It’s been rather hectic the last few months trying to write sketches for Newsjack (Series 8), The Show What You Wrote and Live From Kirrin Island Episode 4. But now that all that’s over for now I thought I ought to tidy the blog up a bit. I’ve added a summary of some of the [...]
Category > Random thoughts
Happy New Year (and two cheeky plugs)
A combination of Christmas and flu (in that order) has kept me from the blog for a couple of weeks now, and I’m sorry…. but it is… too late. Too late to catch not one but two sketch shows with some of my stuff in them. Live from Kirrin Island you have heard all about [...]
Stephen Moffat is right – more bangs and less bonnets will get kids reading
At the recent Doctor Who premiere, lead writer Stephen Moffat caused a stir by suggesting that kids should be given they like to read, rather than trying to get them to read a prescriptive list of ”good books”, such as Jane Austen. Despite hand wringing from the usual suspects, Moffat is quite right. Kids will [...]
Extreme ways to avoid writing #94 – have a baby
Baby Salisbury #2 has arrived and is of course lovely. But is not yet much help as a secretary and literary companion despite my pleading. At least all those Newsjack deadlines have inured me to a lack of sleep… zzz….
Taking a short break from topical comedy
The News Revue are off to Edinburgh, Newjack isn’t back until the Autumn, Kirrin Island’s Summer Shorts are in the bag and the Treason Show crew are (I like to imagine anyway) sunning themselves on Brighton beach. So it’s a good time to get off the topical comedy donkey and try to spread my wings [...]
I just saw the Olympic flame
Almost completely by accident. Because today’s Olympic flame route through Caversham is almost exactly the same as my walk to the train station. I’m not saying that they deliberately arranged it that way as a kind of tribute to my noble struggle with commuter trains but, lets just say that the crowds were mostly there to [...]
And a pleasant time was had by all
Well, I hope it was. I know I just spent a pleasant evening with Alex Baker chatting about comedy and that. Thanks, bro. I’m currently checking out Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Then I should sleep. Oh and write some sketches. PS Take a look at Alex’s webcomic, Cake or Death.
Why do I feel like I’m living in a satire?
Even the names sound made up. Like bad guy banker “Bob Diamond“. That would get changed in the first edit of most TV drama scripts. And his head of investment banking, Rich Ricci. You’re not fooling anyone with that Italianisation. We all grew up watching Richie Rich. And investment bankers colluding to rig published market [...]
Seriously… comedy writers need better pay
Jon Plowman, for many years an executive producer with and former head of BBC comedy, has called for comedy writers to be paid more. And (although I would say that) I think he’s right. Because comedy writing, as a career, doesn’t add up. A “starting” (generally someone who has been honing their craft unpaid for [...]
And I’m back
Exam marking is now over (for six months at least). I’ve caught up on my sleep. Now it’s time to catch up on writing things (including short blog posts). It’s time to start really getting going on the Kirrin Island podcast project (now comes with own twitter hashtag #kipod). There are sketches up in the [...]
