Wednesday 31 October 2012

BBC Salford Sitcom Showcase

Via Chortle

BBC tests out six new sitcoms

...including one from Mark Watson

BBC tests out six new sitcoms
The BBC is to pilot six new sitcoms – including a show written by stand-up Mark Watson.

Each will be presented to a live audience at the Salford Sitcom Showcase next month in a bid to find the next sitcom hits. Last year’s showcase spawned Citizen Khan for BBC One and Hebburn for BBC Two.

Watson’s show, 1987, is set in South Wales and is being tested for a possible BBC One slot.

Also being pilot for the channel is a British version of the American sitcom It Takes A Village, about a teenage maths prodigy being brought up by his gay dad and his new boyfriend.

The idea was piloted for ABC in 2010 but was not picked up for a series. Nevertheless, Richard Hurst, who contributed material to Miranda Hart’s sitcom, is adapting it for the UK – in a rare example of a comedy idea travelling east across the Atlantic.

Two further shows are being developed for BBC Two.

The first is Just Us, a family comedy starring Peter Davison, Samantha Bond and Tessa Peake-Jones. Davidson and Bond previously played a married couple in the 2005 ITV comedy-drama Distant Shores.

The second is called The Gatekeeper and stars Adrian Scarborough, best known for playing Julia Davis’s husband in Gavin & Stacey.

BBC Three is looking at the final two pilots: Chain Gang (which we assume is not related to Chain Gang by Harris & Blakewill from the 2009 Sitcom Trials), based in a Bristol coffee shop, and Homeboys (not to be confused with this Homeboys sitcom), about two twentysomething brothers still living with their parents.

The BBC North director Peter Salmon, said: ‘The first Salford Sitcom Showcase was so successful, we couldn't resist another one.

‘This place is teeming with naturally funny performers, writers and entertainers so this event is one of the highlights this autumn and hopefully will result in some new commissions.’

Monday 29 October 2012

Halloween Sitcom Trials video Manchester 2012

At last, the video from the Manchester Halloween Sitcom Trials is online, giving a taste of all the competing sitcoms and the winner. Enjoy.



Read the full reports, with results and photos, from the Halloween Sitcom Trials in Bristol and Manchester.

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Congratulations again to everyone who took part. Our next show is the Sci Fi Sitcom Trials in London on Nov 28th. The deadline for script entries is Nov 4th and entry is free. Do please join in.

Great Sci Fi Sitcoms: Mork and Mindy

The Sitcom Trials presents Great Sci Fi Sitcoms of Our Times: Mork and Mindy



Mork and Mindy, starring Robin Williams and..? And...? Come on, who played Mindy? That's right, Pam Dawber, how could you forget?

Mork & Mindy, starring with equal billing Robin Williams and Pam Dawber, ran from 1978 to 1982 and is possibly remembered as a bland US sitcom, shown on kids TV in the UK. But parts of it are particularly sharp, inventive and satirical, due largely to Robin Williams coke-fired improvisation, much of which ended up on the cutting room floor. As Wikipedia records, it was one of many TV shows whose initial success was flushed down the toilet by the interference of moronic TV executives.

Could you create the next Mork & Mindy? Here's your chance to find out. On Weds Nov 28th The Sitcom Trials presents a Sci Fi Special at the Camden Head in London, and you are invited to submit a script now.



As always scripts are invited to the Sitcom Trials format of a 10 minute opening act ending in a cliffhanger with a short payoff scene. We then perform the sitcoms up to the cliffhanger, the audience votes for their favourite and only sees the ending of the winner.

With this being a Science Fiction Special, we will be taking advantage of our "radio style" presentation, encouraging writers to tailor their sitcom entries for radio production. This enables you to include any special effect you can imagine, as long as they can be incorporated into the dialogue or very simple sound effects.

Writers are invited to upload their scripts to the SitsVac Files, where you will also find the guidelines regarding style, cast numbers etc. The deadline for uploading scripts is midnight Sat Nov 4th.

