主播大秀

Our Open Call script submission opportunity is currently accepting submissions and, during the window, we've been hosting online drop-in sessions to give writers the opportunity to ask us their questions and receive some submission advice. 

These sessions have been popular and, while we've not been able to answer everyone's queries during that time, we've collated and answered some from our previous drop-in below. We hope this will help to fill writers in on what our annual script submission window is all about.

What are the most common mistakes writers make in their screenplays?

Definitely familiarity and submitting something which feels derivative. If it is a well-trodden territory – such as a detective show - give us a fresh take on it.

Also, if you’re going to submit to our Open Call, don't second guess what the 主播大秀 is looking for because that comes through in your writing. We'll be able to tell because it's going to feel self-consciously commercial and inauthentic and we often receive multiple versions of Fleabag or Line of Duty.

At the 主播大秀 Writersroom, we accept TV, Film, Theatre, Online or Radio scripts during our submission window. When choosing your medium, however, you have to ask yourself if your story is right for that particular medium. Why have you chosen for it to be Radio over a visual medium like TV or Film for example? When scripts feel like they have been written in the wrong medium it can have a negative effect and jar with the reader.

For further advice, read this recent blog post on What Makes a Great Spec Script

What are the first things you look for in a script / project / writer? How can we stand out in a good way?

When we read your work, we are looking out for the signs of a distinctive and compelling voice; characters that engage us, that make us laugh/cry/angry, that we can relate to via their complicated relationships with others.

We are excited to find story worlds and perspectives we haven’t seen on screen before, or maybe a fresh and surprising look at a world we are familiar with. We want to see all parts of our diverse nation represented, we want to speak to the universal human experiences of love, family, death, heartbreak etc in the local and specific. We are looking for writers who have something urgent to say about who and where we are as a society now. But most of all we are looking for talented writers who love television, are engaged viewers themselves and are excited about the potential of the medium to speak to audiences across the UK.

Could you talk a bit please about what you’re looking for in terms of Comedy Drama? (as opposed to sitcom etc which is what you’re not looking for?)

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly, but Comedy Dramas show the light and dark sides of life, often containing big emotional issues befitting a drama, which are then matched by a strong comedic elements.

Drama has progression; the characters are affected by the events and choices they make within the story and are changed for better or worse. Comedy sitcoms, however, are cyclic and no matter what has happened in the episode the characters will reset to their default for the next instalment.

If you want to read more on the topic, you may find the What is Comedy Drama? blog post of interest.

Does the story have to be set in the UK or it can be based in the USA or anywhere?

It can be set anywhere, even outer space! There are no limits, especially as the scripts you send us will not be produced so you should not be thinking of any production constraints when preparing your submission.  Just write what you want to write and write what best represents you and your work.

Once you have selected the successful applicants - do you find they're mainly writers with experience, or do you have newcomers as well?

Our groups often have a real mix of writers, not only from different disciplines such as performance poetry or short film but also in writing experience. Sometimes, writers have been selected and the script they have submitted is the first one they have ever written.

We also accommodate this through each of our tailored development groups which offer different opportunities to writers based on their level of experience.

For further details on our Groups and what they offer read this recent blog post.  

If accepted as writers, how does the development programme work?

We use Open Call to identify interesting new writers and then they may be invited to take part in either our Drama Room or Voices writer development groups.

Voices is a programme for emerging writers who have a strong creative track record in aligned creative fields (theatre, short film, comedy, spoken word etc) but are new to television writing.

Drama Room is for emerging writers who demonstrate a distinctive, original voice and an understanding of the fundamentals of writing for TV but who do not have a professional television credit.

For further details on what is included in each of our development groups' programmes read this recent blog post. 

Are Voices and Drama mutually exclusive? Can you be invited to further development opportunities?

Each of our development groups are aimed to provide writers with support and opportunities most suited to them and their level of experience in screenwriting. Once they have completed a group such as Voices for example, it is our hope that writers will return with the tools they have learned during their time with the 主播大秀 Writersroom and reapply for the next development scheme. In this case, Drama Room, which will open them and their career up to further opportunities.

Do writers who don't get shortlisted still get feedback?

No. Only the scripts which progress to the Full Read stage will receive feedback in the form of a Script Report on their submission. We do not have the resources to fully read and feedback on anything more than a small proportion of the thousands of scripts we receive.

The open call specifies “comedy-drama and drama” but is there room for scripts that use horror/supernatural elements? Similar to Wreck and In The Flesh, where the genre’s used to further the dramatic story?

Absolutely. If you want to write genre and you're really interested in genre, then absolutely write that and it will be eligible for Open Call as long as it falls under the Drama or Comedy/Drama umbrella.

If you are going to go for a genre twist, then ask yourself the question: ‘why am I doing it?’ You need to subvert expectation with it and not make a script supernatural (for example) just to make it feel a little bit different in the hope that it will stand out more.

The submission can be 2 x 15 page scripts, is that correct?

