Quote: rwayne @ July 31 2010, 12:08 AM BST

I'm really looking forward to the opportunity again...top 500 last time.

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what do you mean...top 500 last time?

Weren't there 500 entries?.

oh, I see....yes

I'm going to take my life in my hands and reopen the debate on rewrites:

From my experience of the mission/trials, the obstacle to rewrites between rounds is not 'lazy writers' - it's much more likely to be:

1. directors/actors not having time to meet(they're not being paid)
2. rehearsal space not being available/too expensive
3. directors/actors refusing to print out updated versions of a script because it's too expensive (I'm not kidding, this actually happened)
4. directors refusing to use updates because they know best
5. all of the above

I can understand there could be a problem with a lack of script development between the various rounds, I just don't think that asking writers to do more is the solution.

Most writers I know who have been involved would do whatever it takes to end up with the best scripts. Most directors and actors, whilst often very talented and dedicated, do not have the luxury of limitless time to spend on an unpaid project. Directors, in particular, have very little at stake, apart from their own pride in a job well done. The likelihood of gaining directing work on the back of this project, for example, is much less than it is for actors and writers (for whom it also pretty small to be fair).

OK, rant over.

*stands back, waits for shouting to begin.*

Quote: Penge @ July 30 2010, 6:19 PM BST

It might mean that a potentially brilliant sitcom might be unentered because the writer isn't prepared to write three episodes, but on the other hand it might unearth a gem of a sitcom because the writer has worked very hard on it.

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If a potential brilliant sitcom got on telly, wouldn't you want more than two episodes anyway?

and when you watch 'How To Live Your Life' and 'Grandma's House' it makes one wonder what sort of sitcom one has to write....rubbish? is that what gets one on TV? Plus young editors that are power mad and wouldn't recognize funny if it smacked them in the arse

Bushbaby... if you think modern TV is rubbish, why are you trying to write for it? That's not me being arsey, it's a serious question. Why not write for something you personally find worthwhile, like novels, or radio, or theatre or film or poetry or whatever? Is it really more important to "get something on telly" than to be happy with what you are writing for?

Quote: Penge @ July 30 2010, 6:19 PM BST

I leave this post for a few days and when I come back it's full of fighting, arguing and general squabbles.

Plus the word 'pissy', which looks very odd written down.

Hauling the topic back to The Sitcom Mission, the way I see it is this...
The people that want to enter will enter. People who either don't want to enter or can't enter for whatever reason won't enter. It's up to individual preference and whether people can spare the time or feel that they should spare the time.

It might mean that a potentially brilliant sitcom might be unentered because the writer isn't prepared to write three episodes, but on the other hand it might unearth a gem of a sitcom because the writer has worked very hard on it.

I know that I'll be giving it a go anyway. And I bet you're all scared now, right?

Right?

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I don't know what you mean Penge, if a writer can't be bothered to write three episodes what's his/her worth? Are they not capable of writing three?

Quote: bushbaby @ August 11 2010, 11:03 PM BST

I don't know what you mean Penge, if a writer can't be bothered to write three episodes what's his/her worth? Are they not capable of writing three?

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Exactly. They should be made to write fifteen episodes. That would sort the wheat from the chaff. Also, the more episodes you write for a competition deadline, the higher the overall quality of the material. Stands to reason.

Quote: Griff @ August 11 2010, 11:01 PM BST

Bushbaby... if you think modern TV is rubbish, why are you trying to write for it? That's not me being arsey, it's a serious question. Why not write for something you personally find worthwhile, like novels, or radio, or theatre or whatever? Is it really more important to "get something on telly" than to be happy with what you are writing for?

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I keep entering sitcom mission, I believe my sitcoms are far funnier then the two sitcoms I quote, what is wrong with that?
There are so many funny sitcoms...Frasier/gimmie, gimmie/the thin blue line etc, why do we have to put up with the likes of grandma's House? I don't get it and Griff, why would I give up? I find sitcom worthwhile, it's the cretins of Tv [joke]that just don't get 'funny' recently

Quote: bushbaby @ August 11 2010, 11:05 PM BST

I keep entering sitcom mission, I believe my sitcoms are far funnier then the two sitcoms I quote, what is wrong with that?
There are so many funny sitcoms...Frasier/gimmie, gimmie/the thin blue line etc, why do we have to put up with the likes of grandma's House? I don't get it and Griff, why would I give up? I find sitcom worthwhile, it's the cretins of Tv that just don't get 'funny' recently

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But that's my point. If you think TV is "run by cretins that don't get 'funny'", why not find an outlet that isn't run by "cretins"?

I'm not telling you what to do, I just don't understand people who maintain "The TV industry is run by idiots, and all TV is rubbish", and then spend their time trying to break into TV.

Still, life is full of mysteries and I'm happy to leave this one unsolved.

Quote: Griff @ August 11 2010, 11:07 PM BST

But that's my point. If you think TV is "run by cretins that don't get 'funny'", why not find an outlet that isn't run by "cretins"?

I'm not telling you what to do, just I don't understand people who maintain "The TV industry is run by idiots, and all TV is rubbish", and then spend their time trying to break into TV.

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I do, I am in the 'middle' of a novel but it's hard work and I guess that won't stand a chance either

Quote: bushbaby @ August 11 2010, 11:10 PM BST

I do, I am in the 'middle' of a novel but it's hard work and I guess that won't stand a chance either.....one has to be ''in' you know?

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Obviously that is exactly how the publishing industry works, otherwise Marc P wouldn't be in there.

well, you obviously don't know how the industry works and are being sarcastic.

Fair enough. I shall be demanding answers from my various published friends next time I see them, now that I realise their stories of "I just wrote a book and sent it around agents and publishers" are poppycock, and they must have known someone "on the inside" all along.