There have been some really, really dark kids drama.
There was one called White Coats set during the BSE on a farm.
The dad had a break down and was going to kill himself and the girl had her pet calf snatched out of her arms by a bloodstained executioner.
Jeez - when/where was that shown?
Quote: Mikey Jackson @ July 22 2009, 12:30 PM BSTMine two main characters were 11, and were dealing with contemporary issues which may have been classed as too "mature" I suppose. (Boy with a single mother. Father gone astray.)
One of mine shot fire balls and punched stuff really hard.
Quote: Mikey Jackson @ July 22 2009, 12:30 PM BSTMine two main characters were 11, and were dealing with contemporary issues which may have been classed as too "mature" I suppose. (Boy with a single mother. Father gone astray.)
I dunno - mine had a kid with a dead mum, and a father so deep into depression he would sit around in rooms with the light off doing nowt and let his son do all the work, and it got to a second read.
Certainly, your write up fits two of the central characters in the Sarah Jane Adventures (allowing one swap of mother/father)
I had my characters older as I thought it made more sence from a production point of view as there are limits to how long child actors can work and, with some exceptions, a lot don't seem to be able to act.
Despite obviously being hugely unoriginal, it got a second read so I must have done something right.
I know what you mean but I also see it from the CBBC people's point of view.
They didn't want a smash hit show or something that would be incredibly successful, they just wanted something fresh and interesting to experiment with.
I wish I had realised this before I sent mine off! 
I dunno - mine had a kid with a dead mum, and a father so deep into depression he would sit around in rooms with the light off doing nowt and let his son do all the work, and it got to a second read.
Blimey! Talk about something different! 
I felt rather down that mine didn't get shortlisted as I feel it has a lot of potential. I've got the whole series planned out already.
Ah well... I'm plodding onward with mine. It's already in the hands of a producer who's very excited about it.
Glad you've been able to make use of it - nice one!
Ah, but...
He's excited but it's got to excite a lot of other people before I even get a sniff of TV. It's only a first rung of a very long and slippery ladder.
Quote: Mikey Jackson @ July 24 2009, 4:29 PM BSTI dunno - mine had a kid with a dead mum, and a father so deep into depression he would sit around in rooms with the light off doing nowt and let his son do all the work, and it got to a second read.
Blimey! Talk about something different!
Bizarrely, it was all quite light hearted!
I felt rather down that mine didn't get shortlisted as I feel it has a lot of potential. I've got the whole series planned out already.
Ah well... I'm plodding onward with mine. It's already in the hands of a producer who's very excited about it.
Good for you. Never waste an idea. Planning on sending mine out once I can get a series proposal together.
Where are/have you guys sent your scripts? I've been scrolling through lists of producers without really seeing any ones that definitely take unsolicited scripts for children's television. I also have something I want to pester people with.
Adam
Quote: Mikey Jackson @ July 24 2009, 6:31 PM BSTAh, but...
He's excited but it's got to excite a lot of other people before I even get a sniff of TV. It's only a first rung of a very long and slippery ladder.
Well quite. But even if you only climb that ladder half way, you may be invited onto a neighbouring ladder with more interesting rungs and a greater prize at the top. Or, as you say, you might fall off and land on your arse.
Bizarrely, it was all quite light hearted!
Well, it obviously gained some interest, so don't give up on it.
Well quite. But even if you only climb that ladder half way, you may be invited onto a neighbouring ladder with more interesting rungs and a greater prize at the top. Or, as you say, you might fall off and land on your arse.
Yeah, you never know.
Originally, I only wrote it for the contest, but now it's evolved into something potentially worth it.
Where are/have you guys sent your scripts? I've been scrolling through lists of producers without really seeing any ones that definitely take unsolicited scripts for children's television. I also have something I want to pester people with.
Mine isn't an unsolicited place. It's a contact I've made along the long and winding road, through lots of time, hard work, previous and general detectiveness.
You probably won't find any unsolicited childrens' producers any more. They closed most of the doors to mortals a while back, after everybody started trying to bury them wih bad Harry Potter copies.
Quote: Mikey Jackson @ July 25 2009, 10:51 AM BSTMine isn't an unsolicited place. It's a contact I've made along the long and winding road, through lots of time, hard work, previous and general detectiveness
Quote: The Giggle-o @ July 24 2009, 10:54 PM BSTWhere are/have you guys sent your scripts? I've been scrolling through lists of producers without really seeing any ones that definitely take unsolicited scripts for children's television. I also have something I want to pester people with.
Adam
Screenplay Productions Ltd is soliciting "Children's' scripted comedy for CBBC".
Quote: JohnnyD @ July 25 2009, 11:11 AM BSTScreenplay Productions Ltd is soliciting "Children's' scripted comedy for CBBC".
I sent them a radio play yesterday, heard nothing and there was no contract in the post this morning either!
A pro writer mate of mine sent one in and I thought it had a brilliant premise. Didn't get a second read. I think he might have fallen foul of having his central kid 13, which is a bit crazy really. As someone more glamorous than me said, kids read books about kids their age or older.
Crazy old world.
I still read Arthur Ransome now and again mind.