Quote: Marc P @ November 4 2008, 11:31 AM GMTI was mainly referring to this kind of exercise, let's get a gang together and write it all together. It never works. Ask Micheal J about the ease, or not, of the online team written sitcom 'Cleaners' project.
I think the problem with trying to do committee comedy at the BBC is that - as recent events have proved - BBC producers are monumentally weak and easy to push around. Get a strong producer, and it might work.
Committees mean compromise and that isn't good for writing comedy. Some one person, or a writing partnership, need to create a show first. Create the characters the world etc, give it it's 'voice', then other writers can come on board for a 'team written' sitcom, but even then individual writers go off and write the episode, the script may be punched up later by the team. But this isn't the sort of thing Curt is looking for I'm guessing.
Re the BBC Comedy - I think I am coming up to a record now on waiting to hear back from them re a project. Nine months! 
Micheal J used to reject my ideas in a matter of days.
Quote: Marc P @ November 4 2008, 11:31 AM GMTAnother thing you could do is get hold of the finish this sitcom book from the competition the Beeb ran. Break your class up into a number of small groups - maybe pairs would work best or groups of three - and give them the finish it task. Some might not be suitable for the age mind as I recall.
Do you mean the "Last Laugh thing" where people submitted their own endings to a sitcom? I found those scripts. Or do you know of an actual comedy writing guide that the BBC put out?
Thanks,
No it was the 'Last Laugh' thing I was thinking of Curt.
Quote: Marc P @ November 4 2008, 12:09 PM GMTRe the BBC Comedy - I think I am coming up to a record now on waiting to hear back from them re a project. Nine months!
Has Michael J got it, or someone else?
Quote: chipolata @ November 4 2008, 1:16 PM GMTHas Michael J got it, or someone else?
Someone else, not sure who it is with now. Maybe they are filming it as a nice surprise for me.
Who are the good inhouse BBC producers, Marc?
To be honest I am a bit out of touch sitcom wise, I used to know Verity Lambert and Micheal J in comedy, but haven't really had a crack at a sitcom for some time. Syd Lotterby tried punting the last thing I wrote, which had some interest but not enough to float it. Susie Belbin was great but she isn't there anymore.
Lotterby's a bit of a legend. Although isn't there bad blood between him and Roy Clarke? Or am I thinking of someone else.
Never heard anything about that. Syd seemed to me a really great guy - definitely a legend.
Hi
I have been a youth leader for many years, and one of the best techniques I saw was a follows.
The youngsters were asked to name any common object, you collect the ideas on the board so you end up with things like a beach ball, a welly boot etc.
Once you have around ten objects you then ask the class for situations, ie going shopping, catching a train etc. When you have four or five situations, split the class into groups, let them pick one situation each and write a piece including five of the objects. This worked really well when I saw it done and the whole thing was finished of by picking the best 12 lines from the various stories and incorporating them into a song in a style chosen by the youngsters.
Hope this helps, it was really good fun.
Quote: Summer G @ November 5 2008, 12:33 AM GMTHi
I have been a youth leader for many years, and one of the best techniques I saw was a follows.The youngsters were asked to name any common object, you collect the ideas on the board so you end up with things like a beach ball, a welly boot etc.
Once you have around ten objects you then ask the class for situations, ie going shopping, catching a train etc. When you have four or five situations, split the class into groups, let them pick one situation each and write a piece including five of the objects. This worked really well when I saw it done and the whole thing was finished of by picking the best 12 lines from the various stories and incorporating them into a song in a style chosen by the youngsters.Hope this helps, it was really good fun.
Were they 16?