Quote: Ennie @ March 17 2011, 12:31 PM GMT

I'm another (definitely non-guru) shortlisted entrant.

I was at university for ages but not on a creative writing course. I'm an online editor by trade. I've always written constantly but never thought that there was any point in even trying to submit anything. I was always far too embarrassed to even admit to myself that I wanted to write comedy. It felt arrogant. And was surely something that confident people do.

I then got to know someone who started to get stuff on telly, and an agent. He nicked some of my ideas. And fair enough, cos I wasn't going to do anything with them was I? He wasn't even that funny - he just kept trying.

So I thought...sod this. Perhaps it is worth having a go. Yes, I'm not ashamed to say it: I went to a workshop. There! It was nerve-wracking. I was delighted when people laughed at bits I didn't think were any good, and confused and irritated when nobody laughed at all at the bits I thought were my script's saving grace. Best thing of all though was the advice and encouragement. Proper, constructive, helpful advice. It really made me think that there WAS a point in trying, so I entered last year and got through to the finals and also this year. And that's it really.

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That's great both insightful and inspirational, well done.

Quote: KLRiley @ March 17 2011, 12:37 PM GMT

Ennie, just out of curiosity, whose workshop?

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Simon and Declan's!

Quote: Ennie @ March 17 2011, 12:47 PM GMT

Simon and Declan's!

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Duh!

When Sean writes: 'to be continued' I really want to read more.

It's got energy, invention and laughs. More please.

(I've just re-read the above and there's a definite surfeit of the word 'more', but you get the point).

I put my failure on the critique page, any feed back would be welcome.

Quote: sean knight @ March 16 2011, 12:15 PM GMT

Hendrix didn't just pick up a guitar one day and thrash out Purple Haze on a whim. He had to snap strings, piss off the neighbours and throw it on the floor in frustration for a long while beforehand.

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A very good example. He was also penniless, pawning his guitar and turned down by numerous managers and producers until one person saw the talent and brought him over to London.

The lesson here is that you need to find your Chas Chandler.

Quote: Teddy Paddalack @ March 17 2011, 12:58 PM GMT

I put my failure on the critique page, any feed back would be welcome.

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That's the best "sitcom" I've read on here yet.

Some of the early jokes (like the "emigrating" tangent) didn't seem plausible, but the Doug character is priceless, and the dialogue is razor sharp.

Having a final re-read of my entry, even if Simon and Declan liked any aspects of it, it's definitely too comedy-drama to be classed as a sitcom. My mistake of leaving out gags in favour of a few more 'angstier' (?) bits.

I shall carry on writing these character's stories, but won't submit it to sitcom related comps, and when I do send it to BBC Unsolicited lot (after it's calmed down there), I'll call it a comedy drama.

However, my other idea, which should have been finished and submitted by the 28th, is definitely more of a sitcom.

Quote: darius @ March 16 2011, 11:32 PM GMT

I just bit the bullet and copy-pasted my entry for sitcom mission under Critique.

Thus, let the critique commence... and thanks in advance for honest and painful yet invigorating feedback. I hope to be needing no coffee today.

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Please...

Quote: Feeoree @ March 17 2011, 2:14 PM GMT

Having a final re-read of my entry, even if Simon and Declan liked any aspects of it, it's definitely too comedy-drama to be classed as a sitcom. My mistake of leaving out gags in favour of a few more 'angstier' (?) bits.

I shall carry on writing these character's stories, but won't submit it to sitcom related comps, and when I do send it to BBC Unsolicited lot (after it's calmed down there), I'll call it a comedy drama.

However, my other idea, which should have been finished and submitted by the 28th, is definitely more of a sitcom.

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Be wary of submitting comedy drama, according to this quote here - "The former Head of Comedy at the BBC said that all the first readers are asked to look for is how funny a script is." What about comedy-drama? "We are not looking for comedy-drama which is often neither funny nor dramatic."

Lifted from this site -
<http://www.robinkelly.btinternet.co.uk/sitcom5.htm> -
link originally posted by Bushbaby, I think.

Quote: There must be a way @ March 17 2011, 4:25 PM GMT

"We are not looking for comedy-drama which is often neither funny nor dramatic."

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It does seem to be the way that a lot of crummy amateur sitcoms are passed off as 'comedy drama' the moment they receive criticism that they're not very funny. I can certainly see why the phrase has been devalued.

I don't think this thread's going to make the 100, Simon or Declan your going to have to intervene and say something, do something that will make people jump back in, its for comic relief remember.

Hi all

We've had a number of people ask us for feedback on their scripts, and lots of people who live in the outer reaches of the universe can't make it to London for a Help! I've Written A Script workshop.

So, we've decided to launch a sitcom reading service, giving you a CD of professional actors reading out your script with feedback from Simon and Declan as and, more importantly, from the actors who just read it. Their feedback is often vital as they can either get the character immediately from what's on the page, or they might struggle to interpret a character that isn't coming across to them.

Details are here:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/workshops/4/

Cheers all

Declan

Quote: Declan @ March 17 2011, 11:25 PM GMT

Hi all

We've had a number of people ask us for feedback on their scripts, and lots of people who live in the outer reaches of the universe can't make it to London for a Help! I've Written A Script workshop.

So, we've decided to launch a sitcom reading service, giving you a CD of professional actors reading out your script with feedback from Simon and Declan as and, more importantly, from the actors who just read it. Their feedback is often vital as they can either get the character immediately from what's on the page, or they might struggle to interpret a character that isn't coming across to them.

Details are here:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/workshops/4/

Cheers all

Declan

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What the heck. Ordered.

Sounds great, I was thinking though, say you have 1200 scripts that didn't get through each one takes 15 mins to read through, you could spend a further 15 mins writing your feedback so a total of 30 mins per script charge £30 for the service, how much is that?