Dave and James welcome back the kings of DIY moviemaking Danny Stack and Tim Clague. Fresh from their triumphant week at the Cannes Film Festival, the UK Scriptwriters team talk about making your own shows, selling them abroad, and how to make a name for yourself even if you don't know anyone in the business.
Commissioners say they love them, they remain hugely popular, nobody's writing them. Surely the answer is obviously yes yes yes! Dave and James think so but be aware of the high risks - and you'll need to think creatively about pitching the idea.
In Part 2 of the interview, Ashley Pharoah, co-creator of Life On Mars, explains the eight years of development that preceded the hit drama, and how it literally involved bags of money. And entertains us with tales of his other top-rated shows and, ah, Bonekickers.
There most certainly was for Ashley Pharoah, who went on to co-create of Life On Mars, one of the best comic drama series of the last 20 years. In Part 1, he talks about breaking into the industry through writing for soaps and making his own stuff, including Where The Heart Is and Around The World In Eighty Days.
Writing topical jokes for radio is one of the fastest ways to build your credits and get to know producers. With The Skewer winning bucketloads of awards, Scotland's Breaking The News and now a new Radio 4 Extra show DMs Are Open, there's never been a better time to write topical comedy. Learn the secrets of successful gag writing from Dave and James, and regular topical writers Dan Sweryt and Eleanor Hayward.
Dave and James talk about... talking. How do you bring your comic conversations to life? What gets left out? How do you make it funny? And find out which hugely famous TV writer calls dialogue "the least important part of my job".
Creator of the great comedy monster Martin Fishback, Fergus Craig talks about his early love for Mr Bean, the Edinburgh hit double act of Fergus & Colin, and tries to persuade James that Reeves and Mortimer are the business. Watch the Martin Fishback pilot on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0014bxd/martin-fishback "Build A Sitcom" begins Friday 6 May. Email funnyup02@gmail.com Stand Up, Barry Goldman is now available to download. Sign up for the Situation Room Newsletter for more info on Kickstart Your Sitcom on 30th May: https://prodigious-trailblazer-4053.ck.page/b2bdfd5a77
Dave and James talk to Hat Trick boss Jimmy Mulville about his decades of phenomenal comedy success, developing new writing talent and why you should never send him a substandard script.
Part 2 of the advice-packed interview from Daniel Peak, one of our most successful sitcom creators. Code 404, Not Going Out - and he's not afraid to talk about the ones that got away. This week, Daniel heroically relives Big Top, an episode or six of what happens when a sitcom fails to please the Lords of TV Criticism.
...announced in this week's bonus episode. Dave and James discuss what made it onto the shortlist, how the quality of scripts has improved in recent years and why the future of narrative sitcom is hopefully assured. (And congratulations to Lloyd Glanville for the winning script Unsustainable). For show notes see https://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/sitcom_geeks/episode_188/