These scripts will then be voted on online by anyone who wishes to participate. The deadline for voting is Sat Nov 17th. The London team will then choose two or three of the most popular scripts to perform as part of the show, the other items in the show being created in house.

So if you want to have your sci-fi sitcom tested in front of a live paying audience, get on board now and enter The Sitcom Trials. Any questions, please ask at the Sits Vac Forum, or the British Comedy Guide Forum, or the Sitcom Trials Facebook page.

Kev F Sutherland
Producer
The Sitcom Trials

Nov 28 - Sitcom Trials Sci Fi Special, Camden Head, London

Friday 26 October 2012

Great Sci Fi Sitcoms: The Strangerers

The Sitcom Trials presents Great Sci Fi Sitcoms of Our Times: The Strangerers



One of the great lost sitcoms of TV history, The Strangerers by Rob Grant came about from one of those bursts of ambitious comedy production that Sky goes through every decade, this one in spring 2000.



Featuring a ridiculously starry cast including Mark Williams, Jack Docherty, Sarah Alexander, Mark Heap, Milton Jones, Morwenna Banks, David Walliams, and Paul Darrow out of Blakes 7, it ended on a cliffhanger which is yet to be resolved a decade later. If you can find it on cable or DVD then good luck, it really is worth tracking down.

In its absence, could you create the next great sci fi sitcom? This is your chance to find out. On Weds Nov 28th The Sitcom Trials presents a Sci Fi Special at the Camden Head in London, and you are invited to submit a script now.



As always scripts are invited to the Sitcom Trials format of a 10 minute opening act ending in a cliffhanger with a short payoff scene. We then perform the sitcoms up to the cliffhanger, the audience votes for their favourite and only sees the ending of the winner.

With this being a Science Fiction Special, we will be taking advantage of our "radio style" presentation, encouraging writers to tailor their sitcom entries for radio production. This enables you to include any special effect you can imagine, as long as they can be incorporated into the dialogue or very simple sound effects.

Writers are invited to upload their scripts to the SitsVac Files, where you will also find the guidelines regarding style, cast numbers etc. The deadline for uploading scripts is midnight Sat Nov 4th.

These scripts will then be voted on online by anyone who wishes to participate. The deadline for voting is Sat Nov 17th. The London team will then choose two or three of the most popular scripts to perform as part of the show, the other items in the show being created in house.

So if you want to have your sci-fi sitcom tested in front of a live paying audience, get on board now and enter The Sitcom Trials. Any questions, please ask at the Sits Vac Forum, or the British Comedy Guide Forum, or the Sitcom Trials Facebook page.

Kev F Sutherland
Producer
The Sitcom Trials

Oct 19 - Halloween Sitcom Trials, Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol
Oct 20 - Halloween Sitcom Trials, Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester
Nov 28 - Sitcom Trials Sci Fi Special, Camden Head, London

Thursday 25 October 2012

That Halloween video and why it's not appeared yet

If you're wondering why there's no video up from the Manchester Halloween Sitcom Trials, we've had some entertaining technical difficulties...



Normal service will be resumed as soon as we get another cable. Bear with...

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Sitcom Trials Flyer 2001

A blast from the past, from this time 11 years ago, the flyer for the 2001 Edinburgh Fringe Sitcom Trials.



Here you see the front and the back of the DL flyer and, disappointingly, the only copy I seem to have in my files is over-stickered with the details of a post-Edinburgh show we did in London in November that year. We went on to tour the show in spring 2002, using more of the same leftover flyers. Sure I had plenty leftover then, but since have clearly had a thorough chuckout of them. So if you have one in your collection, it's probably starting to be worth something.

On the back you see our fondly remembered cast: Miranda Hart & Charity Trimm, who starred in a sitcom set in a joke shop; Gez Foster who played the owner of the cafe next door and Dan Clegg who played the camp one. Can't imagine what become of that sitcom idea, it showed such promise. Also on the flyer you see 5th cast member Dominic Frisby, and myself, Kev F, the host. Ah, memories. Okay, onwards and upwards.

The next Sitcom Trials is a Sci Fi Special on Nov 28th, deadline for scripts is Nov 4th.

