibly helpful and supportive, seeing something worthwhile in the first messy effort I sent, guiding and prodding me through many rewrites until he got what he wanted. But he also used to write sitcoms, and did some stand-up, so perhaps he's exceptional.
Quote: beaky @ July 4 2013, 12:11 PM BSTBut he also used to write sitcoms, and did some stand-up, so perhaps he's mental.
There's always that explanation.
Only just read the article by Warburton and I felt a bit sorry for him. He was always a nice chap when he posted on here, so it's sad to see this experience left such a sour taste in his mouth.
Quote: Tokyo Nambu @ June 30 2013, 10:06 PM BSThttp://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jun/30/tv-commissioning-sitcoms
He says that BBC execs ruined his sitcom, but then how do we know it wasn't all that good to begin with?
Then the BBC execs are at fault for picking it up in the first place.
Quote: bob4apples @ August 15 2013, 12:08 AM BSTHe says that BBC execs ruined his sitcom, but then how do we know it wasn't all that good to begin with?
As I recall, his was the only sitcom to make pilot stage from a mammoth BBC search for new comedy writing talent. It's pretty clear that whatever went wrong, it wasn't as simple as his idea and writing being shit. Enough people thought otherwise earlier on in the process for it to be as simple as "it wasn't all that good to begin with".
Quote: Badge @ August 15 2013, 12:18 AM BSTAs I recall, his was the only sitcom to make pilot stage from a mammoth BBC search for new comedy writing talent. It's pretty clear that whatever went wrong, it wasn't as simple as his idea and writing being shit. Enough people thought otherwise earlier on in the process for it to be as simple as "it wasn't all that good to begin with".
So the same network that found this after a 'mammoth' search for writing talent also, according to Warburton, messed it up? Plus we've never seen the original script, so the point I'm making is we cannot really know unless we do. Could be just his opinion.
Going by what he said in the article, it didn't sound like they changed the whole thing that drastically. I'm not saying it was shit, but to me the premise wasn't all that spectacular anyway.
You may be absolutely correct, but I would rather not just take his word for it. There may be many successful comedy shows that went through the same process of re-writes and changes but you rarely hear the writers complaining.
Quote: bob4apples @ August 15 2013, 11:47 AM BSTThere may be many successful comedy shows that went through the same process of re-writes and changes but you rarely hear the writers complaining.
No, because they're still working in the industry and don't want to harm their job prospects.
Quote: Tim Azure @ August 15 2013, 7:25 PM BSTDouglas Adams complained about the TV version of H2G2 and there were overt digs at the producer when Spike Mullins wrote Ronnie Corbett's monologues...
But Adams had written and performed on radio and TV before. H2G2 was developed from the radio series and novels before the TV mini-series. So he was fairly well established. Same with Mullins. Point being, they weren't new writers.
You're more likely to hear writers blaming failures on 'interference', but not so much when something does well.
Quote: Tim Azure @ August 15 2013, 9:15 PM BSTIs he a new writer, or just a new professional?
Is he being paid?
Quote: Aaron @ August 15 2013, 11:51 AM BSTNo, because they're still working in the industry and don't want to harm their job prospects.
Is that just a theory though?
Quote: MCharsley @ August 15 2013, 10:08 PM BSTIs that just a theory though?
No. People complain, both on relatively small issues and big gripes akin to Warburton. Just not publicly.
