Radio Sitcom

Anyone know who are the best people to send a radio sitcom to? It seems a good route to get from there to TV and there are some really terrible ones out there at the moment - I'm sure most of us can do better.

E.g. Hut 33 on Radio 4. Sounded great from the write up, but it turns out I couldn't force myself to sit through even one whole episode of this patronising, contrived, predictable, formulaic, unoriginal and unfunny pile of utter utter $%£&*$$*g b*llocks!!!!!!!. Phew, I feel calm again now.

 

I actually grown to quite like Hut 33. Some of it is predictable but there's some good lines in amongst it in my opinion.

Sadly, unlike TV, most of the BBC's radio output is produced in house which makes it very hard to get a script in... but not impossible. I'm sure others can shed some light. There's a handful of writers in our directory who've had stuff on the radio.
 

Thanks, I hoped maybe radio would be more open to scripts, but I guess not.

On hut 33 - I only listened to the latest episode, so it may've been a bad one to choose, as I got the impression it was a good idea anodized by lazy writing.
 

For a start, I wouldn't go into radio thinking it as just an way to get into TV. That doesn't sit well with radio producers and commissioners.

Quote: chipolata @ July 30, 2007, 10:52 AM

For a start, I wouldn't go into radio thinking it as just an way to get into TV. That doesn't sit well with radio producers and commissioners.

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Well the fact is that it is and that most people are hoping to do so. You don't make it obvious but most people know the score. I've yet to see someone turn down a chance for their radio show to go on tv.

 

I would be equally happy to write for Radio or TV, but it seems like a lot of famous TV writers started in radio, so even for those members who aim for TV it is a possibility (is what I was saying in a round about way!).

I've seen a few job adverts for creative writers who can write ads for commercial radio stations, but they are all asking for show reels and experience. Does anyone know how you get started doing that?

 

For those interested, Hut 33 is returning for a second series, with tickets currently going for recordings.
 

Obviously, I wouldn't turn down a radio commission and I don't suppose anyone else on here would either. But I'm not sure that radio is a way into TV, except that it obviously boosts your overall credibility as a writer.

There was a big piece in the Grauniad about radio comedy last year sometime, and they pointed out that the percentage of radio comedies which transfer to TV is tiny and getting smaller.

(Edit: Just found the Grauniad piece - http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1990719,00.html. Not sure I agree with everything in it, but interesting anyway.)

For every Little Britain and League of Gentlemen there are dozens of Hut 33s and Our Brave Boys. Even really good radio comedies - Ed Reardon's Week, Think The Unthinkable, Giles Wemmbley-Hogg - don't transfer. I think the only things that do nowadays are performer-driven sketch shows like That Mitchell And Webb Thing, The Mighty Boosh and Cowards ?


 

Radio comedy is probably more difficult to write than TV comedy. And, if you can pull it off, you stand more chance of getting a radio sitcom commissioned as a first time writer than a TV show commissioned.

Agreed. The vast majority of people commissioned through Writersroom have been for radio projects (according to the presentation I went to). Apparently the number of TV projects commissioned through that system has been negligible so far, and there has never ever been an unsolicited movie script commissioned by BBC Films through Writersroom.

(NB I think these figures relate to drama. I don't think much comedy gets commissioned through Writersroom.)



 

Quote: Ian Wolf @ January 29, 2008, 11:27 AM

For those interested, Hut 33 is returning for a second series, with tickets currently going for recordings.

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I thought it was the best new radio comedy for a while so pleased it is coming back.

Quote: Griff @ January 29, 2008, 11:38 AM

Obviously, I wouldn't turn down a radio commission and I don't suppose anyone else on here would either. But I'm not sure that radio is a way into TV, except that it obviously boosts your overall credibility as a writer.

View Original

If you can write a good radio comedy, I think you can write anything. Having to rely solely on words certainly puts the focus on making the dialogue funny - something a lot of TV sitcoms could learn from I think (rather than them relying on tired slapstick or actors making silly faces).

From what I understand, but I'm no expert, radio sketches are the best way into the industry - if you're good enough you'll then move over to TV sketches.

Of course the problem with the statements in this thread is that they're suggesting radio comedy is somehow inferior and people would rather write for TV. Some Radio 4 comedies get more listeners than BBC3 sketch shows so I'd certainly not knock the genre.

Quote: Griff @ January 29, 2008, 11:38 AM

There was a big piece in the Grauniad about radio comedy last year sometime, and they pointed out that the percentage of radio comedies which transfer to TV is tiny and getting smaller.

View Original

Interesting.

It should be noted though that at least two comedies in this spring's schedule have come from radio:

That Mitchell and Webb Look
Teenage Kicks

So it's still a route that does work from time to time.
 

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From what I understand, but I'm no expert, radio sketches are the best way into the industry

Any toehold you can get has to be good, although I'm not convinced that nowadays radio is any more likely to get you into TV than (say) a hit Edinburgh Festival sketch show or even a popular Internet video/animation. (Apparently Peter Serafinowicz got his recent TV sketch show commissioned on the basis of an Internet clip, rather than his excellent track record on "Look Around You").

Of course, BBC radio pays much better than sketch shows or Internet clips.

And it'll be very interesting to see what happens when Channel Four Radio gets up and running.

BTW I'm not saying radio is rubbish. I love loads of great radio comedy. But I think its influence is declining.

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making the dialogue funny - something a lot of TV sitcoms could learn from I think, rather than them relying on tired slapstick

Nothing wrong with having funny dialogue and slapstick. I love John Cleese's writing dearly, but where would Fawlty Towers be without Manuel getting poked in the eye and smacked in the teeth with a spoon ?

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Some Radio 4 comedies get more listeners than BBC3 sketch shows

A lot of R4 comedies deserve a lot more listeners than some BBC3 sketch shows.

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It should be noted though that at least two comedies in this spring's schedule have come from radio:

Both, however, featuring writers (and performers) that already have very successful TV careers... I don't know what the last "breakthrough" radio-to-TV show was which was written by relative unknowns ? (Someone is sure to point out an obvious counter-example any second...)