BCG Pro Newsletter |
Friday 5th March 2021 |
"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done." - Bruce Lee
Thank you to everyone who entered our Baby Cow Programme Creator opportunity. The response was amazing, and reading is now underway. We'll update you on progress in a future newsletter, but in the meantime here's all the latest from the BCG Pro team.
BCG Pro Sessions: Tuesday 23rd, with Julia McKenzie from BBC Studios
Julia McKenzie, the creative director for BBC Studios Audio (which produces shows including Newsjack, The Now Show and The News Quiz), will be the next guest for our Zoom-based Q&A. The session starts at 7pm on Tuesday 23rd March. We hope you can make it. To find our more and register your place, click through to our website.
Bec Hill and Micky Overman on life as a stand-up 
Here's a 50 minute video in which stand-up comedians Bec Hill and Micky Overman discuss the highs and lows of working on the UK stand-up circuit, including what life is like travelling between gigs. It's an entertaining and informative chat.
Making A Scene Of It
Dave Cohen has announced the shortlist of the Making A Scene Of It competition, which he ran through BCG Pro. In this new blog post he talks about the submissions he read and what he learned from the process.
Newsjack
Episode 2 aired last night. You can catch it on BBC Sounds or listen in to the 11pm repeat on Radio 4 tonight. If you're submitting to the show, being intimately familiar with the format is always a good plan! Our main message today is, if you haven't got on yet - don't give up! You might nail it next week. Also, as the weeks go on fewer people submit so your chances naturally increase! Don't miss our new articles below on cutting sketches down, and impression sketches.
Re-writing Reluctant Persuaders without a studio audience
Edward Rowett, the creator of Radio 4's Reluctant Persuaders, explains how he re-wrote Series 4 to work without a studio audience. The techniques are quite different, so there's some very interesting insight in his article.
Stand-up and HIGNFY writer Kevin Day, on turning comedy into your day job
Kevin Day on HIGNFY's gag rate, the modern ways to make an impact, and how just talking the talk can make a big difference.
Authors' unions launch investigation into contribution publishers
The Society of Authors and Writers' Guild of Great Britain are launching an investigation into book publishers that charge authors for publishing their work. If you've ever thought about publishing a book, or have already done so, do fill in their survey.
Felix Dexter Bursary 2021 open for applications
The Felix Dexter Bursary, the BBC scheme that helps BAME writers, is now open for 2021 entries.
The Secret Reviewer #24: Relocation, Relocation
Every month our clandestine critic reveals the murky truths behind that infamous trade, and live comedy generally. This month: Should we all just move to Scotland?
Gary Sinyor on creating Hapless
Writer and director Gary Sinyor talks us through how he created the sitcom Hapless, which is now appearing on streaming platform My5. He explains how he got the self-funded project up-and-running and, in the process, captured the interest of TV networks.
Funny Dot Comp winners revealed
The results of Funny Dot Comp, Pozzitive Television's radio comedy development opportunity, have now been announced. Scripts by Mark Daniels, William Vandyck, Hudson Hughes, Lizzie Hopley and Olivia Mace were picked.
Looking back at Two Pints
Loved by its audience and loathed by critics, last week marked the 20th anniversary of sitcom Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps. Comedy writer Tim Dawson, who got his first break on the show, reveals what he learned and reflects on the programme's achievements.
Cutting Down Sketches
In this article we focus on one of the biggest mistakes new writers make: sketches that are too long. We've a range of handy tips for how to make your sketches leaner on the page - ideal for thinking about if you're working on a Newsjack submission this weekend.
Radio 4 sets out 2022 comedy commissioning wishlist
Radio 4 has opened its commissioning window for comedy shows that'll be broadcast in April 2022 through to March 2023.
Sitcom Geeks
In the latest podcast, James Cary reports back from his sitcom webinar about character, some surprising conclusions are drawn from the hosts' Tuesdays Are Funny experience, and more.
What makes a good live show a great one?
We take a look at some of the devices that comedians use to elevate their stand-up shows. From including technology to involving a human interest story, there're various things acts do to get audiences and awards judges interested.
Writing impressions sketches for Newsjack
One consistent element of Newsjack are their impressions sketches. We take a look at how to hone this type of sketch to specifically tick the boxes that the show's producers are looking for.
Opportunities Hub
We list competitions and jobs in our Opportunities Hub system, but it's also a place that Pro members can offer or request skills too. For example, Broken Bricks Productions are looking for producers to collaborate with on a new comedy pilot.
Online comedy courses
Characters are absolutely key to scripted comedy... why not sign up for Chris Head's online course on Friday 26th? It runs on Zoom from 10:30am to noon and will help you create better characters.
Comedian's Comedian Podcast
Bethany Black and Olga Koch are the latest interviewees on this podcast series. Black discusses painting her herself into a corner with stand-up, whilst Koch talks about "why you can't eat hope for dinner".
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm script
A transcript version of the script for the Borat 2 movie has been published online. It's an interesting one to study, for sure. Note: This link will open/download the PDF directly.
David Nobbs Memorial Trust competition deadline
We know lots of you are writing sitcoms and sketches, so if you have a broadcast credit to your name, you might wish to submit to this well-regarded competition. The deadline is next Friday (12th March).
BCG Pro Gag-a-Week competition
Have you tried entering our joke writing competition yet? Give it a go, you've nothing to lose! If your gag doesn't quite work, no one will know (as all entries are judged blind); if it does click, you could be our next winner, receiving a cash prize and recognition across social media and our main Weekly Newsletter.
Showcase
Clive Greenwood impressions
BCG Pro member Clive Greenwood has recorded a video that magnificently shows off his versatility as an impressionist. From Kenneth Williams through to 'Allo 'Allo!, he takes on lots of classic comedy characters.
Love Possibily
Steve Hodgetts takes the lead role in this award-winning comedy film, which has just been added to Amazon Prime's line up. His performance as a bumbling virgin who is trying to date a mail order bride is very impressive.
Thanks for reading
We wish you a productive fortnight. We'll be back in your inbox soon, with all the latest opportunities and features.
British Comedy Guide
www.comedy.co.uk
Join our mailing list