Sitcom Geeks
A podcast series for those interested in the mechanics of situation comedy. James Cary and Dave Cohen discuss the art of sitcom writing for TV and Radio.
Episode 109 - Book Writing
Published: 21st March 2019. Length: 40 mins. Size: 46.5mb
James and Dave talk about what we learn from all the new comedy that's tumbling out of our tellies, the BBC Writersroom window, writing books, self-publishing and London Book Fair. Rufus Jones is also declared an Ian Botham of Comedy and Derry Girls a Costume Comedy.
Previous episodes
Episode 108 - Soft Border Patrol
7th March 2019. 45 minutes.
You may have missed this item in the news, but apparently something called Brexit is about to happen. James is detained entertainingly with the team behind the unlikely Northern Ireland...
Episode 107 - Sitcom News and Questions
21st February 2019. 32 minutes.
Bonus episode, in which Dave and James catch up with the latest comedy news. Will we have to wait for Coronation Street to finish before ITV commission any more comedy?...
Episode 106 - Jonathan Coe
14th February 2019. 56 minutes.
Top British novelist and audience sitcom connoisseur Jonathan Coe talks to James and Dave at Chortle Book Festival about 1970s sitcom books, Yes Minister, working with Clement & Le Frenais,...
Episode 105 - Paul Mayhew-Archer
31st January 2019. 52 minutes.
Dave and James talk to writer and producer Paul Mayhew-Archer, about his massive four-decade career making audience sitcoms: shows he co-wrote that went well, like The Vicar Of Dibley, shows...
Episode 104 - The Sacred Art of Joking
17th January 2019. 43 minutes.
Today's special guest is none other than James Cary. Well he has a great new book out called The Sacred Art of Joking and it offers a fresh perspective on...
Episode 103 - Moose Allain
10th January 2019. 19 minutes.
Dave and James talk to Moose Allain, otherwise known as the most consistently funny man on Twitter @MooseAllain about jokes, cartoons and Twitter (of course).
Episode 102 - Insert Name Here
3rd January 2019. 34 minutes.
Part Two of James's interview with Will Ing, Dan Gaster and Paul Powell, the comedy writing team behind Insert Name Here, with great insights on how to make and write...
Episode 101 - What Did We Learn In 2018?
27th December 2018. 48 minutes.
Dave and James look back on 2018 and talk to kids' TV writer Joe Williams, Mark Evans (Bleak Expectations, Mitchell and Webb) and Writers' Guild online comedy nominee Hannah George...
Episode 100!
20th December 2018. 78 minutes.
Dave and James bring up the ton with a live and lively chat from the Museum of Comedy with the brilliant Marcus Brigstocke and top writer Sarah Morgan, about their...
Episode 99 - Tiernan Douieb
13th December 2018. 42 minutes.
Dave talks to stand-up, podcaster, kids' comedy pioneer Tiernan Douieb about juggling stand-up, podcasting and kids' comedy (but not juggling), and the dangers of spreading yourself too thin.
Episode 98 - Neil Forsyth
6th December 2018. 36 minutes.
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Eric and Ernie. In this episode James talks to Neil Forsyth, writer of the brilliant Eric, Ernie And Me (as well as the great Bob...
Episode 97 - The Complete Comedy Writer
29th November 2018. 43 minutes.
Dave has got a book out! About comedy writing! Who better to interview him about it than James? Plus questions answered about theme tunes, building your world, audience v non...
Episode 96 - Al Murray (Part 2)
22nd November 2018. 36 minutes.
In this episode Al, Dave and James get all excited about one of the greatest sitcoms of all time - Fawlty Towers.
Episode 95 - Al Murray (Part 1)
15th November 2018. 30 minutes.
Part one of an entertaining journey with comedy legend Al Murray around the joy of making audiences laugh out loud at proper funny jokes - The Windsors, Spitting Image, Time...
Episode 94 - Zapped
8th November 2018. 53 minutes.
James talks to Dan Gaster, Will Ing and Paul Powell about the astonishingly long gestation period of their Dave sitcom, Zapped.
Episode 93 - Julie Bower
1st November 2018. 47 minutes.
James chats to Julie Bower about watching Red Dwarf as a kid, quoting jokes in the school playground, the awfulness of conference calls, and creating the CBBC sitcom So Awkward....
Episode 92 - Tim Telling
25th October 2018. 39 minutes.
Return of the Mash. It's back! Surprise TV hit of the year, The Mash Report, returns for a new series. Dave and James talk to Tim Telling, the man who...
Episode 91 - Steven Moffat (Part 2)
18th October 2018. 33 minutes.
Dave and James continue their chat with comedy writing legend Steven Moffat about time travelling on a budget, the triumph of Coupling and The Mystery Of Whether Or Not Sherlock...
Episode 90 - Steven Moffat (Part 1)
11th October 2018. 41 minutes.
Part one of a fascinating interview with the great Steven Moffat - one of our most successful writers whose work includes Sherlock, Coupling and a certain Doctor who he discusses...
Episode 89 - DIY Comedy
27th September 2018. 46 minutes.
Dave and James talk about kickstarting - and continuing - your career by making comedy yourself, in all its forms. What are the options?
Contact Us
Email questions to sitcomgeeks@gmail.com
Biographies
James Cary is a comedy writer for BBC TV and Radio. His latest series is Bluestone 42 for BBC Three, which he co-created and wrote with Richard Hurst. He met Richard working on Series 1 & 2 of BBC's award-winning sitcom, Miranda. James has also written episodes of My Hero and My Family for BBC One. His radio credits include three series of Hut 33, four series of Think the Unthinkable, and sketch show, Concrete Cow. He has also written four series of Another Case Of Milton Jones with, er, Milton Jones for BBC Radio 4. sitcomgeek.blogspot.co.uk @sitcomgeek
Dave Cohen, a Perrier nominee in a previous century, was a founder member of the Comedy Store Players. In recent years he has become more known as a comedy writer, having written for Have I Got News For You and Not Going Out, and as a comic songwriter, co-creating the Radio 4 hit 15 Minute Musical and writing loads of songs for the hit BBC Childrens' Show Horrible Histories and ITV's Newzoids. His book How to be Averagely Successful at Comedy was published in 2013. davecohen.org.uk @cohendave
Theme music: Jane Watkins