Quote: Griff @ December 1 2009, 2:16 PM GMTIf you're "bound to" find something good enough for TV, why haven't they?
I don't know, I didn't pretend I did. I think what I said is reasonable, that within hundreds of scripts there must be some that are TV worthy. It's not that wild or incredible a thought. I assume there are any number of factors that have stopped any of them making it to TV.
It's for the reasons I outlined above mainly. 
There's only so many places set at the table, is the unfortunate but stark reality. And the established writers will always get fed first. Not their fault, of course, they've worked hard (usually) to get there in the first place. 
INT necessarily so... as the song goes.
And when you do come tantalising close to having your pilot film commission, you suddenly realise that there's a queue of more established writers ahead of you still waiting for theirs...
Maybe they should just give Cowell a show to find new writers...? 'The EXT. Factor'
The weird thing is I've read better scripts that have never been made, by unknowns than some of the shows that have been broadcast. That's quite hard to get your head around.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ December 1 2009, 2:38 PM GMTThe weird thing is I've read better scripts that have never been made, by unknowns than some of the shows that have been broadcast. That's quite hard to get your head around.
Politics, politics, politics. Which indie needs the money, which indie is best friends with the commissioning editor at that time... the factors are multiple, complex and a great script doesn't necessarily guarantee anything.
Quote: Tim Walker @ December 1 2009, 2:41 PM GMTthe factors are multiple, complex and a great script doesn't necessarily guarantee anything.
Which kinda indicates talent isn't always a condition needed for success.
Quote: SlagA @ December 1 2009, 2:43 PM GMTWhich kinda proves talent isn't a condition needed for success.
I think being incrediably pushy and pretty insensitive could be though.
Yes.
Quote: SlagA @ December 1 2009, 2:43 PM GMTWhich kinda indicates talent isn't always a condition needed for success.
Well, I'd say that it isn't always a fundamental prerequisite... This is one of the (many) things the UK could learn from the US. There may be degrees of nepotism, favouritism and many other -isms over there, but my impression is that they expect a writer at the very least to be talented before they will work with them.
Well there are a lot of back stabbing, self serving, two faced evil people in television - that is a stone cold fact. And then there is Micheal Jacob.
Quote: Griff @ December 1 2009, 2:47 PM GMTI can see why writers like to tell themselves "Ah, I haven't been successful because the business is evil and biased against talented people, only nasty horrid people succeed". It's not for me though.
Yeah, old Van Gogh died knowing he must be shit because no one liked his paintings. 
Quote: Griff @ December 1 2009, 2:47 PM GMTI can see why writers like to tell themselves "Ah, I haven't been successful because the business is evil and biased against talented people, only nasty horrid people succeed". It's not for me though.
I'm not saying that, Griff, I'm just trying to be realistic. If I was that thin-skinned and precious about writing I would have given it up a while ago. I don't think anyone in the industry is consciously trying to do new, talented writers a disservice. It's more a deeply embedded cultural thing, I think - not helped by the fact that the role of TV writer in this country is generally held in such low esteem.
Quote: Griff @ December 1 2009, 2:51 PM GMTWasn't a response to you Tim!
Oops, OK, sorry then.