I'm not bigging up my sketch (or line) and the example you gave was hardly the same. Jokes are always in front of you face but you never see them. That's why they are funny.
As for saying all the people in 'the biz' laugh scornfully at critique is a horrible thing to say. There are some true talents write in those sections.
One of these days Ant and Dec will do a Captain Shit's His Pants Sketch
Then I may well kill myself
Quote: Griff @ April 18 2011, 2:28 PM BSTWhich comment is that a response to?
Just your usual blunt but honest manner! 
I certainly wouldn't want to use the critique as some sort of portfolio. It's just a workshop for me. And that's all it should be. There should be a line between drafts and finished projects. It's a stepping stone for new writers honing their skills. It's also a bit of fun.
I imagine it is Showcase where all the industry people are looking.
Industry people should look here - https://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/ there's tons of great stuff.
I think Leevil goes with your view Griff, I put something in Showcase and he dumped it back in Critique where it belonged!
It was called Cottaging and somebody has gone and nicked that and created a whole website and comedy persona based on it!!
I use critique but it tends to be after the fact or very close to sending where I'm looking for someone to point out the obvious (like its not funny) or pick up on spelling errors/other mistakes.
If it makes you feel any better Stephen, I could have had a good go at Newsjack a couple of months back as they had a closing line in one show which differed from what I'd sent in by two words. But I took the view that it was a subject that a lot of people would have submitted on that week and they may well have had a lot of submissions on those lines. I could have got excited about stuff that I sent in that didn't get used but things that were damn similar appeared in the Now Show that same week. I didn't. I took it that at least I was seeing the comic potential of a given scenario even if I couldn't frame it as well as the pros.
Quote: Marc P @ April 18 2011, 2:54 PM BSTI think Leevil goes with your view Griff, I put something in Showcase and he dumped it back in Critique where it belonged!
Oh, I do agree with Griff. Although I have a lot of love for critique. But in reality, it is a place for other writers and fans of reading amateur scripts to share ideas.
Hopefully the new 'Make it' section will offer a place to display your proudest work. And if executed correctly would start to build up some buzz around it as the hotspot for new, talented writers (and sooty).
Lol.
Quote: Griff @ April 18 2011, 3:00 PM BSTIndeed. Write enough material and you start to hear "your" jokes everywhere. I certainly do. I can watch a two-hour Hollywood comedy movie and at the end of it, all I can think about was noticing one lame quip which was something slightly like something I once came up with two years ago.
You agreeing with me or disagreeing with me?
Quote: Griff @ April 18 2011, 3:11 PM BSTI think I'm agreeing. I quite often see jokes that I've written turning up elsewhere. I wrote one about "Google" meaning "Go Ogle" (I know, sidesplitting) and it turned up years later in an American TV series. If you're a glass half empty person you can think "That means I'm original", if you're a glass half full person you can think "I'm thinking along the same lines as the professionals", if you're a put-a-tracking-device-on-the-glass type person you can somehow convince yourself the two events are connected.
Let you off. I'm just spoiling for a fight as with wonderful synchronicity I've reviewing finalists' essays while watching this thread. One has actually cited me in their draft but there is no mention of my name or my article. Now that is plagiarism and if they do it again in the final submission, I will have them bang to rights guv'nor.
The best test of whether or not others scroll through websites to steal good material would be to post your very best work a week or two before the Edinburgh festival. Then turn up to see how many of your own bits have been used, laughed at, possibly won top awards and helped secure tours and TV shows. It would be a great way of finding out if your material's any good or not! Someone try it.
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ April 18 2011, 1:13 PM BSTI am sure many of us have wondered and worried about plagairism after showing our stuff on here in critique. But recently, I have actually heard some of my stuff said on TV!
On the one hand it can just be coincidence as I found with the 'News Huddlines' after another writer submitted an almost identical Chris Evans gag. On the other it can be a straight lift as in the case of a script I wrote that did the rounds that had an entire scene used in an episode of East Enders.
As unpleasant as it is I'm afraid these things happen and there's nothing that you, me or the Writers Guild can do about it.
I wrote a go ogle line in my notebook ages ago. I'll have every penny off Griff for sullying my reputation! By making me confess to writing the line.