BBC Comedy College Page 15

I would like to know why the BBC don't commission a bunch of pilots every so often and the most successful of those pilots they then take a chance of commissioning for a full series.

That's what the networks do in America, pilot season, the most successful and promising ones get commissioned, and some go on to have huge success, others big critical success and obviously some that get canceled but at least they take a chance on lots of new and interesting TV shows.

I know they screen pilots from time to time but they never make a big deal out of them. They should actually theme a pilot season.

I'd like to see the BBC and other UK channels operate a system like that. I know C4 did that Comedy Showcase, but well yeah, we all saw the 'quality' of those shows. It needs to be on a much bigger scale than that.

Quote: Martin Holmes @ February 16, 2008, 11:50 PM

I would like to know why the BBC don't commission a bunch of pilots every so often and the most successful of those pilots they then take a chance of commissioning for a full series.

That's what the networks do in America, pilot season, the most successful and promising ones get commissioned, and some go on to have huge success, others big critical success and obviously some that get canceled but at least they take a chance on lots of new and interesting TV shows.

I'd like to see the BBC and other UK channels operate a system like that.

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Years ago we had Comedy Playhouse from which Steptoe sprang.

They should really have made more of Last Laugh - although maybe they just felt every entry was crap.

Quote: David Chapman @ February 16, 2008, 11:52 PM

Years ago we had Comedy Playhouse from which Steptoe sprang.

They should really have made more of Last Laugh - although maybe they just felt every entry was crap.

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I suspect that the judges may not have been of the highest calibre!

More money in the US so they can afford the odd lemon to fail!
Whereas UK tv usually commissions multi-series of them!

Hey Robin

I don't think anybody's denying the importance, and possibly primacy, of hard work in this process. Of course you aren't going to get anywhere without knuckling down to a long hard slog.

We're just saying (I think) that people have different levels of innate creativity, whether that is to do with nature or nurture, or their life experience to date. I can think of plenty of individuals who would rather die than try and come up with a joke. Their talents lie elsewhere. Yes, you could push them into comedy classes, and eventually they might come up with something. But they ain't never going to write the next Peep Show. (Maybe we ain't either.) I'm not dissing these people. They have other skills, probably much more useful than the ability to come up with knob gags on demand.

Blimey! 15 pages! Now I know how the BBC feel

Quote: Aaron @ February 13, 2008, 10:16 AM

Never watched the show, have you?

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Yeah I think I watched the first three series. Series one was good, in fact the first episode had lots of gags and was genuinely funny, every episode since it has become worse and worse. I can see why people like it, but no way are the characters well rounded or realistic.

Fair enough. There are ludicrous elements to them yes, but otherwise I generally disagree. But heyho, nevermind.

Quote: Martin Holmes @ February 16, 2008, 11:50 PM

I'd like to see the BBC and other UK channels operate a system like that. I know C4 did that Comedy Showcase, but well yeah, we all saw the 'quality' of those shows. It needs to be on a much bigger scale than that.

View original

C4's Comedy Showcase showed what pilots are for. Some seemingly strong scripts will work on screen and some just fall flat. That's surely the point of doing pilots. Incidently, I thought 'Ladies And Gentlemen' by Jess Armstrong and Sam Bain had strong potential. If they have time off from Peep Show etc. I wouldn't be suprised if that show made it to at least one series. (Though I was personally annoyed by seeing it because I had just finished a script with a slightly similar premise and style.)

I never saw "Ladies and Gentlemen" (anyone got a copy ?) but would have loved to as I am a massive Armstrong/Bain fan. However I do remember that it got quite heavily slated in the press, unfortunately ?

It had a pretty good premise, a group of Victorians living together, a definite style - slightly dark, slightly surreal, bawdy and a good cast. The point is it is a pilot. I could see a lot of potential in it. Surely it's good for us writers to see pilots broadcast. I don't think what the press say about them is particulary relevant because they don't tend to review them as a "work in progress".

Just going back to 'the can talent be taught' argument, I'd just like to point out that while good writing can be taught I don't think a great sense of humour and/or being funny can. I think life experiences, personality, influences, observation, etc are essential to making someone funny. This combined with good writing skills are what makes a great comedy writer.

Yes I agree Dolly a sense of humour is the basic requirement LOL after that learning to construct/plots etc can be taught.
I don't know how people without a sense of humour get by in their lives. I've met a few and how does one manage without laughter?

I don't think you can make anybody funny who isn't, though making what's funny funnier is feasible. It's like people trying out live material and tweaking/replacing,rewriting it in the light of audience response. If someone is funny and can write a bit, then they can learn to write a bit better. I'm not going to be around for a while, so if someone has a query it doesn't mean I'm ignoring them.

I think individuals can be funny in both a nature and nurture way, and also that every human being has a sense of humour just as they have a sense of fear.

I may of mentioned this before but in chess a psychologist(i think) called Polger taught his three young daughters to play chess and encouraged a learning environment, they had shown no previous aptitude for the game but one went on to be a female world champion and another is considered the strongest female ever to have lived currently climbing back into the worlds top 10 (mens list).

On the other hand there are numerous stories of child prodigies who were just good naturally. I think humans can adapt to master many things, humour is one of them.

Douglas Adams made a good point over a difference in funny people. He said that someone who hears something and makes an immediate funny joke is a wit. Someone who hears something, goes away and comes up with a REALLY funny joke is a comedy writer.