Monday 22 October 2012

Shortlist's shortlist

Courtesy of Shortlist, their latest results

Sitcom search: the final 40

Back in August, we launched our Sitcom Search competition to award one writer or writing team a £5,000 development deal with Big Talk Productions and Comedy Central UK.
The quality and quantity of entries was ludicrously high – so high, in fact, that we had to delay this announcement by two weeks – but after reading 2,136 scripts, our judging panel has made its decision. Here are the 40 finalists. Drum roll, please…
2:2 by Lewis Elliot, Josh Mellor, Sid Sagar and Toby Shevlane
The 7.52 by Christopher Glasson
A Month Of Sundays by Daniel Hobden
All The Fun Of The Fair by Alan O’Brien and Dominic Murphy
Beneficiary by Rupert Apsden
Bobby by Juliet Valdez
Craig by Steve Nelson
Date Me by Ziella Bryars
Digs by Alasdair Morrison
Diminishing Returns by Mohammed Mahbood Khan
Dirty Barry by Paul Hinnrichs
Drone by Ian Gordon
Dumped by Laura Fountain
Four’s Company by Mark Pinshon
Funny Girls by Julie Currie and Paula Currie
Hated by Nathan Thomas
Intelligence by Louisa Fielden
Keep Off The Grass by Sarah Christou
Last Days Of Home by Rachel Aroesti
Laundry Service by James Chapman
Mascots by Neil Bennett
Memo by Peter Brownlow
The Motherhood by Abby Woolf
Multiplex by Simon Craig
The Neighbours From Hell by John Rooney, Stephen McCole and Paul McCole
Off The Road by Matt Plass and Kai Merriott
Roadies by David Nicholds
Rosencrantz by Francis Blagburn and Angus Harrison
Siblings by Martin Holmes
Specials by Mark Clompus and Stephen Keyworth
Status by Hannah George and James Whitehouse
Summertime by John Hart;
The Support by Lyndsey Honou
Three’s A Tribe by Pete Barnes
Tight Five by Matthew Stott
Twenties-Thirties by Tim Sewell
Under Exposed by Matt Oakley
Uncle Richard by Ben Cottram
Vargon Lives! by Christopher Stanners
The Wonderkid by Ed Palmer
Congratulations if your name is among them. And make sure you pick up next week’s issue, where we will whittle that list down from 40 to just four…

Tags: Comedy


The next Sitcom Trials is a Sci Fi Special on Nov 28th, deadline for scripts is Nov 4th.

Halloween Bonus - London table read


London Sitcom Trials meeting Oct 21 2012, including directors Sarit Wilson Chen (left), Nick Ewans (2nd left), and Louisa Gummer (out of shot).

Having showcased 10 Halloween-themed sitcoms in the Sitcom Trials in Manchester & Bristol this weekend, it was frustrating that for various reasons we were unable to hold a matching show in London. We did however hold a small meeting in Greenwich on Sunday at which, as well as discussing future shows, we gave a table reading to four sitcoms that had been entered in the Halloween Sitcom Trials. They were:

13 Gormley Street by Chris Dennis
Country Rock by Neil Tollfree
Separate Parents by Dan Sweryt & Jim Spiers
Three In Tow by Eoin Carney

Having read these, we discussed them and voted on which were our favourites. Given that there were only eight of us, this is slightly less an example of representative democracy, however it was unanimous that the script we liked the best was.

Country Rock by Neil Tollfree.

This script, which didn't make the cut for either the Bristol or Manchester shows, having lurked just inside the Top Ten in the online voting, impressed us with its clear characterisation and well-written fast-moving storyline which made near-perfect use of its ten minutes of performance time. I would like to suggest that that script be re-entered into the Sci-Fi Sitcom Trials, into which category it does also fit, and that Neil could take the advantage of this to tweak or rewrite it if he saw fit. Certainly the actors gave it a big thumbs up, and I'd like to give it another chance with the online voters.

