Sitcom Geeks

Dave and James talk to the stand-up star and top writer about her brilliant radio monologues Little Lifetimes, the Edinburgh Festival that wasn't, her fondly-recalled Channel 4 sitcom with Henry Normal and Frank Skinner - and exactly how close she came to becoming the new host of Bake Off.

Part 2 of our fascinating interview with the creator, writer and star of Channel 4's hit series Home about how the show came about and how they found their star. Plus BAFTA Rocliffe script tips, Comedy Crowd comes clean and life without Edinburgh.

The writer and star of Channel 4's hit TV series Home talks to James and Dave about the journey, via the distinctly-named Dutch Elm Conservatoire sketch group, a dramatic role in White Teeth and... financial journalism?

James and Dave update on sitcom news (including jingle), then a fascinating insight into how The Office came about from producer Anil Gupta, and more tales of TV mayhem from Anil and Richard Pinto, the writer-producer team that gave you Goodness Gracious Me, Citizen Khan and more.

A great interview with the writer-producer team behind Goodness Gracious Me, Citizen Khan, The Kumars and more - and we haven't even got to The Office yet.

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.

James and Dave talk more about the scripts from the BCG Pro competition, with some more thoughts on getting the story going, how story is character (saving you a fortune in Robert McKeen seminars) and when talking under your breath is funny, and when it isn't.

While you were eating and sleeping your way through the holidays Dave and James were reading your script entries to the BCG Pro Sitcom Geeks Script Challenge - all 65 of them. Ahead of announcing the final shortlist they discuss what they've learned. Essential listening if you want to enter this year's BBC Writersroom Script Competition.

'My act is like putting a cartoon in someone's head.' Dave and James enjoy a fascinating session in the company of one of the country's top comedians, ahead of his biggest live tour in years.

Four comedy writers walk into a bar. Ahead of the comedy writers' Christmas Party, Dave chats with NFTS comedy graduate Sara Gibbs, improv superstar Pippa Evans and writing legend Paul Bassett Davies about women in writing rooms, the changing definitions of sitcom, Stephen King and Dolly Parton. Summing up: Yes it's still tough, but the opportunities are still there.

This episode Dave and James ask what's the difference between character and characters, story and stories, stand-up and acting? (Spoiler - it's not 8 quid). Also not to be missed - James's theory that all sitcoms are like biscuits. Nice.

Dave and James revisit the dos and don'ts of plotting, adding sparkle to your stories, with added jeopardy for comedy drama fans.

Here's plenty of valuable last-minute tips from James and Dave before you send your script out to a producer or competition. And don't worry if you miss the Sitcom Geeks Script Competition deadline - the next BBC Writersroom deadline is closer than you think.

With the November 17 deadline approaching for the Sitcom Script Challenge, Dave and James talk about extracting maximum mileage from your characters. Spoiler alert: they don't have to be likeable.

It's half of our name but we don't talk often enough about the situation. Dave and James talk to producer David Tyler (Cabin Pressure, Dinnerladies, Milton Jones and loads more) about what makes a good sit, plus James's chapter on this from Writing That Sitcom.

Dave and James look at the recent Emmy successes for British shows Fleabag and Succession, and talk about what makes a successful career, and why overnight success can be years in the making.