Latest on Huddlines and BBC 'Open Door' shows
What's happened to all those CVs?
Candid camera - your embarrassing moments at conference!
Writing Opportunity!
Your Successes
Stop the Press - BSCW in the Sunday Times!
Date for the Diary


HUDDLINES UPDATE

For anyone that missed the news, the News Huddlines will not be running a spring series this year, due to Roy Hudd's having found a role in Coronation Street. We look forward to watching him appearing as the love interest for Dreary Deidre's mother, Blanche, but at the same time, we have to wonder what this means to us as writers.

Well, firstly it means that the main open door show isn't open at the moment. It may be re-opened in the autumn, dependant on how Roy's character takes off in Corrie. We could all simply write to Corrie and say we hate the character, but, given the demise of Weekending some years ago, and the closure of 'Dead Ringers' to non-commissioned writers, this can't possibly be the only way to ensure some slight chink of a door left open at Broadcasting House.

Well, firstly, there is talk of the Writer's Guild of Great Britain organising a campaign to persuade the BBC to create another open door show. Anyone with more details of this, please do put them on the general forum, so that we can all lend our support. Some relevant people at the BBC are well aware of the need for an open door show, so it seems a more positive approach to join a concerted campaign, rather than to all bombard producers with e-mails, who may well already be working within the BBC to sort this out.

Secondly, although the project "Mayor of Balham" only got as far as a pilot, if other opportunities present themselves, do keep up the high quality and quantity of comedy you send to it. Some other project may fit the schedules better, and be commissioned, so long as it's good enough! It'll also serve to remind producers that there are a lot of us who want to write for radio shows.

Thirdly, thankfully, there is a spring opportunity being offered by the BBC - so write for it! "BBC Radio Entertainment - the department which produces The News Huddlines - is actively looking to create new outlets for up-and-coming writers... there will be opportunities for non-commissioned writers on Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections, the next nine-part series of which starts recording on Wednesday 17th April. An e-mail address for submissions will be set up nearer the time." We will try and bring you details of that as soon as possible.

Also, for our older members, "Producer Helen Williams is sending out this message on all frequencies: CALLING ALL WRITERS AGED 45 PLUS: The Right Time is back. The sketch show about modern life by people who've lived a little returns for second series in April. The Right Time stars Eleanor Bron, Clive Swift, Neil Innes, Graeme Garden, Paula Wilcox, Roger Blake and Ronnie and the Rex. We start recording in April and the series goes out on Radio 4 from 18th April at 6.30pm. We have a core team of commissioned writers, but we are still open to receiving material from non-commissioned writers - but you must be aged over 45. If you are interested, please email for a brief at Helen.Williams@bbc.co.uk" Sorry to those youngsters who want to write... pretend and whinge about your pension?

For sportier members, "Another writing opportunity comes courtesy of a chap called Mario Dubois. Mario's from Manchester Entertainment and he's producing a new internet animation sketch show. It's going to be topical, satirical, even occasionally just plain funny. He wants a core team of commissioned writers but also unsolicited stuff too. If you're a footie fan, now's a good time to get writing. With the World Cup looming, Mario's also on the lookout for comic scripts or treatments based around it. Think An Evening With Gary Lineker ( but don't rip it off ! ) - and that's Mario.Dubois@bbc.co.uk if you fancy it."

Fourthly, feel free to come up with a fantastic idea for a sketch show, that the BBC can't fail to commission... I'm sure the rest of us will happily submit sketches!

Anyone with more news on BBC open door shows, or any opportunities for non-commissioned writers, do share them with the rest of us, through the BSCW website (www.bscw.co.uk).


COMEDY CURRICULUM

Don't forget that there is CV space for every member on the BSCW website. If you haven't already got your details in, then please do send them to us. If you don't know what to write, there are plenty up there to guide or inspire your pen. If you originally sent us your details more than a year ago, you do have the opportunity to update the information with all the exciting things you've been getting up to recently. Please send CVs and updates to David (david@bscw.co.uk)


WHO'S BEEN PHOTO-ED?

Did you stray in front of a camera during the event of the year? Did your interestingly coloured trousers get caught on camera, or merely your happy, smiling face? You've already seen the holly-spruced management team, but what about the rest of you? Well, not long to wait now. Conference photographs will be appearing on the BSCW site very soon. Apologies for the delay - basically there are just such a lot of them! And you're all doing such interesting things...

UPDATE: Pictures now available here.


SEE YOUR NAME IN... TEXT

I'm sure you all realise that the E-zine doesn't write itself, and any help any of you can offer would be great. Any ideas you have for articles, do let me know, and chances are, I'd love to include it. Any articles on comedy that you've written for something else, I'd be interested to re-run here, so long as you didn't sell all rights.

But I know the usual excuse for not writing is lack of ideas. So I'm going to ruin your excuses. Firstly, I'd really like to include more reviews. I have a few things in mind to cover, but there are so many books and magazines in the writing world, I'll never be able to review them all alone! Send me a review on which you love (or hate) and why. Ideally, it can be from 300-1000 words, so feel free to briefly exult a book you love, or rant at greater length if you feel the urge.

