The Sitcom Mission 2012 Page 72

Who went through from last night Si/Declan?

How long are the semis? When will the industry show finish?

Quote: Ponderer @ April 27 2012, 6:16 PM BST

Who went through from last night Si/Declan?

Audience vote went to Sparkys and producers' choice was Yo Valet.

Yo Valet is described by its writer as being about:

... two valet parking attendants, Steve and Don, who work at a five star London hotel. Don is a brilliant and irritating young stand up comedian; Steve is older, wiser and more cynical. Their boss is hotel manager, Kay. She also happens to be Steve's ex-girlfriend. She dumped him for losing his job in I.T

And Sparkys:

Sparky Viscous' Historical Bloody Fun Park offers discerning patrons the chance to experience history's best bits at a price they can afford. For theme park employee Darren Searle, however, it offers little more than the prospect of a lifetime's hard graft, selling over-priced foodstuffs with tenuous historical associations, while dressed in ridiculous and similarly inauthentic garb.

Really good to see you. What would you have gone for?

Quote: Dionisio79 @ April 27 2012, 7:01 PM BST

How long are the semis? When will the industry show finish?

There are four sitcoms on Monday and five on Tuesday, plus some Bob and Jim who are our excellent comperes.

The industry shows are very straightforward with no audience participation between sitcoms and are over by 6.30pm.

Great. Cheers, Declan.

Quote: simon wright @ April 27 2012, 7:55 PM BST

Audience vote went to Sparkys and producers' choice was Yo Valet.

Yo Valet is described by its writer as being about:

... two valet parking attendants, Steve and Don, who work at a five star London hotel. Don is a brilliant and irritating young stand up comedian; Steve is older, wiser and more cynical. Their boss is hotel manager, Kay. She also happens to be Steve's ex-girlfriend. She dumped him for losing his job in I.T

And Sparkys:

Sparky Viscous' Historical Bloody Fun Park offers discerning patrons the chance to experience history's best bits at a price they can afford. For theme park employee Darren Searle, however, it offers little more than the prospect of a lifetime's hard graft, selling over-priced foodstuffs with tenuous historical associations, while dressed in ridiculous and similarly inauthentic garb.

Really good to see you. What would you have gone for?

I didn't see Sparkys as I had to catch me train. Of the 3 I saw I think I'd personally have gone for Vajazzles. But maybe I was just swayed by the star-studded cast and general rudeness.

Nice to see you both too, albeit briefly.

Quote: Ponderer @ April 28 2012, 3:45 PM BST

I didn't see Sparkys as I had to catch me train. Of the 3 I saw I think I'd personally have gone for Vajazzles. But maybe I was just swayed by the star-studded cast and general rudeness.

Nice to see you both too, albeit briefly.

Hi Ponderer,
Hope it wasn't my timings that sent you home early...
What were the other two shows like and what is this star-studded cast of which you speak?

Quote: mightywombat @ April 28 2012, 6:35 PM BST

Hi Ponderer,
Hope it wasn't my timings that sent you home early...
What were the other two shows like and what is this star-studded cast of which you speak?

ns

We had Arabella Weir - Fast Show, Posh Nosh, Skins etc
Patricia Brake - Porridge, Going Straight, 2 point 4 Children
Paul Thornley - Love Soup, Life Begins
Montserrat Lombard - Love Soup, Hyperdrive, Saxondale
Louise Delamere - No Angels, Torchwood, Doc Martin
Julie Graham - Survivors, William and Mary etc

Quote: mightywombat @ April 28 2012, 6:35 PM BST

Hi Ponderer,
Hope it wasn't my timings that sent you home early...
What were the other two shows like and what is this star-studded cast of which you speak?

Sort of. I booked the 10.30 thinking that would be fine given your comments, but I think we were a bit late starting, had 2 breaks, one of which was extended - so really the organisers are at fault, and should probably offer me a refund and possibly additional compensation. ;-)

'Star studded' requires a certain age: Vajazzles starred Arrabella Wier who was in an 80's sketch show called Absolutely ( altogether in screechy Scottish accent "Stoneybridge"). I'm sure she's done other stuff since which I am too ignorant to know about. And an elderly Patricia Brake, who was a 70's 80's sitcom babe...she played Fletchers daughter in Porridge for example. I think Stephen Manganese came along to support that one as well.

As far as the other sitcoms on show go, they were all well presented and had their moments, but as a bitter non- qualifier I am unable to offer balanced and trustworthy comment.

And from Simon's post a lot of peopl I didn't recognise :$

For anyone interested; synopsis, cast lists and writer biographies for the top 16 sitcoms can now be read here: https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/shows/

Interesting read and thanks for the post of the finalists.

My personal view is that all the finalists have a wealth of experience and clearly have industry knowledge. If like me, you have a real day job and writing is a passion you're not in a position to take up full time then it's clearly a very hard competition to break in to. I'll be back next year though.

Ruddy ballcocks!

:$

Hi all

After three months of honing it down, we've got our four Grand Finalists.

Congratulations to:

Sarah Christou for Keep Off The Grass

Steve Keyworth and Mark Clompus for Medicine to Follow

Snez Naik for Yo Valet

Emma Cochrane for The Staff

We'll see you in tomorrow's Grand Final. Some tickets still left for the 5pm and 7.30 shows.

Commiserations to the other Semi-finalists. You set a very high standard.

Cheers, Declan

Good luck folks :) May your shows blow the audience's socks off.

Ok, we know who won.

Why not come along and see if you can guess which one?