Newsjack - Series 9 Page 26

Quote: StephenM @ October 9 2013, 10:08 AM BST

I was there in snow week too! Perhaps we need to do a reunion shot 20 years on. Or something.

And really a trailer for a Radio 4 Extra programme on BBC1? Wow! This show really is getting bigger.

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Yes, re the snow week, Tetsell said on twitter at the time, really bad weather only 50 turned up last night, and I twitpicced him my ticket which was number 53. I'll have a look for it. I doubt I'll be there tonight, but should be there next week, so I'll look out for you Stephen.

2 TICKETS AVAILABLE TONIGHT IF ANYONE NEEDS!

The trailer definitely happened, I was like 'wow' as well. but I just checked the iPlayer version of monday nights repeat and it doesn't show up, they just shrink the screen credits and mentioned it in the corner.

Hi all,

Came across this website last week, and I think it's really sad that you all hang around Newsjack prostituting yourselves to be noticed.

By the way, does the tight PVC catsuit make my Peter look small?

Quote: Buckethandle @ October 9 2013, 8:56 PM BST

Came across this website last week, and I think it's really sad that you all hang around Newsjack prostituting yourselves to be noticed.

By the way, does the tight PVC catsuit make my Peter look small?

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Prostituting would imply money changed hands. Alas that's not happened for me this series!

Great show last night. I remember very little. Er, there was a good bee sketch and Sinead O'Connor letters were good. There was a Spurs 'yids' thing with audience participation. The intro (reshuffle) and the outro (BBC1+1, etc.) were both very funny.
I thought Lewis' voices were a little underused so if you're thinking about next week you could maybe include some celebs or politicians.
I had nothing in, despite putting much more time into it last week.
So I've had one sketch recorded and cut on the week I didn't bother to go. I'm not a very good prostitute.

Nothing there that could be mine except possibly the outro. *fingers crossed*

What exactly would be the prostitute equivalent of a recorded but cut email, someone who runs off without paying? Or am I over thinking this?

Quote: mikemcc @ October 10 2013, 11:52 AM BST

I had nothing in, despite putting much more time into it last week.

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Just out of curiosity, how much time do people generally spend on their submissions? I spent at least a couple of hours on Friday, bit of Saturday, where I discovered a quote from my wife on the BBC News site, which was weird as I thought she was at the hairdressers. And then probably 4 hours on Monday and at least the same again on Tuesday. So that's probably a good 12 hours and possibly more on 1 sketch and a page of one liners that won't be used. Damn you Newsjack, there are plenty of other writing projects I won't get paid for that I could have been working on instead. And now there's the waiting all day for no emails before starting all over tomorrow. Damn you to hell.

Quote: Monkeywithtypewriter @ October 10 2013, 12:09 PM BST

Nothing there that could be mine except possibly the outro. *fingers crossed*

What exactly would be the prostitute equivalent of a recorded but cut email, someone who runs off without paying? Or am I over thinking this?

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The outro was very good so I hope it is yours.
I think of it like this - they used me but are too ashamed to tell anyone.

Quote: steve by any other name @ October 10 2013, 12:12 PM BST

Just out of curiosity, how much time do people generally spend on their submissions?

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I usually panic on a Sunday night. But last week I started a couple of ideas off on the Thursday and spent a little time each day on them. I was pleased with them but there's a lot being submitted and the quality of the show is very high. It's good practice to keep trying.

Mike.

Most of my submissions are one-liners, so they don't tend to take very long at all. Couple of hours tops.

Probably explains why I haven't got anything in, although...

The yid thing wasn't to the tune of "Yesterday" by The Beatles was it?

I am short on time so my sketches are usually written in a hurry - I would say ideal for me would be an hour to an hour and a half on a sketch on saturday, then leave it for at least 24 hours and spent half an hour editing on sunday or monday morning - although that might extend if I decide to completely rework it. Having said that often I get far less time than this.

I do think having a long break before editing is key though.

Having said that the best sketch I ever got onto Newsjack I wrote in mad half an hour rush on a monday morning when the idea suddenly popped into my head.

>I thought Lewis' voices were a little underused so if you're thinking about next week you could maybe include some celebs or politicians.

Damn, guess that means my 'BBC Shakespeare' sketch(s) are out.

>Just out of curiosity, how much time do people generally spend on their submissions?

Tend to browse papers/websites on Saturday for news ideas, and type up ideaa for lines/whatever. Plan to type up on sunday then - re-write/check over on train/at work on monday morning. Often that last part moves to 'type up on train on monday morning' - check at work before emailing, but still.

Onliners go into an evernote on my phone/work pc during Sun/Monday/Tuesday and collated and edited and deleted in my tuesday lunch break.

how much time...

this series I've spent a lot less time than last series, figuring that hours spent pulling my hair out, trying to think something up is time not well spent... so this series I pop to the library on Saturday morning and while my child is choosing books, I have a quick once through the papers (saves buying them... especially as, having got nothing on there so far, I've not been paid!) and jot down anything that jumps out as interesting. Then Saturday night or Sunday night I also have a scan of 'in other news' items on bbc news and pick a couple of things that I want to write a sketch about. I realise that I lack the expected dedication, but as I work and am a parent, I resent spending hours on something that is very unlikely to ever get on Newsjack. But that's just me. Oh, I also spend about 30 mins on Monday night doing the one liners.

Good luck for tonight everyone.

That sounds pretty dedicated to me Bonzo. It's difficult to find time for anything other than parenting sometimes I think. I struggle. Newsjack seems like a good opportunity for a credit but, in my experience, no amount of dedication has paid off. Sometimes it's difficult to justify the time I put in and I wondered if everyone else was in the same boat.

I noticed from your profile that you've written a sitcom. Did you have any luck with that? Writing longer spec pieces always seems more productive to me than trying to make a gag out of what's in the news.

Hello, yes, I started writing in February this year and wrote the first episode of the sitcom and sent it off to writersroom. During the wait to hear (it was not good news) I wrote the other 5 episodes. All good practice and something I really enjoyed. I've just finished re-writing the whole series (for the umpteenth time) and am finally ready to send it out again. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed. I have written stuff for the last 2 Kirrin Island podcasts and got a credit for those so that was a real boost, especially as I really love the podcasts they do. They are also very supportive of writers and give good feedback. For writersroom this time round I will be sending a drama. I'm also sending it to the Channel 4 writers thing which seems a very good opportunity.
But, like you, although I love the writing, being a parent is more important right now. (I generally write at night time, hence massive bags under eyes.)

Personally I'd say the chances of selling a whole series as is, is Lottery winning unlikely.
You're best of coming up with one perfect sitcom episode, with plans for a seasons worth of episodes.

In many ways you're looking for coming up with a killer first 5 minutes.

It's can't hurt to have an idea of where a sitcom is going though. I'm sure one of the many advice things I read is a producer will say ok, great pilot now give me an outline for episode 4. Or something like that.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds juggling work, comedy sketch writing and small people a challenge. I remember one of the script editors saying when he started submitting to Newsjack he would write six sketches and only submit the best three.