Hello, looking to start a little discussion about people's experiences with submitting to them. How many times, feedback, any success stories etc, and if it's worth sending anything to them (beyond useful feedback)
Cheers.
BBC Writersroom
No. Simple as, imo.
I've sent a couple of mine over the years ... no feedback whatsoever. With hindsight sending stuff to Father Xmas, North Pole could've been more productive ... at least I might have got some sticky sweeties back!
My experience (limited as it is) was my first sitcom script. On reflection it was a terrible effort. 10 000 words, action paragraphs over 10 lines, cliched gangsters, crap characters but I did get a readers report.
I have to admit it's been the best advice I've been given on my writing and over the last year it has improved immensely. I did a rewrite whilst I was waiting and sent it out to production companies and was rejected by all of them. It wasn't until I heard from the BBC that I got the cold slap in the face I needed.
It's pointless I do believe.
I would sooner flush my work down a toilet that send it to the BBC via that.
I sent them a radio script that was 30 pages long, they fired it back saying they would only read full length scripts.
I gave up after that.
Quote: Cameron Phillips @ August 22, 2007, 10:47 PMI sent them a radio script that was 30 pages long, but they said they would only read full length scripts.
According to their own page timing criteria (45-60 seconds per page) that falls into their definition of a full length script. That's the Writers' Room at their totally laughable loveable best, Cameron. Any old excuse to reject a script. Even when it meets their rules, it breaks their rules. But at least you guys get a response.
I think I've explained my conspiracy theory behind all these 'new writing initiatives'.
it's bollox. Just window dressing.
I was once invited to a 'writers meeting' of Dead Ringers at BBC Radio after I sent something to them. Imagine my disappointment (and the 75 others they had also invited) when they told us that they sometimes accept a joke a series from outside their usual writing team. Total waste of half a day.
PS - watch my short film 'Barnet Shuffle' on You Tube
In case anyone is unaware of how the writersroom works, it's like this:
The readers come into the office twice a month.
They go into the script room and read the first ten pages of scripts. Those they think are promising they take away with them, the rest get enveloped and returned.
To get feedback your script has to be read all the way through - ie taken away by a reader.
The majority of scripts are returned without being read all the way through.
THAT IS WHAT THEY SAY THEY DO.
I think it's more likely that they read fewer than ten pages in most cases. Sometimes you can tell someone can't write after just a couple of lines. I think they often return scripts after glancing at the synopsis or possibly even the title. My script was returned without feedback (ie unread) after four months - which I still cannot believe happened. The same script had been read and praised by an assistant BBC producer. That person told me the writersroom had a reputation inside the BBC as being 'a bit hit and miss'.
So, with the Slaggs and Hotzappa on this one. I can't say I really feel like submitting anything else to them. And will probably re-submitt the original script at some point with the first ten pages re-written.
Does anyone know what talent the writers room has found or accepted?
Cameron, that does seem harsh, it reminds me when I submitted the script to Big Bear Films. Initially, they accepted unsolicited work, I emailed several months later to ask if it had been read and they turned round and said it has to be through an agent and just said my inexperience "shines through" and should read Adventures in the screen trade.
So I suppose with my foray into writing so far, the BBC have been the most useful. But judging by these comments, I'm sure that'll change...
There are so few avenues open to new writers that it is worth sending stuff to the writers room. But that should just be one prong in a cunning multi-pronged attack.
I was thinking of putting some sketches and scripts on to some prongs and throwing them into the BBC TV centre, what do you think?
Writersroom does definitely seem to be a waste of time. We sent a script and got a very standard rejection letter about eight months later. Don't know if there are many other places to send sketches and stuff to at the BBC. Opportunities seem to be incredibly thin on the ground these days.
At least you got a reply 
Baby Cow and Angel eye claimed to have emailed their rejections back but I only found out when I enquired.