Tag: Spec Scriptacular Contest

BBC Writersroom Announces Comedy Room 2015 Participants

BBC Writersroomby Team TVWriter™ Press Service

BBC Writersroom has announced Comedy Room 2015 – a development pool of 15 up-and-coming writers, launched on 2 October 2015. These writers have been selected from Writersroom open talent searches, alongside input from BBC Comedy (TV and radio).

These writers have been selected from Writersroom open talent searches, alongside input from BBC Comedy (TV and radio). They will receive targeted training and development for six months, including workshops, masterclasses and networking events.

The aim of the scheme is to encourage and develop the best in new comedy writing and to help these writers to build strong connections within BBC Comedy.

Anne Edyvean, Head of the BBC Writersroom, says: “The creation of Comedy Room is a way of answering the question, ‘How do we best support emerging writing talent in Comedy?’ We decided on regular, structured teaching; introductions to key people in BBC Comedy; workshops; and script support for a hand-picked group of writers, over a limited time-period, in conjunction with BBC Radio and TV Comedy.” read article

Leesa Dean’s Lovin’ THE STOCKROOM

April Hernandez-Castillo & Victor Cruz
April Hernandez-Castillo & Victor Cruz

Adventures in Digital Series Land #112
by Leesa Dean

Victor Cruz–no not the athlete–is a great actor/comedian I was lucky enough to meet about seven years ago.  Gil T, another great comedian who originally was part of the legendary comedy duo, The Most Brothers (HBO, Fox, opened internationally for some of the biggest names in the business) had worked on some shorts with him and when I was thinking about doing Chilltown, Gil recommended him.  Highly.

I’d known Gil from a project we worked on together that Comedy Central *almost* bought. I was the writer/producer and it was so much fun and Gil was so incredible in it I knew we’d work together again. Plus, his word meant a lot to me. I already had cast him in Chilltown.

I hired Victor, essentially, without an audition and never looked back. He crushed it when we recorded voiceovers. Subsequently, I’ve hired Victor for nearly every project I’ve done. He’s THAT good.  And so professional. And and all-around nice guy.  Ok, I’ll stop gushing. read article

What You Should Know About Comedy Writer Jonathan Goldstein

Well, he’s John Francis Daley’s writing partner, for one thing. And they have all these neat new projects going. And…oh, wait, here’s a guy who can tell it even better:

HLB-f15-17304-300x199

Lasting Laughs
by Lewis Rice

Sometimes attorneys face a pre­cedent that makes it challenging to succeed. Jonathan Goldstein ’95 knows this well. In his case, the precedent was more than 30 years old but still held great influence among people he was trying to persuade. His strategy? Well, it was pretty much what he tries to do in every case.

Be funny. read article

5 Hot Trends of TV’s Development Season

“You can write what you know, love, and believe in, or you can write what you can sell.”
Old Hollywood writer saying.

Here’s what you can sell.

This week anyway. read article

Almost Everything You Need to Know About Comedy Writer Bill Persky

…And in case you’re wondering why we think an awareness of this very funny and highly influential dood, it’s because as one of the most prominent voices behind THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, THE GIRL, WHO’S THE BOSS, THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW, and many more he has indeed been a very funny and highly influential, erm, writer.

Listen up:

With a little help from Bill Persky, Marlo Thomas became one of the Great Emancipators of The American Woman
With a little help from Bill Persky, Marlo Thomas became one of the Great Emancipators of The American Woman. For reals.

by Reed Bunzel

Like many early comedy writers, Bill Persky found himself working with some of the great classic comics of radio and TV. After a stint as a cabana boy at the famed Grossinger’s Hotel in the Catskills, he became an assistant program director at WNEW New York in the mid-1950s. His first TV sale came when he and writing partner Don Rosenblit invented a character known as “the Pigloo,” a combination of a pig and an igloo that was picked up by the Howdy Doody Show as a regular character. Savoring that first taste of success, he moved to California and wrote for a variety of innovative programs, including The Steve Allen Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Julie Andrews Show, McHale’s Navy, and The Joey Bishop Show. read article