E4 comedy Screenwriters

Name: Jesse Armstrong (right)

D.O.B: N.A

Most famous for: In the Loop, Four Lions and Peep Show 

Name: Sam Bain (left)

D.O.B: 03.08.1971

Most famous for: Peep Show, Four Lions and Fresh Meat 

Their opinion on writing sitcoms 
Both writers took inspiration from various famous writer and directors for their sitcom Peep Show. Woody Allen is one of the writers who bought them together and inspired them with his scene in Annie Hall with the use of subtitles of what the actors want to actually say. They used that throughout all the seasons of Peep Show in the style of voice over to hear what the characters are thinking. In regards to the visual style of the show, they took inspiration from Being Caprice to use POV from characters, only disadvantage is that it is hard to watch.

In terms of making something funny, really good to have a double act, great way for creating good dialogue, it's usually an odd couple where you can talk about randum topics and have a rough idea of how the characters are going to respond and act. Also, when you're starting out a good way is to have a third person who is weirder than your double act, and you shouldn't be afraid to borrow from other writers, Likewise, juice from your own pain, and take inspiration from your own life, disaster is funny and making stuff up is also funny.

Armstrong was inspired by other TV shows like The Young Ones and The Day Today. Best inspiration can be found in the people around your and yourself but the most important thing is character - once you have a voice going everything else follows. Many successful writers have failed, so don't be afraid to make mistakes since you will learn from them. Armstrong, also suggests that collaborating with someone else as it helps the development of the plot with a partner.

P.S NEVER TRSUT ANOTHER WRITER - they will steal your idea.

Today: 
Sam and Jesse have opened their own production company with Channel 4s head of comedy Phil Clarke, and their first production is Avatards which is about a group of people who play online video games and will move between the online fantasy world and their lonely lives in their bedrooms.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQPn9tcHSFo

https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2015/apr/23/irvine-welsh-trainspotting-jesse-armstrong-peep-show-how-to-write-comedy

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-02-10/peep-show-writers-sam-bain-and-jesse-armstrong-start-their-own-production-company/

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-05-01/peep-shows-sam-bain-and-jesse-armstrong-close-in-on-first-commission-for-new-company/


                                                                                                                                                                   

Name: Michaela Coel 

D.O.B: 01:10:1987

Most famous for: Chewing Gum 

Chewing Gum is about a horny, Beyonce crazed 27 year old virgin living on a council state. Getting relationship advice form her best friend while her sister disapproves of her actions. 

Turning to religion in her early teenage years and trying to convert the people around her and was in most cases with her mum, sister and boyfriend. But as a result she lost a lot of friends and wrote her first poem after reading the bible. Although she is not religious anymore, she's made that very clear in the first episode of Chewing Gum. The show is rude, fearless and uncensored, while maintaining the comedy and showing the downside effect of religion. 

For Coel, when she writes she wants to make her audience feel uncomfortable, that is her humour. It took her 41 drafts to write her graduate monologue and felt that it was an ageing process. There were times when she writes and she feels that her writing is shit and she can't do this and times when she would be so proud of work and laugh at it herself. In the beginning Chewing Gum was not as popular as it is, until it won two BAFTAS and then shown on Netflix. 

As a writer she believes that there is a line for how rude it can be and Coel has admitted that she has crossed that line a few times and make herself cringe; yet she believes her true audience will be abel to stomach her humour and has no problem with people turning the channel because of it. In her writing she also tries to expose a social issue that needs to be discussed and admits that writing is hard and doesn't come naturally to her and can sometimes be lonely, but it is rewarding at the end when you get to show off your "baby".  Topics which she focuses on in her writing is about self worth.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/michaela-coel-interview-the-writer-actor-on-rude-sex-jeremy-corbyn-and-being-the-voice-of-a-a6897851.html

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jan/08/michaela-cole-enjoy-making-people-uncomfortable-chewing-gum-season-two

https://www.stylist.co.uk/people/michaela-coel-chewing-gum-interview-acting-writing-speaking-out-sex-clubs-upsetting-the-status-quo/31602

                                                                                                                                                                   

Name: Robert Popper

D.O.B: 23.11.1967

Best known for: Friday Night Dinner, Look Around You and Peep Show 

Focusing on: Friday Night Dinner

Popper wanted to write a sitcom about a family and took inspiration from his family dinners. He said he saw that dads over 55 begin to act weird and his dad refused to wear a shirt in the house, which he got inspiration for one of his characters. Even though the sitcom is based on a Jewish he did not want to fall into the stereotypical plots/characters/appearances/phrases as it wasn't something that he experienced and wanted to make his sitcom more realistic and modern, also the work that he is doing is his own work, based on his idea and his experienced (no one else will have something like it).  Try your best to express your comedic voice in any way either book, phone call (Popper does a lot of prank calls), sitcoms or anything else. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12566693

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8345307/Interview-Friday-Night-Dinner-creator-Robert-Popper.html

                                                                                                                                                                   

Name: Roisin Conaty 

D.O.B: 26.93.1979

Best Known for: Gameface

When writing her sitcom, Roisin made a point of writing outside her life as she felt she would be too guarded, constricting herself to it as well as learning a lesson from her stand up that not all stories are yours to tell. In her sitcom Gameface she wanted to write a different version of a female lead character, one who is not constantly perceived as single or drunk and the messiness and flaws of a character is what makes a comedy. Roisin wanted to the show to feel like real people, where the writing of it is more hidden. You can't enjoy a show when you can hear the writing in the dialogue. 

Writing a script for a show instead of a stand up was a freeing process for Roisin, and was constantly reminding herself that you aren't constantly trying to chase for a laugh and over do it. In terms of writing, it doesn't come naturally for her and its a hard process. But when writing she doesn't concern herself with how many people will her her jokes, saying " comedy is like food or sex - you can't talk people into it". Conaty also says that it is helpful as a writing tool to be able to define why something hasn't worked or why it has. 

A method that Roisin prefers is to act out her ideas rather than writing them down straight out, that way she gets a better idea of the joke, character and place, allowing her to get a sense of the rhythm; recording herself and then listening back to it. Furthermore, she suggests that you should look for things that make you think instead of the joke, and forming your own opinion on an idea to help your writing.  

http://www.ideastap.com/ideasmag/the-knowledge/comedian-roisin-conaty-on-breaking-into-comedy

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/interview-with-roisin-conaty-for-her-self-penned-sitcom-gameface

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/roisin-conaty-gameface-comedy-like-sex-food-cant-talk-someone/