Secondly, many of you have a favourite comedy program, or publication. So tell us why it's your favourite. Or why you tried it once, and now opt for watching paint dry instead? From a sketch show or sitcom on TV or radio, to a comedy magazine or website, what do you find funny? What do you think works about it, and what doesn't? Be as controversial as you like - I'm happy to publish responses in the next E-zine; debates welcome!

Thirdly, if you really don't want to do any of those, but would still like to help, send me an e-mail. I can help with ideas, if you give me some idea of what you do in comedy and what you'd like to do.

But think how much more information you could recieve, if every member and subscriber wrote one article a year...

So, go on, and I promise to be really grateful! (Usual e-mail address - gill@bscw.co.uk)


YOUR SUCCESSES

Giles Osbourne has been working hard at the poetry: "Two poems have now won competitions." I would show you more, but the title of one may not get through people's mail filters! However the Poetry Life judges thought it was an interesting take on love, and awarded a Special Commendation in their 'How Do I love Thee?' Competition Issue 8, 2002. The other poem Giles describes as "very cynical," and went to the Hastings collection.

Crispin Fisher reports "In January I sold several cards to Simon Elvin and Paper House. I have started writing for up and coming stand up Mark Rough and I have just been commissioned to write some Valentine gags for Simon Elvin."

Ken Rock was asked by Tom Owen to write a stage show called "14 by 3" which is a personal tribute to the life and career of his late father Bill. It has been devised to remind people there was more to his father than Compo, the character he played in Last of the Summer Wine for 27 years.The one-man presentation traces the actor's various successes and failures over a lifetime's involvement in theatre, television and film. It also includes a handful of the songs that Bill penned lyrics for. Did you know Bill once wrote a No. 1 hit for Ken Dodd, and also wrote songs for Matt Munro, Cliff Richard and Sasha Distel?

Tom also includes his own life story and the influence his father had on it - including the posthumous legacy of Tom becoming the first ever son to play his real father's fictitious son in a television series. As this reminiscence reveals, things weren't always easy in either Owen household but the show always went on and for both father and son there was a happy ending.

14 by 3 premiered to full houses at The Studio Theatre, Blackpool in January, and negotiations are currently taking place for a summer/autumn tour.

Tom Owen is one of the guests attending the BSCW Networking Day in London on 23rd March.

In complete contrast to this, Ken Rock has also been working with Debbie Nunn, who performed so brilliantly at the BSCW Conference cabaret night. He has co-devised and written the comedy material for Debbie's forthcoming stage show called "A Tribute to Madonna" which begins a UK tour in Stevenage on 4th February.

Do send in your reports for March's E-zine, and here's to a highly successful February!


BSCW IN THE NEWS

Well, sort of. Some of you may have seen the recent Sunday Times article on stand up comedienne, Shazia Mirza. Early on in the interview, she mentions a book by Ken Rock that doesn't actually exist. However, for the sake of those who want to follow Shazia's example, Ken's put the relevant articles together in book form, for anyone that wants them.

"How To Write Comedy" by Ken Rock, is a compilation of notes taken from Ken's comedy writing courses. Subjects covered include: Writing Quickies & Sketches, Visual Humour, Situation Comedy, Characters, Storylines, Dialogue and Selling Your Work. Cost: £10

A booklet called "Characterisation, Plotting & Storyboarding", by Ken Rock & Ken Basford, delves into these subjects in much greater detail. It also includes development of a soap opera. Cost: £7-50

If you would like to purchase a copy of either or both booklets please send a cheque or postal order to Ken Rock at the usual address.

Also, Comedy Writing Courses being run by Ken Rock during 2002-2003 include:

22-24 February 2002 - Missenden Abbey, Great Missenden, Bucks, England
Telephone bookings & enquiries: 01494 862904
E-mail: conedchil@buckscc.gov.uk
Web site: www.aredu.org.uk/missendenabbey
** only three places left on this course **

6-8 September 2002 - NAWG Festival of Writing, St Aidan's College,
University of Durham, England
Enquiries: Brian Lister, 0191 4169751
E-mail: Brian.nawgfestival@amserve.net
Web site: www.nawg.co.uk

14-17 September 2002 - Cologne Comedy School, Bremsstr. 12, 50969
Cologne, Germany
Telephone & enquiries: Renate Kampmann, +44 (0)221 9368316
E-mail: renatekampmann@koeln-comedy.de

28-30 March 2003 - Missenden Abbey, Great Missenden, Bucks, England
Telephone bookings & enquiries: 01494 862904
E-mail: conedchil@buckscc.gov.uk
Web site: www.aredu.org.uk/missendenabbey


MAKE A DATE...

... with the BSCW Networking Day. The date is Saturday 23rd March, the venue is the Comedy Pub, near central London. More details, including how to book your place on it, and the ever-growing list of attendees worth networking with, will be sent in a separate mail soon.