The London team's second favourite was Three In Tow by Eoin Carney, which had strong characters and some very good dialogue. Criticism from the group included the suggestion that, by the halfway point, this script runs out of steam and that its over-long second half doesn't deliver on the promise of the first half. It is still a good premise, with very good dialogue that we could see actors getting good mileage from (as was obviously demonstrated in Friday's Bristol Trials where it won the day).

So we now all look forward to the Sci Fi Sitcom Trials in November. After the script deadline on Nov 4th and the voting deadline on Nov 17th, we will be having a team meeting and table reading on Nov 18th at which we will choose the sitcoms that get performed on Nov 28th. Get those entries in now, we can't wait.



Sunday 21 October 2012

Bristol Halloween Sitcom Trials report


Bristol Sitcom Trials team Oct 2012

UPDATE: See videos of all 5 sitcoms

Hello!

The Sitcom Trials returned to Bristol's Wardrobe Theatre on Friday 19th October for a special "week-and-a-bit-before-Halloween" show, which once again sold-out.  

The evening's splendid host was Becky Brunning, a member of the Bristol team and a terrific stand-up.  Becky made sure the audience was in a Halloweeny kind of mood by regularly encouraging everyone to give their very best spooky noises and evil laughs, and she had a special repartee going with a vocal audience member named Boycie ("You're absolutely in the right place," quipped Becky), and had great fun with the Pitch Fests by asking the audience whether pitches should be placed in her "pocket of opportunity", or discarded to the "floor of regret". 

First out of the gate was "The Brides of Pete-Enstein" by Iain Kellier.  This was one of the more Halloween-y of the sitcoms (featuring a mad scientist and a stitched-together re-animated corpse during a thunderstorm) and was attacked with real energy by the cast. It's a strange law of the Sitcom Trials that the first sitcom of the show  is always the most difficult for an audience to get into, though "Pete-Enstein's" cracking (and very funny) cliffhanger was one of the best of the night. Incidentally, we didn't notice this until late into the rehearsal process, but a fair few of the sitcoms made reference to Einstein - and this was the first, with the theoretical physicist being evaluated on his shagability*.

CALLY - Janet Adams
KEREN - Anna Gallager
LISA - Louisa Smith
PETE - Troy Hewitt


"Three in Tow" by Ioin Carney was up next - a more sedate and character-driven piece about ghosts, and probably the most traditional of the sitcoms.  The audience seemed to get this one immediately - proving once again that a simple plot, strong characters and a high gag-rate is always going to play well in a live environment.  The core Bristol team are a competitive bunch, and actor/writer Lewis Cook has pointed out that he's now been in all three winning sitcoms staged in Bristol this year.  Next time we'll cast him in all five, to give all the sitcoms an even chance.  A line of dialogue from "Three in Tow" -  "We buried your lifeless corpse, so call me Einstein" - was the second reference to the Nobel Prize winning father of modern physics.

RUTH - Naomi Carter
PETER - Lewis Cook
SANDRA - Janet Adams
ROGER - John Lomas

Sitcom number three was "The Princess of Darkness Wants a Tan" by Oliver Ley, an almost pantomime excursion into a fairy tale land populated by evil princesses, put-upon handmaidens, vampires and werewolves. This had the largest cast (who all raided the costume box) and some complicated staging - especially regarding the werewolf.  And just as with "Se7en", David Fincher's block-buster serial killer movie, it seems an audience will always love a shock revelation about a severed head in a bag/box.

MORTITIA/SERENITY - Naomi Carter
CINDERELLA - Anna Gallagher
VLAD - Lewis Cook
LUCIEN - Troy Hewitt
QUEEN - Janet Adams
KING - John Lomas

After the intermission, Becky read out more Pitch Fests, a few of which were amusingly based around cheese or cattle (there may have been dairy workers in the audience), plus a near-the knuckle Jimmy Savile themed pitch that immediately hit the floor of regret. 

