Can anyone explain why so many of the opportunities on the Beeb's writersroom are for 'Northern' writers? It seems to border (geddit?) on the obsessive! They often seem to stipulate that to qualify as a Northerner (where's the divide -top end of my garden?) You have to be born there/ have lived there/ know someone who eats tripe or simply got stuck at Manchester airport for a bit.
Eeh,'eck! - There, do I qualify now?
You should have said "by 'eck" to qualify as one of us....
....sorry, it's a no.
There's quite a bit of this "positive discrimination" around now. We can only wait...
Quote: Croydesponger @ October 2, 2006, 6:25 PMCan anyone explain why so many of the opportunities on the Beeb's writersroom are for 'Northern' writers?
This also frustrates me. I live in the South West. The North isn't the only area cut off from London. It's a long way from Cornwall too! Can't we have some opportunities as well?
Maybe we will if the BBC makes that move to Manchester..?
What we need to do is get the BBC 'Northern opportunities bbc squad'. Then spin them around and around until they are nearly falling over and ask them to point to the north. No matter where they point tell them that is South. (i am in the south east)
The only other alternative is to change your name to 'Northern'
You think you have it bad I dont even live in the north OR the south I live in some stupid little bit in the middle known as the midlands
Quote: RLB1 @ October 31, 2006, 12:20 AMWhat we need to do is get the BBC 'Northern opportunities bbc squad'. Then spin them around and around until they are nearly falling over and ask them to point to the north. No matter where they point tell them that is South. (i am in the south east)
That sounds like a plan!
Nonsense - I live in North West England, I can't get anyone to even have a sniff at my script.
It's really frustrating - I sent it out to both Channel 4 and Five and they said they actually liked it, but it really needs to go to production companies and out all of them - two thirds didn't have the decency to even acknowledge me and send a reply - and the third that did get back to me insisted that they will only look at a script if it's come through an agent because unsolicited material is at risk of being copied. Fair enough, but to get round that, I've even registered my work with UK Copyright services.
What next? Well that's anyones guess.
Needless to say, I find it difficult to believe that companies are crying out for new material when the moment you've got something to show them, you get snubbed.
It's not that I don't have writing experience either, I've written comedy sketches for commercial radio in this area for the past ten years and have a track record of such material building radio audiences and increasing listening hours.
Any ideas? Maybe there's a producer somewhere reading this that can help!
It's best to check with the production companies before sending scripts. Ask them their policy re. unsolicited scripts as many of them don't accept material from new writers and, as you've discovered, they won't respond to you if you send something in.
At the same time, there are a number of production companies who accept unsolicited scripts and some will even provide helpful feedback if it's not for them.
Quote: Thomps @ November 25, 2006, 9:20 AMIt's best to check with the production companies before sending scripts. Ask them their policy re. unsolicited scripts as many of them don't accept material from new writers and, as you've discovered, they won't respond to you if you send something in.
At the same time, there are a number of production companies who accept unsolicited scripts and some will even provide helpful feedback if it's not for them.
Yes, my emails to the producion companies were nothing more than enquiries and there was either no response at all - which I though was downright ignorant - and the ones that did have the decency to reply said, send the script through an agent otherwise I'm wasting my time!
Unbelievable.
I've yet to hear of a company that will accept an unsolicited script bearing in mind I've had it copyright protected