Newsjack - Series 12

Audience tickets available now!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/newsjack_febmarapr15

(I think I might have put this thread in the wrong category - sorry)

I was just wondering, when I awoke this morning, when the series would be announced.

Cheers Bonzo.

EDIT:
Looks like the submission guidelines page has been updated with the correct dates/deadlines for this series.

From that page:

Deadlines:

Sketches: 12.00pm Monday 23 February

One-Liners: 12.00pm Tuesday 24 February

Time to start reading the news again...

Good luck everyone.

Yes - good luck everyone!

Anyone heard about a writer's briefing yet? Or if it's the same producers?

Here's the usual 'trying-to-put-the-useful-stuff-all-in-one-post' post...

Probably (not necessarily!) all still valid from last time.

I will edit this list as more relevant stuff becomes available/people post additional things, so it's all in a single place.

Submission Guidelines for Series 12 Everything in the link above supercedes anything I've put below, as the below is mostly historic things from the last few series mish-mashed all together.

Video of Nish giving tips about submitting.

First deadline is the Monday before broadcast (23rd Feb) at 12noon for sketches (2 each per show this series, plus an additional 'advert' sketch of 30 secs duration, that could be a traditional ad or party political broadcast or programme ident, etc) and 12noon on Tuesday for one-liners (and the old 'VoxPops' are back in fashion this series).

Tip: put an intro to the sketch and put a gag in that intro. Make the gag in the intro different to the gags in the sketch; otherwise you're just proving that you can do your gag a lot shorter.

Two pages is the ideal length. The readers admit to getting bored after that.

Similarly, two people chatting in a sketch is boring for the readers, so may not progress.

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

Newsjack Twitter Feed: They may update this as the recording nears if they need particular one-liners on a breaking topic.

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.

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 http://www.ideastap.com/ideasmag/the-knowledge/newsjack-producer-lyndsay-fenner-open-door-radio-comedy

List of helpful videos from the staff about script editing, the writers' meeting, etc. Script Editor Jack Bernhardt talks about writing The cast talk about which voices they like doing The Show What You Wrote's 'Tips for Writers' video; a lot of which is relevant to writing any radio comedy sketches

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

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 series 7's 'One Liner Rejects' thread, if people want to read them to get in the mood. Here's series 8's one and series 9's 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.

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

And Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch's (now an in-house writer!) fast track 'How To Write For Newsjack' advice.

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:
Instead of us all arguing about formatting, as that repeats here more than Last of the Summer Wine, the producer have kindly supplied templates on the submissions page. Use whatever they put here.

OLD NOTE ABOUT FORMATTING THAT IS WORTH KEEPING IN FOR REFERENCE:

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 Dan Tetsell (the 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
This is the blog that *everyone* at the BBC (and even external prodcos) refer to when asking for radio submissions, so use it. The instructions are written down for you, and there is a link to a copyable/downloadable Google Drive version above that does the same thing, if you don't have Word, and allows you to still send in a Word doc, and I reiterate, even if you don't have Word. As a script editor of an open submissions show myself (and the one who usually painfully puts the final script together), CAN YOU PLEASE USE THIS EFFING TEMPLATE, FOR GOD'S SAKE! It is a massive pain in the arse to have to change your formatting, if it's not like this.

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)

Twitter vibe from the producers in series 8 episode 1 was 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.

Here are some very good blogs from our own Mr Salisbury about 'The Killer Premise', 'Things to Consider Whilst Drafting' and 'Sketches Need Characters' . Newsjack went reasonably well for him in series 7 so listen to his wise words. David also has a very useful list of what NOT to write for Newsjack.

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

Dan

Quote: Bonzo @ 28th January 2015, 3:47 PM GMT

Yes - good luck everyone!

Anyone heard about a writer's briefing yet? Or if it's the same producers?

View original

I heard Arnab is staying, Charlie Perkins isn't. I've completely forgotten the name of the guy who has replaced her. He is tall, which I realise is no help whatsoever.

Last year's briefing was about a week before the series' first deadline, with the invite going out on the Friday before. This makes it likely there will be a briefing in a couple of weeks I'd guess.

Max Davis maybe?

Quote: Bonzo @ 29th January 2015, 3:12 PM GMT

Max Davis maybe?

View original

Doubt it'll be Max, he's a staff writer not a producer. But no other information on who it might be.

Is Romesh back for Series 12?

-------

Checked guidelines and Romesh's name is still on there so will take that as a yes.

Quote: ash williamson @ 29th January 2015, 2:45 PM GMT

Last year's briefing was about a week before the series' first deadline, with the invite going out on the Friday before. This makes it likely there will be a briefing in a couple of weeks I'd guess.

View original

I hope there'll be one - I'll start relentlessly scanning my emails in a couple of weeks!

I see they've kept the 30 second advert / mini sketch.

Update!

Gosh - just got this:

In true Newsjack style we've got two fresh faces producing show, Matt Stronge and Toby Tilling, as well as a new host who will be announced shortly.

Nish Kumar eh? That's quite a big name for Newsjack.

Very pleased with that.

And does that mean we should ignore the guidelines from "for Romesh to read" down?

Who the what now?

I find Nish has a less abrasive style than Romesh, which I think will be a good thing for NJ.

Quote: Will Cam @ 7th February 2015, 10:14 AM GMT

I find Nish has a less abrasive style than Romesh, which I think will be a good thing for NJ.

View original

I agree and he will be following in the path trodden by Miles Jupp and Justin Edwards so I think he will fit very well.

I saw Nish in Buckinghamshire either last year or the year before and he was very good especially considering he was support. I have seen some support acts not even listened to before but he soon had the audience on side and laughing away. I also heard him on The Now Show a few weeks ago and I think we are going to hear a lot more of him in the future.

Best

M

Quote: thebda @ 6th February 2015, 1:57 PM GMT

An excellent choice I think. Cariad Lloyd and Mike Wozniak are fantastic too. I'm very excited about this now.

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I completely agree with this. Cariad Lloyd was very good on My First Planet and Mike Wozniak is brilliant in Man Down but also Small Scenes for those who listen to late night R4 also co-starring Daniel Rigby, Sara Pascoe and Henry Paker.

Best

M

What fees do get for a 30 second joke?....that would please me to find that info?

Quote: dellas @ 10th February 2015, 5:55 AM GMT

What fees do get for a 30 second joke?....that would please me to find that info?

View original

Last series it was £20 and I can't see it changing much (given it was £18 for series 1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1hDdvFLfWClPHW7zT3sq01S/submit-a-sketch