"Mid-Afternoon of the Dead" by Kev Page kicked off the second half of sitcoms with aplomb - this one has some nifty ideas and a quirky perspective on the zombie holocaust sub-genre.  A malfunctioning prop aside (actor Troy Hewitt's look of surprise was one of my favorite things of the evening), this went swimmingly from the get-go.  Our third Einstein reference here was a visual gag (supported by dialogue) which had the brains-hungry undead menace distracted by a photo of Bert, the guy who did that e=mc2 thing.  Kev Page was in the audience, with a friend named Matt who very kindly filmed the show; hopefully very soon we'll be able to upload the footage.


GEMMA - Louisa Smith
JULES - Naomi Carter
PROFESSOR - Janet Adams
OFFICER HARRIS - Troy Hewitt

"Here Comes The Science" by Stephen Keyworth was the last sitcom of the night, and the one that didn't feel like a pilot episode; with minimal exposition we were immediately into a developing plot featuring strong characters . In rehearsal, this very British sitcom suddenly became very American, which seemed to work perfectly. Oddly, despite being a sitcom about scientists, this didn't have an Einstein reference.

FIELDS - Troy Hewitt
YORNING - Louisa Smith
BARK - John Lomas

As the voting took place, the winning Pitch Fest was chosen retro-stylee, with a member of the audience invited on stage to catch  slips of paper as they were thrown in the air, with the rest of the audience joining Becky in singing the theme tune to "The Crystal Maze".   (Incidentally, the winner never made himself known to me, so please do drop me a line if you're reading this!)

The votes were close - closer, I think, than in any previous show at the Wardrobe.  

"Three in Tow" = 14
"The Princess of Darkness Wants a Tan" = 13
"Here Comes the Science" = 12
"Mid Afternoon of the Dead" = 11
"The Brides of Pete-Enstein" = 8

Congrats to Eoin Carney, who sadly couldn't be with us because he lives several thousand miles away in a completely different time zone.

A huge thank you to all the writers; and to the brilliant cast (especially Louisa who gamely battled with a cold so that the show could go on); to Becky Brunning, our marvelous compere for the night; and to our talented director Alistair Hedderman; and to Kev F, as always; and to the Wardrobe Theatre who are a complete delight to work with.

Our next show will be on Friday Feb 22nd - stay tuned for details.


--Vince Stadon

* I've just remembered that we had an Einstein reference in one of the sitcoms in the first Bristol show back in March, so clearly, for reasons beyond my comprehension, this is now developing into some kind of weird in-joke.

Halloween Sitcom Trials photo and details


Manchester Sitcom Trials team, Oct 2012 (l-r) Kate Collins, Bex Harrison, Michelle Ashton, Jamie Fillery, Phil Chadwick & (front) Sean Mason

The Halloween Sitcom Trials took place in Bristol & Manchester on Oct 19th & 20th respectively, showcasing 10 sitcoms in competition over two nights, with the audience voting for, and only seeing the ending of, the winner each time.

The Bristol line-up was
The Brides of Pete-enstein by Iain Keiller
Here Comes The Science by Stephen Keyworth
Three in Tow by Eoin Carney
Mid Afternoon of the Dead by Kev Page
The Princess of Darkness Wants a Tan by Oliver Ley

And the winner was Three in Tow by Eoin Carney


Bristol Sitcom Trials team Oct 2012

The Manchester line-up was
Separate Parents by Dan Sweryt & Jim Spiers
Grimm's Law by Sean Mason
Draszic's Lot by Diehard123 / Kiera
Wink Murder by Michelle Ashton
Randolph Carter's Casefile by Judgement Dave

And the winner was Randolph Carter's Casefile by Judgement Dave

Videos are still to come. And the best Pitch Fest entry? Well, I can only speak for Manchester's winning entry (The Pitch Fest being the audience's ideas, did I ever mention this happens every show?). Check this winning dollop of genius from "Chris"...

Title: 30 Something Wrestling Obsessive
One line pitch: Buying Rustler's Hotdog, 12 pack of Disco's crisps & 6 Walls Cornetto ice creams in Iceland, "Gotta make Sunday Dinner",......... (sic) At the checkout, "What's this?!!?, who put cock in my basket?!?" ....Impersonating the undertaker and throwing boxed spotted dick across store.
Chris


The next Sitcom Trials is the Sci Fi Sitcom Trials in London on Nov 28th. You can enter a script by Nov 4th, you can then join in the voting, and be at the show. Why wait?

