Sitcom Geeks

Dave and James catch up with the latest comedy news - is there a future for Channel 4, why writing a new sitcom is like coming out of lockdown, and how we need to approach writing race in comedy.

Dave and James talk to inspirational DIY moviemakers Danny Stack and Tim Clague about seizing the initiative and producing your own media - plus some delightfully optimistic predictions for how coming out of lockdown may be most helpful for writers who are starting out.

Last minute tips for ensuring you send your best work to the BBC Galton & Simpson bursary competition, news of more contests and fabulous prizes (Prizes!), and learn from the best as Dave and James dissect Pixar's comedy rules 12-22.

Dave and James talk to multi-talented writer-producer-director-editor Justin Sbresni (The Worst Week Of My Life, The Robinsons) about the new lockdown sitcom Housebound and plenty more besides, including hot tips on the best new comic actors and great advice on creating visual comedy.

Pixar are the most successful movie makers of the last 50 years. This week Dave and James examine the first 11 of their 22 rules of storytelling, judging how they might apply to the current series of Friday Night Dinner.

Dave and James chat with Australian writer Peter C Hayward, writer of Night Crew, the winner of our first BCG Pro/Sitcom Geeks Sitcom Script Challenge. Featuring giant toasters, Finnemore fandom, and a bee plot. You can read the first 10 pages of Night Crew via Dropbox: https://bit.ly/NightCrewScript

Dave and James talk to John O'Farrell and Brenda Gilhooly at the Chortle Book Festival about all things writing, including coming up with the right idea at the right time.

With the BBC comedy writing window all set to open on 16th March, Dave and James find out from Writersroom Comedy overseers Simon Nelson and Amanda Farley how to dazzle them with your comedy entries. They're joined by one of last year's winners and current Felix Dexter Bursary writer, Athena Kugblenu.

James and Dave answer your sitcom script-based questions about turning your idea into a sitcom, making sure your idea hasn't been done (it has), what makes a studio sitcom script, resolving plots, series arcs, budgets and how much writers actually get paid. Plus exciting news about the upcoming BCG comedy writers' conference.

Dave and James dig deep into the 15 scripts on the longlist of the BCG Pro Sitcom Geeks Script Challenge and explain what works, and how you can all move your scripts forward.