Writing for Newsjack (aka 7 on 7) Page 81

Well I finally dragged myself along to Newsjack for the last episode and had a fine evening. They laid on a free bar before the show (!), where I met up with Jane P and Puk Toff, and the whole cast seemed to be in very high spirits and delivered a very entertaining show. Maida Vale is much smaller than the Radio Theatre and so more of a comedy club atmosphere than the theatre feel of Portland Place.

My sketch went OK, as did Dan and Jane P's sketch, so fingers crossed for the recording.

After the show we three BSGers barged our way into the Green Room ("DON'T YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE??!!?!!") to schmooze with the cast and production team, with more free beer provided.

They confirmed that they were getting an average of 400 writers sending in material to Newsjack each week, so if you didn't get anything in, don't feel too bad. And there will be more opportunities in future. BBC7 are interested in doing another series of Newsjack, everyone's just waiting to see what happens regarding budgets etc. Also, there will be another open submissions radio sketch show later this year.

Well done to those who got their stuff on this week. Looking forward to hearing the show as a result!

To those who didn't, don't be disheartened! Just cos your material wasn't selected doesn't necessarily mean that your writing isn't up to scratch. "'orses for courses'" as they say!

congtrats to this week's chosen ones! Bummed I never got to a recording but am up north. Typical London, swilling free booze on the exact amount of my personal contribution to the licence fee.

Hmmm... it doesn't look like I got any of my sketches and jokes on. All well.

Quote: Griff @ July 23 2009, 12:04 AM BST

After the show we three BSGers barged our way into the Green Room ("DON'T YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE??!!?!!") to schmooze with the cast and production team, with more free beer provided.

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I've heard about you, Griff, and your ludicrous 'lost in showbiz' demands!

Gutted I couldn't make it. Especially to what sounded like a lovely little tea party in their five-seater theatre

Cheers for the info.

Here's to the next open-doors one, people! Even if you didn't get anything on, hopefully everyone got into the discipline of writing something every week, even when it seems easier not to have to!

Dan

Quote: Aldrin @ July 23 2009, 7:12 AM BST

Typical London, swilling free booze on the exact amount of my personal contribution to the licence fee.

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Thanks for the Orange Juice Aldrin.

It was great to meet Puk and a big thanks to Griff for shmoozing us in there. Although it was funny when you were asking someone if we could say hello to Tilusha and she was standing right next to you.

Much smaller venue but really enjoyed it all. I have a feeling our sketch might be cut and it's a shame Dan was too busy being Ronnie Corbett to be there but it was the coolest thing to see. We made Lewis cry like Gordon Brown.

Griff's sketch is great - I look forward to hearing it later.

They were all so lovely and friendly as well after. And all seemed fairly positive about a second run.

Hopefully everyone will get their shot at a credit then - it should become a bit easier to write for as it becomes established.

JP

Just want to chime in with my congratulations also, well done to all the BCG'ers who had their material read out.

I am very jealous that you got to barnstorm the Green Room and enjoyed copious amounts of free booze.

Now that I know you guys got your sketches on this week, I'll listen in and laugh like a drain (do drains laugh?).

The writers list is up:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lrq9y

Congratulations Griff, swerytd, Jane P and anyone else who I don't know!

Just heard I got a vox pop in the show tonight.

Cheers Dave, and well done everyone else. Badge has got another credit too!

Dan

Oh shit! I didn't get anything on.

Quote: swerytd @ July 23 2009, 7:38 PM BST

Cheers Dave, and well done everyone else. Badge has got another credit too!

Dan

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Yippee! I like the order of the credits cos it makes it look like I am the lead writer for eps 5 and 6. Congrats to everyone else, too.

I know! I'm fourth after years of alphabetical discrimination!

Dan

Gah! Didn't make the cut.

Received an email on Tuesday from Dan Tetsell saying that last week they'd recorded a sketch of mine, about David Beckham's (lack of) commitment to La Galaxy, which had got dropped for time (or for not being funny enough). Could I rejig it to include this week's events, with the crowd having a pop at Becks and him confronting that fan?

So I did, but it was a big old son of a motherless goat to do, because essentially I was trying to cut and shut two different angles of the same story together, and whatever I did it didn't seem to make it much funnier. It was just longer. So anyway, I sent it back, Dan said 'Good' and it was in the script for the Wednesday recording.

I can only assume it must have absolutely bombed.

Oh well. Congrats to everyone who managed to get sketches and one liners on, especially if they were your first radio credits, and to those who didn't, well, you're terrible and just not funny.

Of course not! See you next series!

Hi Jane P and Griff - it was a pleasure to meet you both as well. And well done Griff for blagging us into the Green Room after the show. . . I'd never have even thought of doing that if I'd been on my own. . .