Quote: Declan @ March 14 2011, 5:02 PM GMTAlso, Simon started with the most recent entries and worked his way back, and I started with the first entry and worked my way through to 23.59 on the 28th, which seems like a lifetime ago.
Wow, that's a clever plan.
At the risk of sounding stupid, what would you define as a flatshare sitcom?
I had to make quite a lot of changes to mine so that it would fit the contest rules, so I ended up having it about a married couple living together (quite a lot different from what I intended). Would that mean it's considered a flatshare/houseshare sitcom as well? Or do you mean a very typical flatshare, such as a group of unrelated people (Not Going Out)?
Quote: Declan @ March 14 2011, 5:02 PM GMTAlso, Simon started with the most recent entries and worked his way back, and I started with the first entry and worked my way through to 23.59 on the 28th, which seems like a lifetime ago.
Ah, so that little snippet tells my that my partially defrosted chicken is still quite fresh in Declan's mind, whereas, for Simon, it may just be a vaguely unpleasant odour which he can't quite place. If I correctly recall the primacy and recency effects from the half of my degree which was in Psychology, this system could work in favour of those of us who submitted either early or at the eleventh hour and against those in between.
Like all those loitering around the forum today, I am just trying to glean a grain of hope.
Oh and I LOVED the little taster of what has already been earmarked as next year's winning entry! Very much a "wish I'd written that" moment.
Quote: abfc bjk @ March 14 2011, 5:21 PM GMTAt the risk of sounding stupid, what would you define as a flatshare sitcom?
Most flatshares are about students because it's plausible that they need to share to keep the rent down. What we got a lot of was the recessionary flatshare where someone loses their job and has to either move back in with their parents or take in a lodger. It's hard not to make those seem contrived.
The danger with a flatshare is that your characters are perfectly happy living together and don't particularly want anything. This is when a flatshare turns into a 'chatshare' and characters sit around talking about things that have already happened. There's no plot because everything has already taken place. If someone wants something (Tony in Men Behaving Badly really wants Debs) then you can put obstacles in the way and create conflict.
Quote: Griff @ March 14 2011, 5:39 PM GMTIt was interesting on the Peep Show documentary that was on at Christmas, Mitchell and Webb talking about Mark and Jez living together for so long, and saying there's going to come a point where it flips over from two young non-achievers stuck living together because their lives are such a mess, (i.e. something we can all relate to) to something much creepier i.e. two university friends still living together in middle age.
Do they then consider a civil partnership as no one else seems to want to live with them and it would tidy up the legal niceties?
I dunno if it's good or bad, but nothing in my script, or glaring error, hasn't even been mentioned!
Quote: JJ Cocker @ March 14 2011, 5:42 PM GMTI dunno if it's good or bad, but nothing in my script, or glaring error, hasn't even been mentioned!
I wish I could say the same! 
Cut that glaring error bit. I picked up an old draft to check something, and nearly died!
Quote: simon wright @ March 14 2011, 4:23 PM GMTLoved it.
I wish I could say it was my own idea but I really just hacked into your webcam
Quote: simon wright @ March 14 2011, 5:33 PM GMTMost flatshares are about students because it's plausible that they need to share to keep the rent down. What we got a lot of was the recessionary flatshare where someone loses their job and has to either move back in with their parents or take in a lodger. It's hard not to make those seem contrived.
The danger with a flatshare is that your characters are perfectly happy living together and don't particularly want anything. This is when a flatshare turns into a 'chatshare' and characters sit around talking about things that have already happened. There's no plot because everything has already taken place. If someone wants something (Tony in Men Behaving Badly really wants Debs) then you can put obstacles in the way and create conflict.
Ah I see.
One thing I worry about is that one of the scripts I sent in was about needing money, but NOT to do with the recession.
Basically the guy needs money to pay a debt which he caused via his own stupidity, I'm just worried it may get slated in along with the recession crowd which seems to have been pretty overused.
Quote: Ennie @ March 14 2011, 5:43 PM GMTI wish I could say the same!
Hey... It's all a learning curve. Onwards and upwards to your next project.
That's right. I recently submitted a pitch to Cbeebies about a sister show for Rasta Mouse
What I learned from the rejection letter is that the world has moved on from the times when English Defence League Cat and his wacky cultural observations would have been acceptable.
Quote: Griff @ March 14 2011, 5:39 PM GMT...something much creepier i.e. two university friends still living together in middle age.
I know two blokes just turned 40 who have lived together since Uni. They have graduated to a house, which one of them owns.
Creep Show?
It's not so different from marriage, is it? And by forty the idea of a married couple having sex together is pretty icky.
Quote: twit in pyjamas @ March 14 2011, 6:44 PM GMTI know two blokes just turned 40 who have lived together since Uni. They have graduated to a house, which one of them owns.
Creep Show?
Hey! How did you tap into my webcam?