Kev F Sutherland
Creator & Producer
The Sitcom Trials
http://sitcomtrials.blogspot.co.uk

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Saturday 20 October 2012

Halloween Sitcom Trials. And the winners are...?

And the winner of the Manchester Halloween Sitcom Trials is... Randolph Carter's Casebook by Argument Dave.

The sitcoms in contention were Separate Parents, Grimm's Law, Draszic's Lot, Wink Murder and Randolph Cater's Casebook. Congratulations to all involved in another excellent show.

Friday's Bristol Halloween Sitcom Trials was won by Three In Tow by Eoin Carney.

These results mark outstanding victories for the online submissions, beating as they did two inhouse productions from the Manchester team and three from the Bristol team, and I am happy to announce from the Manchester show that the standard of scripts and performances was at the highest standard yet. You can look forward to photos and videos from Manchester in the coming days, and I hope from Bristol too.

Next stop, the Sci Fi Sitcom Trials. Bring em on, deadline Nov 4th.

Kev F Sutherland
Creator & Producer
The Sitcom Trials
http://sitcomtrials.blogspot.co.uk

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Friday 19 October 2012

Great Sci Fi Sitcoms: Red Dwarf

The Sitcom Trials presents Great Sci Fi Sitcoms of Our Times: Red Dwarf


From Red Dwarf Smegazine, an Ace Rimmer story written by Kev F Sutherland, creator of The Sitcom Trials

Red Dwarf must be, beyond question, the greatest science fiction sitcom of all time. Having run for 6 consecutive series on BBC2, written by the duo Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who had previously distinguished themselves as lead writers on Spitting Image and already had a number one single as authors of The Chicken Song, it has continued under Doug Naylor and other writers to become the longest running sci fi sitcom on TV, with a tenth series about to appear, 24 years after its first.

I (Kev F of the Sitcom Trials) had the pleasure and privilege of being a writer and artist for the Red Dwarf Smegazine back in the nineties (I drew the soap opera Androids and wrote Ace Rimmer Adventures), for which we were briefed directly by Grant and Naylor who explained many of the details of the show which we had never previously noticed, for example there are no aliens in Red Dwarf, everything in the show originating from Earth.

So, the big question is, could you create the next Red Dwarf? Here's your chance to find out.

On Weds Nov 28th The Sitcom Trials presents a Sci Fi Special at the Camden Head in London, and you are invited to submit a script now.



As always scripts are invited to the Sitcom Trials format of a 10 minute opening act ending in a cliffhanger with a short payoff scene. We then perform the sitcoms up to the cliffhanger, the audience votes for their favourite and only sees the ending of the winner.

With this being a Science Fiction Special, we will be taking advantage of our "radio style" presentation, encouraging writers to tailor their sitcom entries for radio production. This enables you to include any special effect you can imagine, as long as they can be incorporated into the dialogue or very simple sound effects.

Writers are invited to upload their scripts to the SitsVac Files, where you will also find the guidelines regarding style, cast numbers etc. The deadline for uploading scripts is midnight Sat Nov 4th.

These scripts will then be voted on online by anyone who wishes to participate. The deadline for voting is Sat Nov 17th. The London team will then choose two or three of the most popular scripts to perform as part of the show, the other items in the show being created in house.

So if you want to have your sci-fi sitcom tested in front of a live paying audience, get on board now and enter The Sitcom Trials. Any questions, please ask at the Sits Vac Forum, or the British Comedy Guide Forum, or the Sitcom Trials Facebook page.

Kev F Sutherland
Producer
The Sitcom Trials

Nov 28 - Sitcom Trials Sci Fi Special, Camden Head, London

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Halloween Sitcom Trials line-ups, Bristol and Manchester.

Halloween Sitcom Trials line-ups, Bristol and Manchester.

