TV Editor's Office

TV Editors office. Editor and writer are discussing the writer’s script.

WRITER
But it’s crucial that the lead character is a female.

EDITOR
But that’d mean we can’t use David Jason.

WRITER
Ok. But why can’t it be set in London?

EDITOR
Oh, darling, we wouldn’t have such characters down south. I suggest Manchester.

WRITER
What about the era then? You’re saying that it can’t work in a futuristic setting.

EDITOR
There are too many sci-fi dramas at present. I suggest we set it in the seventies.

WRITER
And you don’t like the idea of it being set in a hospital.

EDITOR
‘Fraid not. I think….er….Police would be better.

WRITER
Can we agree on the title I chose? ‘Life In The Future’

EDITOR
Well, not now that we’ve changed the era. I recommend we use, ‘Life on Mars’
Yes, I’m sure that would work.

WRITER
So in effect it bears no resemblance at all, to how I have written it..

EDITOR
That’s right. I’d be out of a job otherwise. What else have you written?

WRITER
I’ve got a ream of blank paper here. Perhaps you’ll give me some advise.
_________________

That is spot on bushbaby.

Seems very similar to the Orange adverts at the cinema though...

I haven't seen them. This sketch was written about 18mths ago

I like it!

I also think it's a recurring life theme generally so of course the idea will occur in others work elsewhere in the past, present and future!

Maybe Orange nicked it off me from another forum

Very possibly the idea fell through time from the 70's.

I think we can all get too hung up on so-called 'originality' (as though there is in fact anything original in comedy anymore..) I think most sketches have at least an 'echo' in others work somewhere!

This is a good sketch from bushbaby to my mind and set in the right context would be very funny!

There's a lot of bitter sounding sketches/jokes about producers and commissioners knocking about - why?

It's sense of humour Seefacts

Well, I just think stuff like that is terribly in-jokey - and it's an in-joke that no one here can possibly be in a position to make.

Ah, yes, I see what you mean. It's rather like writing a play about theatre/Tv. Every editor one comes across won't have it, saying it's an 'in joke' no one else will get it. But there's recently been one announced and I can't for the life of me think if it's a sitcom or a musical for theatre.....this damn memory, it's about showbiz but guess it's ok for a known writer to write about what the hell he/she wants....not that I'm bitter.
Also, I've only written about six sketches, I was once 'experimenting' to see if I could do them. This particular one was written especially for another writers forum for the other writers, just to amuse. I wouldn't send it out anywhere and besides, sketches are extremely difficult to place.

I don't think there's anything wrong to be honest with this as an in-joke. There are plenty of in-jokes from all walks of life that can be grasped by the 'outsider' relatively easily.

As to having experience about what we write? This is true in most cases but I don't think you had to be a hospital worker to write Green Wing or a serial-killer to write those Hannibal books - although it probably helps.

This made me laugh and the comedy climax or payload was in the final line (which I think is the proper place for all sketches to end) and it didn't disappoint.

Reading all the comments again it looks like another Kent Pete.

Eh? Come again. I've sat and re-read the thread but I must be missing something. I'm not so sharp this time of day, David.