Newsjack - Series 8

UPDATE: 20/03/13 -- Newsjack has finished for this series but the Twitter thread confirms they will return in September 2013.

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Right, Newsjack is back soon, so we might as well open a thread for it.

There may (or may not) be a 'Best of Series 7' which may (or may not) be on Radio 4 (the 'proper' R4, not 'it's sister station Radio4Extra').

First broadcast date is Thu 14th Feb, so first deadline will most likely be the Monday before (11th at 12noon, if previous series are anything to go by).

Below, I've tried to collate a lot of helpful (or unhelpful: delete as applicable) information.

ADDED 15/04/13 -- Ed Morrish's what and how to write for Newsjack. He doesn't produce it anymore, but this is the one thing you should read, if nothing else below.

ADDED 11/02/13 -- Lyndsay Fenner's blogs about how they make Newsjack: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/How-we-make-BBC-Radio-4-Extras-Newsjack
ADDED 28/02/13 -- http://www.ideastap.com/ideasmag/the-knowledge/newsjack-producer-lyndsay-fenner-open-door-radio-comedy

ADDED 21/02/13 -- list of helpful videos from the staff about script editing, the writers' meeting, etc.
ADDED 01/03/13 -- Script Editor Jack Bernhardt talks about writing
ADDED 16/04/13 -- The cast talk about which voices they like doing

ADDED 23/02/13 -- Ed Morrish's advice on jackapps and one-liners. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kvs8r/features/one-liners

ADDED 28/02/13 -- Radio comedy writer James Cary's advice on why you should write for Newsjack(he script-edited other radio shows but is not affiliated with Newsjack)

Here's last series 'One Liner Rejects' thread, if people want to read them to get in the mood. Added 15/02 -- Here's this series' one.

Lots of sketches available in 'Critique' forum to study/see what's wrong/rip-off. Majority will show up in a search for 'NJ:' to get the majority of them in a list.

The last webchat with the crew is available on the link at the top, as are other blogs by other writers.

ADDED 15/02/13 -- Justin Edwards talks about the process

Here's a writer's experience of what could happen (in an ideal situation, which happened for her!) http://mums-the-nerd.tumblr.com/post/40292001463/im-coming-over-all-topical-panel-show

Here's Alakazam's most excellent 'Prince Albert's Shins' sketch that was broadcast (along with production edits) from last series. And StephenM's 'Billy Footballer'.

Here's Ian's 'how they edited my sketch' sketch (from series 4, I think): https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/20167/

Here's (former) script editor Gareth Gwynn's blog on comm/non-comm submissions.

Here's a series 6 webchat, with links to three previous (series 5) webchats below it and here: series 5 webchat 1, series 5 webchat 2, series 5 webchat 3

Formatting: here's a template for the sketches in Google Docs if you don't have/want to use Word. Unfortunately Google Docs has changed so you have to download in .docx rather than .doc and I don't know if that's compatible with the BBC yet. (I write in G-Docs, download then convert in Word to 'old-fashioned' .doc format)

quote from Mr Feeoree on January 17 2013, 10:10 PM GMT
Also people, further to Mr Sweryt's post with the template, here's a blog that then Script Editor wrote 3 years back, re formatting and how much they like it to look proper! : http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/2010/01/newsjack_script_smart_or_smart.shtml
/quote

ADDED 14/02/13: Marc Paterson's pain in writing for Newsjack is very similar to my experience over the weekend. (He wrote this in the run-up to series 7)

ADDED 13/02/13:
Twitter vibe from the producers in series 8 episode 1 is that there are a lot of idiots who don't put their name or email address in their one-liner submissions. Try to avoid this, as angry producers notoriously don't find things funny.

UPDATED 01/03/13 Here are some very good blogs from our own Mr Salisbury about 'The Killer Premise' and 'Things to Consider Whilst Drafting'. Newsjack went reasonably well for him in series 7 so listen to his wise words.

Let the fun and games (read: 'rejection and hair-pulling') commence...

Dan

just when I thought I was out etc etc. Nice to have a start date now - time to prepare

Might be worth people writing some topical sketches for the week before it starts to get back into the groove and/or to see where you're going wrong. Perhaps posting in Critique for feedback so you know what to aim for during the series.

Dan

Quote: swerytd @ January 16 2013, 3:31 PM GMT

There may (or may not) be a 'Best of Series 7' which may (or may not) be on Radio 4 (the 'proper' R4, not 'it's sister station Radio4Extra').

First broadcast date is Thu 14th Feb, so first deadline will most likely be the Monday before (12noon, if previous series are anything to go by).

View original

According to their twitter feed the first sketch deadline is definitely Monday 11th Feb. So get the pencils sharpened that weekend.

And according to Radio 4 Extra's twitter feed (and the producer at the last recording) there is definitely a 'Best of' show on Radio 4 before the new series. Yes 'proper' Radio 4. If you got something on the last series you've a shot of an analogue radio credit.

If the first deadline's February 11th, that means I've got until about February 7th to finish the radio play I'm currently working on.

Last series, I could barely string two funny words together. I just didn't have the right frame of mind at all. Fortunately, I've been getting a bit of practice in since then and am now ready.

I'm gonna get back into practice with this week's stories. Set myself a 'Sunday night deadline' (as it will be normal weeks as I can't write on Monday mornings due to work, grr).

Why don't you try and write one on Friday, one Saturday and the last one on Sunday? At least have a rough idea of a Friday story and Saturday story, and mull them around your head while you're doing other stuff. Then they're not as hard to get down when you finally sit in front of the computer.

Dan

I added this to the first post of the thread for informational purposes, but here's Alakazam's most excellent 'Prince Albert's Shins' sketch that was broadcast (along with production edits) from last series. And StephenM's 'Billy Footballer'

Okay, I've dumped a load of NJ-related info into the first post of the thread so all the relevant info is there if people/newbies need it.

Dan

Great effort Dan, thanks for putting so much info and links into the first post.

Quote: swerytd @ January 16 2013, 3:31 PM GMT

Formatting: here's a template for the sketches in Google Docs if you don't have/want to use Word. Unfortunately Google Docs has changed so you have to download in .docx rather than .doc and I don't know if that's compatible with the BBC yet. (I write in G-Docs, download then convert in Word to 'old-fashioned' .doc format)

Let the fun and games (read: 'rejection and hair-pulling') commence...

Dan

View original

Thanks Dan for putting all that together. The last tip I heard (I think last series) was that .docx is NOT safe for submissions to Newsjack as there is no guarantee everyone at the BBC has move to Word 2007 (and if they haven't it causes all sorts of headaches). But maybe in their shiny new office they will all have upgraded... hem hem...

It's annoying that GDocs doesn't have .doc as an option any more.

Rejection? That's what being a writer is all about.

Yeah, I'd considered doing on-the-day stuff too!

Also people, further to Mr Sweryt's post with the template, here's a blog that then Script Editor wrote 3 years back, re formatting and how much they like it to look proper! : http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/2010/01/newsjack_script_smart_or_smart.shtml

Added that to initial post.

Dan

Wow. I think that must be the most informative post ever on this forum. By some distance.

This is ridiculous Dan, you're giving people no excuses! How cruel can you be?