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The line-ups have been decided for the Halloween Sitcom Trials in Bristol on Friday Oct 19th and Manchester on Saturday Oct 20th, and this is to let you know which scripts from the online selection have gone through.

Bristol will be performing three in-house productions plus Bride of Pete-Enstein by Iain Keiller, and Three In Tow by Eoin Carney.

Manchester will be performing two in-house productions plus Draszic's Lot by DieHard514, Randolph Carter by Judgement Dave, and Separate Parents by Dan Sweryt & Jim Speirs.

If any of the writers can make it along to see their scripts being performed, free tickets and a plus one await. For the Bristol show email Vince at stadonclan@hotmail.com and for Manchester email me kevf.sutherland@virgin.net

We look forward to seeing you at these shows, which should be Halloween-tastic sensations.

Bristol Halloween Sitcom Trials, Oct 19, The Wardrobe Theatre £3
Manchester Halloween Sitcom Trials, Oct 20, The Lass O'Gowrie £3

Monday 15 October 2012

Self-funded sitcom is an international hit

Courtesy of Chortle:

Self-funded sitcom is an international hit

South African success for the Adebanjos

Self-funded sitcom is an international hit
A British sitcom which producers financed themselves after being rejected by broadcasters has become one of the most-watched comedies on South African TV.

Meet The Adebanjos, about a Nigerian family living in Britain, has become the country’s third most popular comedy within two weeks.

Latest viewing figures show 1.4million viewers tuned in to the show on South Africa’s SABC2, their equivalent of BBC2. That is up from the 841,000 who saw the debut the previous week.

The show, which features stand-up Lateef Lovejoy among others,  was funded by £175,000 raised by former City trader Andrew Osayemi, after he became frustrated with meetings he had with UK broadcasters.

That paid for eight episodes, which were released on DVD after the first three were put online as a free taster.

Osayemi said: ‘The most amazing thing is what the show has achieved with minimal promotion. The fact that the audience almost doubled to 1.4million over a week gave the whole team a real sense of encouragement and validation of the hard work that has gone into this project.’

He has also sold the show to Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda; with plans to dub the series into French for other nations.

Meanwhile, filming of the second series will start in early 2013, and the show has also been developed for the stage – with two shows scheduled for London’s Hackney Empire this November.
Osayemi says he is not bitter about the show’s initial rejection and hopes the sitcom will still reach British screens eventually.

He says: ‘Two and a half years ago I didn't have a clue about TV. But from producing the show to securing its international distribution, I doubt many people on the planet have had this high level induction to the business that I have received in such a short space of time.’

‘The hardest thing is that what we have done is so unconventional that we have had no previous formula to follow. We have tried so many things and have made many mistakes, but you just have to believe that you have a quality product that an audience would like... But it is not for the faint hearted.’

Additional reporting: Sarah Slack

Read more: http://chortle.co.uk/news/2012/10/12/16307/self-funded_sitcom_is_an_international_hit#ixzz29NShtTBj

Sunday 14 October 2012

Halloween Sitcom Trials - Bristol Oct 19th

The Halloween Sitcom Trials takes place in Bristol this Friday Oct 19th. The line up is:


"The Brides of Pete-enstein" by Iain Keiller

"Here Comes The Science" by Stephen Keyworth

"Three in Tow" by Eoin Carney

"Mid Afternoon of the Dead" by Kev Page

"The Princess of Darkness Wants a Tan" by Oliver Ley

The cast is: 
Janet Adams
Naomi Carter
Lewis Cook
Anna Gallagher
Troy Hewitt
Andrew Kingston
John Lomas 
Louisa Smith

The Halloween Sitcom Trials takes place at The Wardrobe Theatre, 8pm Fri ct 19th. Tickets only £3, details here: http://thewardrobetheatre.com/#/the-sitcom-trials/4559558932

Friday 12 October 2012

Great Sci Fi Sitcoms: The Jetsons

The Sitcom Trials presents Great Sci Fi Sitcoms of Our Times: The Jetsons



The Jetsons, Wikipedia tells us, was an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, originally airing in primetime from 1962–1963 and again from 1985–1987. It was Hanna-Barbera’s Space Age counterpart to The Flintstones, a half-hour family sitcom projecting contemporary culture and lifestyle into another time period. Time magazine in 1962 characterized The Jetsons as one of several new situation comedies (along with The Beverly Hillbillies, I'm Dickens... He's Fenster, and Our Man Higgins) that was "stretching further than ever for their situations". Following its primetime run, the series aired on Saturday mornings for decades.

