British Comedy Guide

Writers' rooms

Bigger comedy projects tend to involve writers' rooms. What are they and how do they work? Here's some insight...

Birds Of A Feather. Image shows from L to R: Sharon Theodopolopodous (Pauline Quirke), Dorien Green (Lesley Joseph), Tracey Stubbs (Linda Robson). Copyright: Alomo Productions / Retort

A writer walks into a room

  • Friday 5th April 2024

Micheal Jacob discusses writers and writers' rooms.

Meeting

What to do in a writers' room

  • Tuesday 26th April 2022

You've been invited into a writers' room - on either a panel show or sitcom - as the most junior writer. Here are some hopefully helpful things to bear in mind as you work out how to conduct yourself.

Christine Rose

BCG Pro Sessions video: Christine Rose

  • Tuesday 31st August 2021

What's it like in a TV panel show writers' room? That question, and many more, are answered in this 70 minute video recording of our BCG Pro Sessions interview with top gag writer Christine Rose.

Martin Trenaman

BCG Pro Sessions video: Martin Trenaman

  • Thursday 15th July 2021

The recording of the BCG Pro Sessions Q&A with actor and writer Martin Trenaman. Amongst other things, he talks about his experiences of appearing in shows such as The Inbetweeners, offers sitcom writing insight, and discusses scripting material for panel shows.

Julia McKenzie

BCG Pro Sessions video: Julia McKenzie

  • Sunday 28th March 2021

A video recording of our BCG Pro Sessions Q&A with Julia McKenzie, the Creative Director for BBC Studios Audio. She explains the commissioning process for new ideas, ways writers can develop, and more.

Kevin Day

Stand-up and HIGNFY writer Kevin Day, on turning comedy into your day job

  • Thursday 4th March 2021

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.

Bill Dare

BCG Pro Sessions video: Bill Dare

  • Sunday 14th February 2021

Top writer and producer Bill Dare joined us for our first ever BCG Pro Sessions interview. If you missed it, you can catch up via this recording.

Image shows from L to R: Joel Morris, Neil Webster

Joel Morris and Neil Webster on comedy writing

  • Friday 8th January 2021

An hour-long video featuring insight and advice from top comedy writers Joel Morris and Neil Webster. They discuss everything from starting out, to working with producers and taking notes.

Christine Rose

My Comedy Career: Christine Rose

  • Friday 1st May 2020

Over the last decade and a half you're likely to have seen the name 'Christine Rose' appearing in the end credits of many TV comedy shows. Here we chat to the prolific gag writer to find out how she got started, and what it is like to be a joke writer in the world of TV entertainment.

Content. Image shows from L to R: Rhiannon Shaw, Yiannis Vassilakis, Lorna Woolfson, Sadia Azmat, Kenagh Babcock. Copyright: Turtle Canyon Comedy

What's it like to work in a writing team?

  • Tuesday 17th December 2019

The writers behind the sitcom web series Content talk about what it was like to take part in the show's writers' room.