Quote: Deadpanic @ 11th October 2014, 8:58 AM BSTDoes anyone have any tips for keeping motivated when there's such a massive gulf between what I find funny and what the producers apparently do?
I think the current show does have a certain tone to aim for.
I'm wary of being critical because I know it's going to be at least partially coloured by my own disappointment at not getting anything on. And I certainly don't want to trample on someone who's no doubt spent just as much time as I have (when I could be decapitating orcs in Shadow of Mordor, no less!) working on their material. And I'm also aware I've found it harder than usual to write anything for this series, and that could easily be part of what's preventing me getting anything to air. And I do want to say that there's still a lot of stuff I like on Newsjack, and people I know who are funny still working on it. The new format makes a lot more sense, structurally, which in theory makes it easier to focus on and write for.
So there's all of that. I'm also mostly venting my frustration because I've gone absolutely ages without doing so in any capacity and hopefully it helps me pinpoint what's going wrong, but that joke really rankled for me. Even moreso when there was another joke about Ryan Air later in the show - stuff I'd do my very best to avoid at all costs. At this point it barely even feels like a joke, more like a reference to a joke other people have already made several times over. But then it's easy to be a critic.
The other thing that's worrying me as well is obviously, if I don't think this is up to standard, what does it say about my work? How much am I trying to reassure myself by going "well, I don't like this joke so clearly their taste must be somewhat lacking"? I don't want to be that person.
If the show's not for you, do something else. Try Writer's Room, try freelancing. It's not the only game in town.
Quote: DeathbyMonkey @ 11th October 2014, 12:19 PM BSTI wasn't having a go with that post - just when I heard that joke it struck me as curious because I remembered this old blog. It's curious how the philosophies have changed.
Hearing Charlie's and Arnab's vision for New Newsjack it makes a lot of sense. I liked old Newsjack because that was born out of the old sketch show idea of newbies - of give them a series of premises to help them think more creatively on taking a story, in a new way. And by series 9 it had become really, really strong. New Newsjack has a stronger premise and structurally more logical, it makes it easier to write for in some ways, and easier to listen too. Point is I like both and people haven't been very fair on New Newsjack; it took NJ a good few seasons to become really strong, and then it was reset a little when Miles left and Justin came in. I feel it got to it's strongest point by series 9. Now they've got a new host, new producers, new people involved in the show, it's going to take a couple of series for them to find top form. But as I said I like where they're going with it and I still love writing for it.
In regards to the one-liners there were some really good ones, I can imagine going through 2000+ one liners can wipe you out after a while, and I wonder how they choose their favourites. So that post wasn't a criticsm, more a look in the change of ideas of comedy between the early founders and the new gaurd.
Just cos you got on last week - bumlicker!
(but keep it up - they might be reading! :-))
Quote: Deadpanic @ 11th October 2014, 3:00 PM BSTI'm wary of being critical because I know it's going to be at least partially coloured by my own disappointment at not getting anything on.
Well I've had stuff on, but I'm still critical, and not just of those one-liner transgressions; I think the choices of sketches broadcast can be decidedly conservative. I don't expect anything ground-breaking, but sometimes sketches seem more fatuous than ingenious.
Quote: Bomsh @ 11th October 2014, 4:51 PM BSTJust cos you got on last week - bumlicker!
(but keep it up - they might be reading! :-))
Jealous...
Quote: Nogget @ 11th October 2014, 6:25 PM BSTWell I've had stuff on, but I'm still critical, and not just of those one-liner transgressions; I think the choices of sketches broadcast can be decidedly conservative. I don't expect anything ground-breaking, but sometimes sketches seem more fatuous than ingenious.
I can be critical of certain aspects, and I'd be happy to have an open discussion about the pro's and cons. I think there are positives over old Newsjack but clearly there are times it's not as strong, that said the one-liners have always been a mixed bag of stuff I loved and me wondering how that got through - that's why I'm curious to how they're chosen.
Anyone know if the adverts are supposed to be submitted by Monday or Tuesday?
Quote: notjosh @ 12th October 2014, 7:09 PM BSTAnyone know if the adverts are supposed to be submitted by Monday or Tuesday?
Monday, with the other sketches.
Quote: Matt Fishwick @ 12th October 2014, 9:51 PM BSTMonday, with the other sketches.
Cheers, I guess tonight will be a late one.
sketches entered (time to sleep):
UKIP aliens abducting voters.
The other Nobel prize winner.
UKIP makeover salon (Ad)
I must say I too was left open-mouthed by the episode 3 breaking news one-liner:
"height differences caused by DNA says bear who shits in woods"
(I had to listen to it a few times to see if I was missing something)
Obvs I'm just jealous/bitter as I didn't get anything on, but that's pretty cliched stuff. (Apols to whoever wrote it, well done for getting something on and apols for sounding negative!)
The prior strict ideology where newsjack jokes had to be a) true b) a genuinely new angle was really great, I totally agree series 9 was very strong. - I can still remember some one-liners from it!
I think it made newsjack unique in terms of topical comedy and I write that as a listener not a wanna-be writer.
So ok it was a strict regime, perhaps too strict, but some discipline is maybe important for up and coming rather than established writers? Surely it's best to encourage writers to stick to real news and try and be original, so lines about bears and woods don't sit well with this.
(Despite all this I actually do like the odd surreal/silly one liner which seems to be more of a feature in this new series).
I agree the new show format may still be bedding-in but I think the producers need to be quite careful not to just let it turn into 'just another topical comedy show'...the above one liner was the 3rd one in episode 3....the HP prints/prince liner that followed it was good, so maybe it's just a blip.
I teamed up for a joint submission this week and we sent in:
Sketches - Microsoft Apology to Women & Zoo Cam
Mini sketch - Advert for iPhone 6 hair removal
Good luck to everyone! 
Well I sent in my sketches they were:
Teachers Oaths
NHS Strike
And then for the mini sketch I took a gamble, in that I didn't send a mini sketch, I sent in 3 mini ads - first one on the Mosaic in Greece, runner the Vikikng treasure in Scotland, and the 2nd runner sketch on Eurostar. I hope this doesn't get me banned....
My sketches were on:
Ebola
ISIS
and Top Gear
Only joking, that would be madness. Ours were on:
18,000+ requests from UK for right to be forgotten.
The Vote UKIP get ... nonsense
Trailer for follow-up show to Gotham (new Batman origins story)
This week's cast announced on Twitter:
"This week's cast btw is @EllieWhite5 #TessaCoates @RomeshRanga & the return of #LewisMacLeod!"
