The Sitcom Mission 2012 Page 38

Quote: Declan @ January 25 2012, 5:05 PM GMT

Stage is best, but funny and interesting are even better.

But 'funny and interesting' is very difficult, Declan.

Quote: sarahbean @ January 25 2012, 8:56 PM GMT

But 'funny and interesting' is very difficult, Declan.

Oh, damn.

Quote: andyblacksheep @ January 25 2012, 9:57 AM GMT

Out of curiosity, to those of you putting two entries in - what was your reason for doing so? Doubling your chances, putting in two wildly contrasting pieces to broaden your appeal, inability to choose between two ideas you loved?

I had two ideas and wanted the challenge of writing a stage script for them, rather than a TV script. That's all really. I'd like to say it was because of the fantastically different styles and the incredible character creation, but I'd be lying like a big old lie-bag.

One of them's got zombies in it again though. So that's fun.

Well, I've just submitted "You Banker!" -- my entry for the comp.

The entry process worked fine for me; very slick! Received a confirmation email from Paypal, and checked the pdf file that I uploaded, so everything seems dandy!

Right, then. It's the old waiting game for me now. Good luck to everyone taking part.
Hug

Fifty to Seventy-Five gags? I'm gonna come up short. Where's my highlighter? Hmmm....like new.

Gags? What are gags?

Things that stop your characters from speaking properly!

Here's our latest blog:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/blog/40/

Quote: Park Bench @ January 27 2012, 10:20 AM GMT

Fifty to Seventy-Five gags? I'm gonna come up short. Where's my highlighter? Hmmm....like new.

Where did you get that figure from?

Ok, that's me submitted my entry "Popcorn".

Easy enough to enter.
I like the way that its stored, it means that if you are anal you can alter it up to the last minute.

Quote: andyblacksheep @ January 27 2012, 11:23 AM GMT

Where did you get that figure from?

From the guidelines.

Quote: Declan @ January 27 2012, 10:36 AM GMT

Gags? What are gags?

Things that stop your characters from speaking properly!

I meant 'laughs' , naturally.

Bit late to find this...

Might attempt a Sitcom Mission Impossible...Write a brand new 15 minute sitcom in 3 days. I'm not trying to boast, thinking it's 'cool' to do it at the last minute, I genuinely thought the final submission date for this was months ago.

Has anyone else left it to the last minute?

EDIT:

Also, in the rules it says 'no children'...are you allowed teenagers? And if so, what's the youngest you're allowed?

Quote: Pineapplesky @ January 27 2012, 4:26 PM GMT

Bit late to find this...

Might attempt a Sitcom Mission Impossible...

Has anyone else left it to the last minute?

First of all, hi everyone - new joiner. Regarding late entries for Sitcom Mission, I have written a script with my northern mate that will be submitted in time, but my southern mate needs to get on his bike if he wants us to enter the comp. Even if I do hear from him it could well turn into a Mark Corrigan/Project Zeus scenario ...

I'm sure you can beat the deadline anyway - best of luck.

Alan

I think there's been a misunderstanding about our guidelines, which state:

A recent episode of Will & Grace got 124 laughs. In 22 minutes. You've got 15 minutes, which means... oh, you do the maths.

This doesn't mean that you have to have a set number of laughs in your script. We were just impressed the W & G got so many. There is no set number of laughs in a script which is meant for us. We were just suggesting that you go through your script with a highlighter pen and mark where you think the laughs should come. Blank page after blank page means theatrical tumbleweed.

We've had to read so many laugh lite scripts that you want to sit the writer down and say 'Ok, you tell me where the laughs are, because I can't see any'.

So, let me repeat; we have never been prescriptive about the number of laughs a script should have.

Teenagers in a script needn't be a problem. If we can get young looking actors who have just graduated from drama school they'll be 21.

How old are your characters?

Don't know yet, I haven't written them :P

I just needed clarification before I settled on a certain idea. Thanks for the quick response.

Thinking back on it, the only script I've submitted for this was my first - a sitcom set in the world of circus freaks turned porn actors. I'm pretty sure there was a scene in the stage version that involved rollerskating. Sorry to the poor bastard who read it.

Quote: simon wright @ January 27 2012, 6:48 PM GMT

A recent episode of Will & Grace got 124 laughs.

Maybe so. But most of those laughs will be gay laughs. Gay laughs are like dog years.

(This isn't homophobic, as I'm probably being ironic.)

Quote: simon wright @ January 27 2012, 6:48 PM GMT

Blank page after blank page means theatrical tumbleweed.

And The Sitcom Mission's staging budget unfortunately doesn't stretch to buying tumbleweed. :(