The hardest path

I have just spent over a year of my life writing for a BBC producer. When I first made contact it was with a script that was similar to the many I have posted on here. They didn't want that they wanted me to write 'Working Class'

So despite my reservations I did one and over that year this producer would make me wait 4 to 5 weeks and then send me suggested alterations so I would sit up all night and do them and have them ready and sent back only to wait for weeks for feedback.

In the end I was over the moon with what I had created (5 episodes) as they truly reflected real life in a working class house and they are very very funny. There was even talk of BBC 1 9ish slot.

Sadly for me last night this producer got back to me and said that they couldn't take me any further and dropped me.

Now this happens to us all a lot I know. but what got to me was that I actually produced what they asked for, but they couldn't relate it because it was working class?.

Don't get me wrong they have every right to drop stuff if they don't think it works and it was good of them to consider me.

But what I made was real because it was based on my day to day observations of a world that I have lived in all my life?

However it seems that unless you put gypsies, bare knuckle fights card schools and stolen cars along with horses in your garden and are surrounded by the feckless and the helpless then the BBC don't think its real?.

So I was down last night as we have all been and I even questioned myself as you should on these occasions.

But now I am back and I have a great sitcom that reflects a world I know to be true so I will continue my search and hope I can get my words to come to life.

I wrote this so that people can understand just how hard it is to get on TV unless you have contacts and a production company behind you. It's not impossible but beware that as an individual your efforts, hopes, dreams and in some case your mental health are on the line.

But its worth it folks its just much much harder than you think.

Teddy

Oh, how unlucky and awful.
I felt your pain there.

It's like being strung along then having everything dashed.

Bad luck.
Yes, you've got to keep on keeping on.

Thanks chaps, its more a case of the producers being middle class and the writer being working class, its no one's fault as they often can't see the woods for the trees. It would be the same if I tried to do a middle class family all I would have to go on is the stereotypes .
It's just the length of time and the hopes dashed that got to me last night and at 4 am I was awake making a decision as to whether to keep trying , well here I am and here I stand.
The plus side being I have a great sitcom, not amazing not high concept just a great little insight into a Scouse House free of cliches and stereotypes and the issues they face are relevant from Dundee to Dover all I need is a producer. any offers?

Perhaps the dreaded Bread has cast it's shadow.The BBC like their working class to be what the middle class think they are.

I fear thats what it is as Liverpool has been stabbed in the back with a middle class writers pen a thousand times.
In fairness apart from the odd reference to the city it was mostly just working class issues, not drab just funny and real .

That's certainly a bummer, Teddy.

If there's one essential truth about writing for TV, it's probably that no matter whether you're an absolute beginner or an established writer at the height of his powers, you can never be sure your script is going to be on the telly until you see it on the telly. Before it actually appears on the nation's TV screens, your script can be put to death at any moment of its existence.

Does this recent and highly unfortunate experience reflect on your personal abilities as a comedy writer?

Absolutely not! If you were no good at the job, this producer would never have given you a moment of his time in the first place. Indeed, you and your script might be absolutely brilliant: I think we're all well aware that failure to recognise brilliance is something of which almost everybody in the radio, TV, movie and music industries has been guilty at one time or another.

What to do now?

There's only one answer: pick yourself up, dust yourself down . . . you know the rest.

Thanks Roody I'm on that already I know I'm good ,not great and I have no choice but to carry on but I'm grateful for your input as its a truthful insight.

Bad luck, Teddy. Sounds like a thoroughly demoralising experience.

My one piece of advice to anybody is to write other things - short stories, novels, plays, essays etc - there's more to writing than just sitcoms and television, and you often find you have more control and success in those other areas. I pretty much gave up on sitcoms and have gone down other avenues and am much happier for it.

Thanks Chip the only thing is that I have written a great little one that I know is good enough, it won't change the world but it would really help me financially as I work for 5 quid an hour and struggle to pay my rent every month so it would have kept a roof over my head and left me with enough to write more and better things, so its hard to let go of.

Oh dear Teddy, I feel for you , keep strong.

Thanks Herc its not that bad it just would have freed me up and give me the chance to write my way out of the shit.

In the early 90s I had a business go seriously wrong on me, with a partner declaring himself personally bankrupt and so all the bank overdraft fell onto my shoulders, resulting in me having to sell my lovely house that I had just rewired and was turning into a nice family home.

No job, too old with no house, so I resurrected my comedy script writing and even invested what little money I had in a script writing course, but to no avail. Two or three sketches accepted and one plagiarised - that was the lowest period in my life and although I moved on, it still rankles with me after all these years.

Commiserations, Teddy, but keep fighting.
Years ago I was part of a writers group run by somebody who worked for BBC. Based on what I'd produced in the group, he subsequently phoned me and asked me to send him something, which I did. Back it came with some glib sentence rejecting it, not even any real crit. Luckily I hadn't been that interested in writing for tv so I wasn't too cut up. But Karma - a few years later there was a shake-up and he was one of the people sacked.

Sorry to hear that Herc and thanks for the boost Brio. I think , the worst part was that I spent just over a year and never did any other writing apart form my crap job so I feel like I have wasted a year of my life. I was writing into the early hours to do the amendments they asked of me within 24 hours and then I had to wait 3 - 4 weeks for a reply.
I'm not blaming the producer they're busy and its their call and they have to make brutal ones to be a producer.
What got me was that I was asked to write something I didn't want to and I did a really good job of it I honestly did and l had genuine hopes so its just been a really bad blow .