Claire Zolkwer - New ITV Head of Comedy Page 9
Quote: Juan Kerr @ August 26 2010, 4:54 PM BSTD
Its commendable how you stand up for your chum Mark - I hear his test results were negative - his IQ test. Nice pair.
It's Marc.
You asked me to elucidate why I was puzzled by your comments, Three points I believe I made in that regard. I await your clarification with eagerness.
your humble servant sir,
Marc
Quote: Griff @ August 26 2010, 5:32 PM BSTI was wondering whether, given your views on the subject, you make an effort to write "non-mainstream" stuff, and if so, how you go about marketing it, but I'm guessing if you submit to Newsjack and Parsons and Naylor the answer is "not always". Are you mostly a sketch writer? What did you have performed in the pub, and which pub?
I write all sorts - sketch, sitcom, jokes, and plays. I've had a few bits on stage and radio and a couple of short stories published. Currently working on a radio sitcom. I don't really think about mainstream or non-mainstream when writing, I just type up whatever rubbish comes out of my head. A bit like on here.
EDIT if Claire Zolkwer is reading this I don't write rubbish at all I write stuff that would be really brilliant on ITV.
Do I make an effort to write non-mainstream stuff? Not really, I just think I am not mainstream. I wasn't been accepted by Newsjack and Parsons and Naylor, remember, and find them difficult to listen to. It was a Coarse drama thing, I forget the name. The Devonshire Arms in Kensington.
I think Claire Zolkwer stopped reading this thread quite a few pages back...
Quote: Marc P @ August 26 2010, 7:27 PM BSTIt's Marc.
You asked me to elucidate why I was puzzled by your comments, Three points I believe I made in that regard. I await your clarification with eagerness.
your humble servant sir,
Marc
Thanks for correcting me Marc...with a 'c'. OK.
ELucidate - big word Marc (with a c)- 'make clear' would have sufficed. That couldn't be a case of simply showing off could it? I was only joking about the IQ thing you know.
You just don't get it Marc (with a c)- you see I don't actually understand what you were saying - you didnt clarify - but at least this response from you is more civil than your original one to me.
You see I know youre not a BCG prima dona or anything - but others may not.
Quote: Juan Kerr @ August 26 2010, 5:19 PM BSTYou should be an expert on looking silly David.
Nice web site too.
You a teacher?
I don't wish to vandalise Roy's thread any more than is necessary so I'll simply address your points/burning questions and leave you to it...
1. I think perhaps we're talking about two different brands of silly.
2. Thank you. It's about to undergo a re-fit, I can only hope you enjoy the revision as much as you do the current version.
3. I'm not, no, although you make me feel like one.
My final response too -
1. We aren't
2. My pleasure.
3. Are you sure?
There should be a thershold to pass, post wise, before you can start being an arse, surely? I think I waited until at least fifty before getting into an argument.
Agreed - well said!
Juan, all silly internet type arguing aside. What is your point re what you want to see. Are you coming at this from a viewer's perspective or a writer's perspective or a producer/director's perspective.
Well from a viewer's perspective I just suspect that the typically accepted mainstream audience is being starved of what they want.
I suspect that this is simply down to trendy sorts who, as Roy said, feel it's possibly beneath then to admit to being involved in sitcoms that may be perceived as being 'old-fashioned'.
My point is that the sector of the public who want this type of 'mainstream' comed are not being fed it - as all of the channels seem to have this 'let's do trendy' stuff.
I'm not particularly speaking about my preferences - they are pretty diverse comedy wise. It's just an observation on the choice in the market place.
Roy summed it up based on his observations as an experienced industry insider over 30 odd years.
If we take Coronation St as an example of drama, I'm amazed it's so simple and far fetched etc - but people love it. That audience would lap up the more one dimensional mainstream comedy that seems to be lacking these days.
Personally I don't 'get' My Family - but can see the attraction. It's getting almost 5m viewers which is a massive market share in a crowded market place.
There just seems to be a dearth of simple, almost banale, comedy - that the masses would lap up.
That's why I said I suspect production companies and 'precious' decison makers are indulging themselves at the market's expense - at times...
Quote: Juan Kerr @ August 27 2010, 7:22 PM BSTThat's why I said I suspect production companies and 'precious' decison makers are indulging themselves at the market's expense - at times...
I don't buy that, I imagine channels commision stuff they think could turn into a hit, rather than just pleasing their own tastes.
There's also no reason why mainstream has to equal banal.
Cheers Juan
Thanks for that. It is odd sometimes from the outside looking in which is why it great to have guys like Roy giving an insider perspective. The truth is nowadays there is no one person making any decisions anymore, projects go through endless stages, committee opinions etc before any one person gets to make a choice, and as Roy says that person is not necessarily coming from a background of Narrative comedy production.
So your suspicion about trendy sorts is unfounded. Nobody has a long term contract pretty much in TV anymore so it's really not about being trendy it's about passion hopefully but a lot now is hanging on to your job. The reality is some sitcom take years to get from initial interest and then onto the screen. It is very hard to be Zeitgeisty under those circumstances.
Nobody in TV is deliberately turning their back on scripts they think the mainstream audience want for fear of being labelled as not trendy. Trust me on that.
William Goldman says of the Film Industry nobody knows anything about what will be a hit. The same is true in TV. The BBC used to be able to punt at stuff with one man or woman saying let's do it. For various reasons those days are long gone.
There is a mainstream market for simple comedy never for banal.
No production company can afford to 'indulge' themselves. Never have.
Quote: Juan Kerr @ August 27 2010, 7:22 PM BSTWell from a viewer's perspective I just suspect that the typically accepted mainstream audience is being starved of what they want.
I suspect thast this is simply down to trendy sorts who, as Roy said, feel it's possibly beneath then to admit to being involved in sitcoms that may be perceived as being 'old-fashioned'.
My point is that the sector of the public who want this type of 'mainstream' comedy are not being fed it - as all of the channels seem to have this 'let's do trendy' stuff.
I'm not particularly speaking about my preferences - they are pretty diverse comedy wise. It's just an observation on the choice in the market place.
Roy summed it up based on his observations as an experienced industry insider over 30 odd years.
If we take Coronation St as an example of drama, I'm amazed it's so simple and far fetched etc - but people love it. That audience would lap up the more one dimensional mainstream comedy that seems to be lacking these days.
Personally I don't 'get' My Family - but can see the attraction. It's getting almost 5m viewers which is a massive market share in a crowded market place.
There just seems to be a dearth of simple, almost banale, comedy - that the masses would lap up.
That's why I said I suspect production companies and 'precious' decison makers are indulging themselves at the market's expense - at times...
But Roy would, based on his previous post, disagree. He categorically states the trendy aspect is evident.
He must have experienced that first hand - or why would he say it?
I'm not convinced, sorry, that a form of elitism doesn't exist.
Quote: Juan Kerr @ August 27 2010, 7:43 PM BSTBut Roy would, based on his previous post, disagree. He categorically states the trendy aspect is evident.
He must have experienced that first hand - or why would he say it?
I'm not convinced, sorry, that a form of elitism doesn't exist.
I don't know if Roy would disagree with me on my take, I doubt it. I guess we'll see. Elitism may exist in hiring people once. Not so much anymore. Trendy means new and different I guess, which then gets absorbed into the mainstream until the new comes along. If it is avant garde stuff then there are even more outlets for it now than there ever have been. The BBC would love a traditional safe high audience delivering studio based sitcom believe me. My Family won't run forever and Last Of The Summer Wine has just been corked.
Fair comment
Let's hope he can elaborate when he returns next.
It's good to have him on here - for reasons such as this.