Claire Zolkwer - New ITV Head of Comedy Page 5

Quote: Marc P @ August 24 2010, 8:34 AM BST

But that means they are all aspirational then Roy. To fail at something you have to aspire to it. They have to fail or the comedy stops. It doesn't make them failures , however, because they keep on trying.

I think what is happening here is a confusing of terminology. Aspirational when applied to TV usually means lifestyles or jobs the audience would wish to have for themselves as they perceive it as glamorous. Hence shows set in Fashion,the Pop Industry, Television and Media etc. The original question was to do with the states and the UK in this regard I think and it probably comes down to them liking a bit more gloss and us liking a bit more grit to overgeneralise.

I agree with what you are saying just nit picking on the terms

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Well put Marc. I totally agree.

I was trying to find a short hand with the Aspirational/Desperational link. It didn't work but, if nothing else, it has got a dialogue going on the subject.

Getting back to the original question - what do we think about a Head of Comedy judging scripts when there background is not in scripted comedy - or does it matter????

Quote: Roy Gould @ August 24 2010, 2:58 PM BST

Getting back to the original question - what do we think about a Head of Comedy judging scripts when there background is not in scripted comedy - or does it matter????

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I find it hard to get excited or upset about, what with it being ITV.

Quote: Roy Gould @ August 24 2010, 2:58 PM BST

.

Getting back to the original question - what do we think about a Head of Comedy judging scripts when there background is not in scripted comedy - or does it matter????

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Her full title is Head of Entertainment and Comedy, isn't it? I'm assuming that most of the output (as now) will be biased towards entertainment and the comedy will probably not be narrative in content.

Quote: john lucas 101 @ August 24 2010, 3:19 PM BST

Her full title is Head of Entertainment and Comedy, isn't it? I'm assuming that most of the output (as now) will be biased towards entertainment and the comedy will probably not be narrative in content.

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So does this mean that one of the two major mainstream networks will not have an outlet for scripted comedy? Will the only buyer of mainstream comedy be the BBC? Isn't that an unhealthy situation?

Channel 4 buy comedy, don't they?

But would you say there comedy output was mainstream??

Quote: Roy Gould @ August 24 2010, 6:15 PM BST

So does this mean that one of the two major mainstream networks will not have an outlet for scripted comedy? Will the only buyer of mainstream comedy be the BBC? Isn't that an unhealthy situation?

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I think this has been the case for a while to be fair Roy.

And at the BBC there are too many processes to go through to get something on air nowadays. It;s hard to be Zeitgeisty. And if mainstream comedy equates with BBC1 and2 then 'new' writers don;t get a look in. Witness what happened as blogged with the Inn Mates pilot. Somebody who wants to write mainstream comedy has to prove themselves first by writing specific demographic based stuff for 3 or 4. Makes as much sense as appointing someone head of narrative comedy who has never worked in it I guess.

Quote: Roy Gould @ August 24 2010, 6:15 PM BST

So does this mean that one of the two major mainstream networks will not have an outlet for scripted comedy? Will the only buyer of mainstream comedy be the BBC? Isn't that an unhealthy situation?

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Yes.

Quote: Marc P @ August 25 2010, 9:31 AM BST

I think this has been the case for a while to be fair Roy.

And at the BBC there are too many processes to go through to get something on air nowadays. It;s hard to be Zeitgeisty. And if mainstream comedy equates with BBC1 and2 then 'new' writers don;t get a look in. Witness what happened as blogged with the Inn Mates pilot. Somebody who wants to write mainstream comedy has to prove themselves first by writing specific demographic based stuff for 3 or 4. Makes as much sense as appointing someone head of narrative comedy who has never worked in it I guess.

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Absolutely Marc on point 1.

As to point 2 - the whole thing is crazy. What was good about the old system (In House Producers finding writers and nurturing them and then the Head of Comedy pacing them in a predetermined slot which He/She had already been given by the Chanell Controller) was that there was a broad mix of shows - under this system we got Hi-de-Hi and The Young Ones!!! That could still work even in this age of umpteen channels.

Quote: Roy Gould @ August 25 2010, 10:18 AM BST

Absolutely Marc on point 1.

As to point 2 - the whole thing is crazy. What was good about the old system (In House Producers finding writers and nurturing them and then the Head of Comedy pacing them in a predetermined slot which He/She had already been given by the Chanell Controller) was that there was a broad mix of shows - under this system we got Hi-de-Hi and The Young Ones!!! That could still work even in this age of umpteen channels.

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True. And it's no better in Drama.

Forgive my typo's - I've not been well!!!

Bad back from twisting around in that chair for so long?

Quote: zooo @ August 25 2010, 12:14 PM BST

Bad back from twisting around in that chair for so long?

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Ho Ho Ho!!!!!!!!!!!

Quote: Roy Gould @ August 25 2010, 10:18 AM BST

What was good about the old system (In House Producers finding writers and nurturing them and then the Head of Comedy pacing them in a predetermined slot which He/She had already been given by the Chanell Controller) was that there was a broad mix of shows - under this system we got Hi-de-Hi and The Young Ones!!! That could still work even in this age of umpteen channels.

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There does seem to have been an unhealthy shift in power from Heads of Departments to Channel Controllers.

Quote: Timbo @ August 25 2010, 1:44 PM BST

There does seem to have been an unhealthy shift in power from Heads of Departments to Channel Controllers.

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I think they should try a little experiment - put 6 piles of unread scripts in the controllers office then get her to take the first script off the first pile, sencond off the second etc until we have 6 scripts - now make thse scripts as pilots and see whether the hit rate goes up or down - my geuss is that it won't shift an inch - or am I just an old cynic???

Forgive the typo's above again - I'm still not well!!