How to Get Commissioned: Be a Commissioner, dur

Hi

Bitter TV worker here. Long time lurker, hope you're all well, etc, et cetera..

Apologies if this post is in the wrong section but would someone please tell me if I'm being unreasonable / reasonable: is it ok for a BBC comedy commissioner to get a comedy commissioned whilst being and commissioner and, oh, still is.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2015/two-doors-down-casting

"Why's your comedy called Two Doors Down, Gergor?"

"Oh, y'know, I co-wrote this thing and thought 'where can I get this commissioned?' Then, as if by a lucky coincidence I suddenly realised I work in comedy commissioning. I literally went two doors down to get this script commissioned."

Ok, while I'm at it, Stuart Murphy, former Pie In The Sky Lord recently stepped down and has been given a development deal by Sky Vision to develop a comedy (and drama) script. I've witnessed many times his ***attempts*** at 'devising funny and dramatic ideas

Ll

I once was queuing up at my Local Co-op got to the end and a customer who was clearly a friend of the cashier says
"do you mind if I go in front?"
I said
"yea"
and she did anyway and the c**ts served her. So I went home brought back by my licensed shotgun killed them both, poured petrol over the shop. And burnt it's lying, rotten edifice to the ground whilst I danced around in an obsene pagan dance waving my buttocks at it.

Actually I just left my shopping and went to the corner shop, where they had better customer service.

Every industry has it's way of helping friends out, it's life. Even if they don't by very dint of being part of that world, you know the language, the psychic culture and the mores.

It's why politicians tend to breed politicians and whores breed whores.

To break into a market as competative as TV you need to be insanely competative, talented, competative. To have the kind of skin an enraged Co-op customer can't penetrate with a shotgun. Keep going the prize sometimes goes to the persistent.

Quote: sootyj @ 24th October 2015, 5:00 PM BST

I once was queuing up at my Local Co-op got to the end and a customer who was clearly a friend of the cashier says
"do you mind if I go in front?"
I said
"yea"
and she did anyway and the c**ts served her.

I suppose the difference is that your local shop is not publicly funded.

Speaking from the view point of one who likes to think the best of everyone, maybe the guy can write a bit , got a job in commissioning, to
1) improve his writing
2) get an idea of what the beeb is looking for
3) get to know who to talk with to further his writing career
4) move with the right crowd

sounds like a plan to me.
Maybe a better plan than sending off random scripts under various titles to comps with thousands of others doing the same.

speaking from the view point of one who does the above,

"Lucky sod"

Quote: Nogget @ 24th October 2015, 7:03 PM BST

I suppose the difference is that your local shop is not publicly funded.

What is Sootyj? Boiled ham?

I'm going to guess he has very little to do with ham.

Even so, he must fund his local shop for local people.

There is no 'sneaky way in' there are only 'ways in' and being on the inside and doing a bit of insider dealing is one of the most effective and is oft used I would have thought.

Want a better way?

Having your dad working there is also a good one.. ;)

The reality is that you can do whatever you get away with..

Quote: Johnny26 @ 25th October 2015, 8:42 AM GMT

Speaking from the view point of one who likes to think the best of everyone, maybe the guy can write a bit , got a job in commissioning, to
1) improve his writing
2) get an idea of what the beeb is looking for
3) get to know who to talk with to further his writing career
4) move with the right crowd

sounds like a plan to me.

I hear you, Johnny26. I really do. Maybe I am too cynical having turned from an enthusiastic, eager, credulous wannabe producer to being bitter; bitter from being disgusted by a lot of unaccountable behaviours I have witnessed during this past decade working in the telly.

My beef is that little old thing called "conflict of interest". Yes, I ranted about Stuart Murphy but at least he had the 'good grace' to stand down from his senior commissioning position before announcing his writing deal with the very in-house company he was part responsible for launching.. It's all good fun, though - right?

Gregor Sharp worked his way up through the ranks. I am sure a very talented editorial person. His CV shows a Producer/Director background. I am not questioning his writing ability; nor couldn't care less if his long-term intention were to get a commission, good on him - but this isn't about that. He just should have waited until standing down from his role before getting a commission.

He still remains a commissioner. He wrote this whilst being a commissioner. (Unless I am mistaken but that's how it looks from the one-off last year to the full series commission this year. I accept the possibility this series could have been sitting in his draw for twenty years).

I would have no issue had Gregor left the beeb and then got this commission. We wouldn't have had 'The Inbetweeners' nor unlikley 'Friday Night Dinner' if The respective writers remained in commissioning. But at least Robert Popper and Damon Beesley did the right thing and left their job of commissioning before writing and pitching. So this isn't an annoyance at someone becoming a commissioner to then get a commission. If you're talented I don't care what you do to get there. First, leave your job of responsibility then go pitch.

From the odd encounter of the years, Gregor seems like a decent chap but it calls into question his judgment. For all the courses I've been on at the beeb - and I am not at the cautious commissioner job level, I am aware that this is a little peculiar. If the Daily Mail got hold of this, they'd take delight in it. But the beeb can do without any more vile attacks.

Thanks for indulging my conspiracy theroy. I think I need to look down a barrel (a 'barrel' of drink) and just down it all away into a happy state of oblivious oblivion because clearly it doesn't matter.

Best regards,

Ll

Hi Loser Lol, if you work anywhere near the commissioning department in the BeeB then you are now officially the new best friend of everyone on this site!

Not me. I'm still holding out for a commission from ATV. :)

Hi Lol

You are totally right of course, the man is a total scoundrel, I can't believe that he would pass over any of my efforts in favour of one of his own.

Anyway I think that once his position becomes totally untenable, and he comes to his senses and resigns, you should be in like a shot and take his job, then maybe, because we now have an ongoing relationship, you would be able to use some of my masterpieces that have for some reason been overlooked.

I hope to be hearing from you soon regarding your new position within the Corporation, and my rise to fame in the world of sitcom.

J26 Wave