Sitcom Geeks

Dave has got a book out! About comedy writing! Who better to interview him about it than James? Plus questions answered about theme tunes, building your world, audience v non audience, and where Chris left his keys.

In this episode Al, Dave and James get all excited about one of the greatest sitcoms of all time - Fawlty Towers.

Part one of an entertaining journey with comedy legend Al Murray around the joy of making audiences laugh out loud at proper funny jokes - The Windsors, Spitting Image, Time Gentlemen Please and... Game Of Thrones?

James talks to Dan Gaster, Will Ing and Paul Powell about the astonishingly long gestation period of their Dave sitcom, Zapped.

James chats to Julie Bower about watching Red Dwarf as a kid, quoting jokes in the school playground, the awfulness of conference calls, and creating the CBBC sitcom So Awkward. And we announce the recording of the 100th episode at The Museum of Comedy on 5th December.

Return of the Mash. It's back! Surprise TV hit of the year, The Mash Report, returns for a new series. Dave and James talk to Tim Telling, the man who brought internet newspaper The Daily Mash to life.

Dave and James continue their chat with comedy writing legend Steven Moffat about time travelling on a budget, the triumph of Coupling and The Mystery Of Whether Or Not Sherlock Is A Comedy Or A Drama.

Part one of a fascinating interview with the great Steven Moffat - one of our most successful writers whose work includes Sherlock, Coupling and a certain Doctor who he discusses with Dave and James.

Dave and James talk about kickstarting - and continuing - your career by making comedy yourself, in all its forms. What are the options?

Dave and James talk to the brilliant character actor from both Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and Blackadder, Geoffrey McGivern. He has many years of experience, reading and performing the scripts that writers sweat over and has gathered many many anecdotes along the way.

Dave and James back from the summer with lots to report including the return of Newsjack, the great audience sitcom revival part 897 and several attempts to answer the impossible question: What is comedy drama?

Dave and James have a strangely therapeutic conversation with Saskia Schuster, Controller of Comedy at ITV; about how sitcoms get on to ITV and the agony of turning shows down. Apparently, it's painful for the commissioners too!

James talks down the line to top US comedy writer and novelist Jonathan Ames about the hilarious HBO series Bored To Death, being championed by David Letterman and... Are You Being Served?? Yep.

'My job isn't to tell the writer how to be better, my job is to help them figure out what they want to write.' Plenty of excellent advice for ALL writers from top script consultant Hayley McKenzie of Script Angel.

An interview with comedy writer, Lucien Young (Siblings, Murder in Successville, Alice in Brexitland) about all things comedic, including the spec Frasier Script he wrote aged 11. Back his Shakespearean Sonnets book here: unbound.com/books/sonnets/

Dave and James chat to comedy writer, and performer, Laurence Howarth. He talks about writing the controversial Tracey Ullman Corbyn sketches, a sitcom about arms dealers, and how Dead Ringers feels very different from how it used to when politics was boring and you could still just about trust a bank.

Dave Cohen flies the flag for studio sitcoms at the Craft of Comedy 2018 in Llandudno. He also invents a new word that might make you feel ill. Introduced by Steve Doherty.

A fascinating hour spent in the company of the multi-talented writer-performer-producer and all round good guy who was one of the main creators behind Mr Don And Mr George, The Creatives and the legendary Stoneybridge Town Council.

Dave and James discuss the magic of Tony Hancock and Steptoe And Son with Paul Merton, who talks about his great friendship with the brilliant creators of both those shows, writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.

Dave and James talk to Paul Merton - one of Britain's comedy superstars - about silent movies, class, and his phenomenal 30 years at the top of the profession.

We're back with more John Finnemore talking about his Souvenir Programme, Mummo in Cabin Pressure and basking sharks. Recorded at the Bill Murray in Angel, Islington.

James and Dave talk to John Finnemore about Double Acts, Cabin Pressure and the Souvenir Programme at a live event and Patreon subscriber meet-up at the Bill Murray in Angel Islington.

Just over a week to go before the BBC Writersroom Comedy window closes - still time (just) to craft your own comedy gold, with the help of James and Dave's last minute checklist.

Steve Doherty talks to James and Dave about Llandudno Craft Of Comedy Festival in June - an amazing line-up, competitions to win and loads of good reasons why you'd be a fool to miss it.

Attention new writers! The BBC Comedy Script Window opens on 19 March 2018. Here's tonnes of useful writing tips from the people who'll be reading your scripts - Simon Nelson and Amanda Farley of BBC Writersroom.