Newsjack - Series 4 Page 43

I have laughed a lot during all that. Especially considering, like me, James Kettle started as a non-com on series 1 and is now script editor, whereas I am a... non-com.

And Simon Mayhew-Archer passed on details of good writers to this 'Sprout' thing. I am not one of them either.

I feel in a worse position than when I started writing 'comedy', as I will now have to specifically refer to it.

Quote: KLRiley @ March 4 2011, 1:18 PM GMT

Yeah. You were terrifying at 12.40. No idea how James coped with the searching soul searing interrogation to which you subjected them.

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They thought I didn't know!

Dan

Quote: swerytd @ March 4 2011, 1:31 PM GMT

I have laughed a lot during all that. Especially considering, like me, James Kettle started as a non-com on series 1 and is now script editor, whereas I am a... non-com.

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There's obviously some 'Gay Jewish Oxbridge' conspiracy going on, or something.

Why not ask them about this on the live chat?

I am literally scared of the answer to that question.

Dan

If you're despairing, it's good to remember that things like this aren't the only way in; enter all these things obviously, and send off to the competitions, but that's not all there is; if you don't seem to be getting much joy by that route then there are other things.

(Not sure why I always read this thread, as I haven't sent anything since the very first episode!)

Quote: StephenM @ March 4 2011, 12:10 PM GMT

No BBC Spout e-mail.

Congrats to everyone who got something on. I lost count slightly but there was the Revolution app and 2 people claiming NOT to have written the Nick Clegg interview. What else did people get on?

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The Kindle joke (Jackapp) was mine and the Royal Correspondent sketch (they edited/added to the latter). I was taking a punt with the correspondent sketch as I didn't know if they wanted to bring the character back - but as I said in my covering email, I loved the episode 2 sketch so much (the one that introduced her) that it occured to me it had legs, ie Julia gets progressively madder as the Royal Wedding approaches.

Your punt was well founded. Congrats.

Quote: RJ @ March 4 2011, 2:04 PM GMT

Your punt was well founded. Congrats.

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Thanks - and, well, kudos to whoever created her. And to Pippa Evans' acting.

Quote: Chantoozie @ March 4 2011, 2:03 PM GMT

I was taking a punt with the correspondent sketch as I didn't know if they wanted to bring the character back - but as I said in my covering email, I loved the episode 2 sketch so much (the one that introduced her) that it occured to me it had legs, ie Julia gets progressively madder as the Royal Wedding approaches.

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This prompts me to ask, how much/little do people write in their emails when they're submitting material? And what kind of tone do you use - professional/comedic/eccentric/insane?

I just send in the sketches. I doubt they have time to read covering letters.

Quote: radiat10n @ March 4 2011, 2:07 PM GMT

This prompts me to ask, how much/little do people write in their emails when they're submitting material? And what kind of tone do you use - professional/comedic/eccentric/insane?

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That's the only time I've said anything about anything I've submitted - because I felt I needed to explain why I'd written a sketch involving a character that had already appeared in a previous sketch. ie. it felt polite to do so!

Quote: StephenM @ March 4 2011, 12:10 PM GMT

No BBC Spout e-mail.

One thing that was interesting from recording to transmission was how they cut sketches - two in particular the High Speed Railway children and the Speak to Gay Sportsmen in your area. Both had one huge laugh early in the sketch and then had about a minute of other stuff. I see both ended up as short punchy ones. (To be fair that was probably the best thing to do.)

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The high speed railway children was mine. They didn't really cut anything from what I sent (it was really just that one joke anyway, plus the bit about getting mugged in the intro, unless they added more stuff themselves - but they changed the structure a bit, which I think improved it a bit to be honest.

The other one of mine that was on was the police woman talking about the new 'polite' riot tactics. They chopped and changed that down quite a bit. I think the message is keep it short and snappy and stop trying to write sketches that are at least 31/61/91 seconds long.

Quote: Monkeywithtypewriter @ March 4 2011, 2:44 PM GMT

The high speed railway children was mine. They didn't really cut anything from what I sent (it was really just that one joke anyway, plus the bit about getting mugged in the intro, unless they added more stuff themselves - but they changed the structure a bit, which I think improved it a bit to be honest.

The other one of mine that was on was the police woman talking about the new 'polite' riot tactics. They chopped and changed that down quite a bit. I think the message is keep it short and snappy and stop trying to write sketches that are at least 31/61/91 seconds long.

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That's interesting as after the High Speed Railway children they did about 30 seconds of credits at the recording. Guess that must be someone else's. Think the sketch worked much better with a get in, get out approach. Congrats really loved the High Speed Railway Children one.

And well done on the polite riot tactics, have tried twice (and failed twice) to do a surreal police riot sketch - yours clearly worked much better.

Loved the Kindle Jackapp line as well. And thought the Royal Correspondent one sounded great on the radio. I say that as I wasn't sure about it when saw it live as it's a little odd just seeing them stand there while the sound effects rumble on. Clearly NJ team know more about what works on radio than me. Although have had the 'black tights and black boots' song in my head all day. Thanks for that!

Ha! Thanks Stephen - you're too kind .

Loved the Railway Children one, too - and although I know it was edited, it really worked just as that one, sharp, brilliant gag.

Excellent work Chantoozie and Monkey. Highlights this week for me.

Have to agree with StephenM about Newsfox. I've never bothered with it as everything I've come up with sounds (very) sub-par Chris Morris.

I got the Radio 2 email, but not the 'spout' one. I'd have preferred the latter, as I've never listened Radio 2 in my life.

If it makes anyone feel better, my Blackberry has just alerted me (6.40pm)to the invite to the Q&A.

Quote: Steve Michaelson @ March 4 2011, 6:45 PM GMT

I got the Radio 2 email, but not the 'spout' one. I'd have preferred the latter, as I've never listened Radio 2 in my life.

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Nothing stopping you doing it after you got the email...