Radio 4 announces DMs Are Open, a show you can write for
- DMs Are Open - a Radio 4 Extra sketch show hosted by Athena Kugblenu and Ali Official - launches 19th May
- The topical comedy show will be inviting aspiring comedy writers and performers to submit sketches, jokes and voice notes
- "Building on the success of Newsjack, DMs Are Open will provide even more opportunities for up and coming writers and performers"
Radio 4 is to launch DMs Are Open, a series that aspiring comedy writers and performers can contribute too.
Like Newsjack, the open door topical comedy show that ran for over a decade on BBC Radio but was retired last year, this new six-part series will feature a mixture of sketches and one-liners, however the new format will also accept voice notes performed by contributors too.
DMs Are Open - the title being a reference to direct messages - will be hosted by Athena Kugblenu and Ali Official. The duo will be joined by a cast of comedians "who bring to life gags submitted by contributors."
Radio 4 says: "Building on the success of Newsjack, DMs Are Open will provide even more opportunities for up and coming writers and performers to break into the industry, for example with a voice notes section of the show hearing directly from the public themselves.
"The satirical sketch show is loosely topical, reflecting online conversations and trends through a heady cocktail of comedy formats. This broader playing field is designed to attract a wide range of submissions and will reflect pop culture, hot takes and the political and social zeitgeist."
Athena Kugblenu comments: "Co-hosting DMs Are Open is going to be a downright privilege. This is the peoples' show and I can't wait to be part of something that's going to amplify some of the best untapped comedy writing talent in the UK!"
Ali Official adds: "DMs Are Open will cover politics to pineapple on pizza. Having creative permission to dissect the world's week in a funny and interactive way, is my type of gig! Really looking forward to lending my voice to explore and unpack both the silly and satirical."
DMs Are Open begins on Radio 4 Extra and BBC Sounds on Thursday 19th May at 10:30pm, and repeated on Radio 4 on Mondays at 11pm, starting Monday 23rd May.
The series will be made by BBC Studios, with Sadia Azmat and Rajiv Karia as the producers.
The submission window for the first episode will open on 12th May via the Radio 4 Extra website, with more guidance on what the producers are looking for revealed soon. Comedy writers are invited to join a Zoom webinar at 6pm on Wednesday 11th May to learn more about the show.
This article is provided for free as part of BCG Pro.
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