Jesting About 2: Funny Gets Serious

This looks promising:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/comedy/2011/11/jesting-about-2.shtml

This year, BBC Comedy are inviting pilot sitcom sketches for BBC One, there's an opportunity to create a pilot for a weekly live comedy and entertainment series for BBC Three, and BBC Newcastle and BBC Tees are keen to discover new talent for a specially commissioned half hour pilot show.

We want jesters from all walks of life and levels of expertise to submit their funniest ideas. Successful applicants will attend workshops and receive support from BBC Executive Producers and Commissioners to develop their ideas into pilots.

Entry forms should be sent to jestingabout@bbc.co.uk. The closing deadline is noon on Monday 28th November and successful applicants will be announced on Friday 9th December 2011.

For more information, terms & conditions and application forms here are some handy links...

You've got to be from or in the North East. Just so you know.

Racist. Is Bradford North-East, I wonder?

Dan

Nope. Tyne, Tees, Wear and Durham.

It's definitely racist then.

<throws Yorkshire strop>

Dan

Actually, no you don't...

Rules of Eligibility:
All applicants need to be over 18 years of age, on the 1st December 2011. This scheme is open to applicants across the UK but applicants must demonstrate a strong understanding of the North East; its people and culture and reflect that back in the ideas and approach offered.
The North East is defined as the following metropolitan and non- metropolitan counties: Durham, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland Stockton, Tyne and Wear and Darlington.
Employee's or relatives of the BBC and NFM are ineligible.

...You only have to 'demonstrate a strong understanding of the North East', whatever that means (cue string of stereotype jokes...)

I attempted this last year but I didn't get picked up.

What the hell is a pilot sitcom sketch?

Quote: joebloggs69 @ November 3 2011, 5:58 PM GMT

What the hell is a pilot sitcom sketch?

I don't know, but Jesting About 2 now has a Writers Room page so you can find out more.

I'm confused by this:

2. TV Sitcom:

DELIVERABLES: In terms of delivery we would like you to write a treatment for BBC One, pre- watershed, giving a 6 episode overview with key character breakdown and ten pages of the first draft of the pilot episode and send as a .doc or PDF.

1)A project for Joe Tracini and Miriam Margolyes that builds on the chemistry they had in Coming of Age (Ep. 6 Doreen).
2)Toy Boy. The story of a 22 year old who hooks up with a successful 48 year old divorced mother of two.
The writer/s of the script/s selected will be mentored to develop their script further with a view to holding a read through with actors.

Does it mean they won't accept any other sitcom ideas apart from the two ideas they have listed?

That's how I took it fromthw launch event.

Haway the lads....

Got word back from the producer.
The sitcom opp must be one of these choices

1) A project for Joe Tracini and Miriam Margolyes that builds on the chemistry they had in Coming of Age (Ep. 6 Doreen).

2) Toy Boy. The story of a 22 year old who hooks up with a successful 48 year old divorced mother of two.

Quote: Mikey Jackson @ November 4 2011, 12:33 AM GMT

Got word back from the producer.
The sitcom opp must be one of these choices

1) A project for Joe Tracini and Miriam Margolyes that builds on the chemistry they had in Coming of Age (Ep. 6 Doreen).

2) Toy Boy. The story of a 22 year old who hooks up with a successful 48 year old divorced mother of two.

I personally don't like the sound of any of them.

So they want a pre-watershed, NW-centric Sitcom based on two potty mouthed Londoners.