So, could you beat that? Here's your chance to find out. On Weds Nov 28th The Sitcom Trials presents a Sci Fi Special at the Camden Head in London, and you are invited to submit a script now.



As always scripts are invited to the Sitcom Trials format of a 10 minute opening act ending in a cliffhanger with a short payoff scene. We then perform the sitcoms up to the cliffhanger, the audience votes for their favourite and only sees the ending of the winner.

With this being a Science Fiction Special, we will be taking advantage of our "radio style" presentation, encouraging writers to tailor their sitcom entries for radio production. This enables you to include any special effect you can imagine, as long as they can be incorporated into the dialogue or very simple sound effects.

Writers are invited to upload their scripts to the SitsVac Files, where you will also find the guidelines regarding style, cast numbers etc. The deadline for uploading scripts is midnight Sat Nov 4th.

These scripts will then be voted on online by anyone who wishes to participate. The deadline for voting is Sat Nov 17th. The London team will then choose two or three of the most popular scripts to perform as part of the show, the other items in the show being created in house.

So if you want to have your sci-fi sitcom tested in front of a live paying audience, get on board now and enter The Sitcom Trials. Any questions, please ask at the Sits Vac Forum, or the British Comedy Guide Forum, or the Sitcom Trials Facebook page.

Kev F Sutherland
Producer
The Sitcom Trials

Oct 19 - Halloween Sitcom Trials, Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol
Oct 20 - Halloween Sitcom Trials, Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester
Nov 28 - Sitcom Trials Sci Fi Special, Camden Head, London

Friday 5 October 2012

Great Sci Fi Sitcoms: Come Back Mrs Noah

The Sitcom Trials presents Great Sci Fi Sitcoms of Our Times: Come Back Mrs Noah.



According to Wikipedia, Come Back Mrs. Noah is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1977 to 1978. Starring Mollie Sugden and Ian Lavender, it was written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, who had also written Are You Being Served?, which had also starred Mollie Sugden. Joke banter was recycled from other series, and outrageously strange props were used. Come Back Mrs Noah was not a success, with some regarding it as one of the worst British sitcoms ever made.

So, could you do better? Well, now's your chance to find out. On Weds Nov 28th The Sitcom Trials presents a Sci Fi Special at the Camden Head in London, and you are invited to submit a script now.



As always scripts are invited to the Sitcom Trials format of a 10 minute opening act ending in a cliffhanger with a short payoff scene. We then perform the sitcoms up to the cliffhanger, the audience votes for their favourite and only sees the ending of the winner.

With this being a Science Fiction Special, we will be taking advantage of our "radio style" presentation, encouraging writers to tailor their sitcom entries for radio production. This enables you to include any special effect you can imagine, as long as they can be incorporated into the dialogue or very simple sound effects.

Writers are invited to upload their scripts to the SitsVac Files, where you will also find the guidelines regarding style, cast numbers etc. The deadline for uploading scripts is midnight Sat Nov 4th.

These scripts will then be voted on online by anyone who wishes to participate. The deadline for voting is Sat Nov 17th. The London team will then choose two or three of the most popular scripts to perform as part of the show, the other items in the show being created in house.

So if you want to have your sci-fi sitcom tested in front of a live paying audience, get on board now and enter The Sitcom Trials. Any questions, please ask at the Sits Vac Forum, or the British Comedy Guide Forum, or the Sitcom Trials Facebook page.

Kev F Sutherland
Producer
The Sitcom Trials

Oct 19 - Halloween Sitcom Trials, Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol
Oct 20 - Halloween Sitcom Trials, Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester
Nov 28 - Sitcom Trials Sci Fi Special, Camden Head, London

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