The Trouble With TV

Here's an article from Chortle about a new TV show that's searching for new comedy talent. And a quote: Freddie Foss-Smith from producers Big Talk ... said: ‘I’m looking for unknown and relatively new comedians that might not necessarily have even done a gig before but might just have what it takes.'

Right, let me stop you there. Cos I happen to be of the opinion that one of the things that "it takes" to be a successful comedian is "to have done a gig before". The idea that comedy is innate and that people "just have" it or "just don't" is ridiculous. Not that some people don't have more or less natural talent than others, but if you look at the really really brilliant comedians of the last few decades: Billy Connolly, Eddie Izzard, Victoria Wood, etc, one thing they all have in common is they have put the hours in learning the trade the hard way*.

On the good news side meanwhile a TV pilot show I wrote has been commissioned to be turned in to a 13-episode series. It's a satirical news show called Network. It'll be broadcast by Press TV (Iranian) but all Sky customers worldwide will be able to watch it if they dig far enough through the channel listings. I'm not in it (Mr Cru is) because will funding coming out of Iran it's an all-male cast. Still I am listed as chief writer and actually I'm the only writer aside from a bit of input from the cast themselves and the director. Hopefully it'll lead to more work for me.

* And by the way "the hard way" is also "the only way that works".