Yes. If submitting something which is short form, such as an Online/Children’s TV or Radio/Podcast script, then multiple episodes may be submitted as a single document provided the total length comes to at least 30 pages. You may also submit up to 2 short film scripts as long as the total exceeds 30 pages.

You may not, however, submit multiple scripts from different mediums. i.e. If you submit a short film script you cannot also add an episode for Online/Children’s TV or Radio/Podcast series as well. These will be seen as multiple submissions and marked as ineligible.

Visit our website for further details on the Open Call Terms and Conditions.

Can I send a play script that is less than 30 pages?

No. Submissions must be a minimum length of 30 pages excluding title and character pages. There are no exceptions and anything less will not be considered.

Visit our website for further details on what we can and cannot accept.

How can you find out what scripts I have already sent?

When you sign into your  there will be a list of all of your previous submissions and which opportunity they were sent to.

Is there anything that would make you pass on an applicant in terms of existing credits or awards? Asking for semi-pro writers who haven’t had a broadcast credit but might have had an option/development etc.

During the reading process for Open Call, we will only consider the script and nothing else.

As part of the application, we do ask for a paragraph on your Writing History. However, you do not need to have any credits, awards or professionally produced work. We just want to understand your passion for writing and a little bit of the journey you have been on up to this point.

If your script is shortlisted and you are invited to an interview, the answers to the application questions can help us to decide whether you would be more suited in the Drama Room development group or the Voices if successful.

You understandably don't accept poetry, but would stage drama with verse elements / verse drama be looked upon less favourably than a screenplay?

No. Many of the successful writers who have made it through Open Call have entered scripts for the stage. If the use of verse within the script is essential to your unique voice and characters then it will not be looked on less favourably.

In the later stages of the process, when we look at the answers to the application questions, we do like to see that writers also demonstrate a passion for TV and desire to write for the screen.

You can find these questions in advance of submitting on this downloadable E-Submissions Application Preview .

I'm a children's book author - would I be allowed to submit a script based on one of my (published) books?

Yes. As long as the script is entirely the original work of the entrant then it is eligible for Open Call. The 主播大秀 Writersroom does not commission or produce television projects so the fact that the source material has been published is not an issue.

Is there a limit on how many scripts make it through the initial reading stage before progressing to the next round, or is it simply that the best ones will progress, regardless of how many of these there are?

The best ones will progress, regardless. This is one of the reasons why the processing and reading can take a number of months.

Just wondering where you would like us to write the logline - should this be on a separate page before the beginning of the script?

When you , there will be a designated box for you to type your logline into.

A logline is a one (sometimes two) sentence summary of your script or TV series. It captures all the key ingredients of your concept: Protagonist, Inciting Incident, Antagonist, World, Stakes.

For further advice, read this blog post on Writing Loglines

Does one need to form a production company to begin a formal dialogue with the Beeb? I have ideas beyond the screenplays I have already created, but I never know what avenue will get them brought to life.

The 主播大秀 Writersroom does not commission or produce television projects and the scripts sent to Open Call will not be made.

If you are interested in submitting a scripted television idea to the 主播大秀 for further development, then you need first to have a production company attached who will send the project directly to the 主播大秀 Drama Commissioning team for consideration.

Further details can be found on the 主播大秀 Commissioning website.

Is there a particular script format that is preferred?

The formatting of your script can be dependent on whichever Medium you are writing for (TV, Film, Theatre, Online or Radio).  We have some useful examples in our Medium and Format section of the website. In addition to this we have an extensive Script Library where you can read the scripts for 主播大秀 shows for TV, Film and Radio.

As long as your script is clearly formatted and legible, we will not penalise if they don’t adhere to industry standard formats.

If I submit the pilot and have a rough idea of the way I want the series to go, do I need to have every episode planned out for the 主播大秀 Writersroom's Open Call?

No, you should focus on the one script. We will only accept and read one script from each writer for Open Call and we will not consider any additional materials such as Treatments or Series Outlines.

Whatever you submit, treat it as calling card that showcases your talent, your ability and your voice and we want to see that you have put the work and planning into it.  We look for unique stories and enjoy it when the writer guides us through the world and characters they have created with confidence and authenticity.

May be a silly question, I'm very new to this. Do you have any guidance on how to turn a story into screenplay/script? I have a story, however I have limited experience in how to turn that into a script format for submission.

Our website has a number of valuable resources for writers at any stage of their scriptwriting careers. We have a Script Library of over 1,000 主播大秀 shows from Film, Radio and TV.  Reading scripts is a valuable exercise for any writer. As you read, ask yourself: what works? What doesn't? Where do the key points of action come in?

You may be interested in our series of videos, Scriptwriting Essentials which advise on the key ingredients to write a successful script.

Visit our Resources page for more help and advice.

What age range of writers do you take?

The 主播大秀 Writersroom will work with any writer over the age of 18 as long as they are a resident of the UK and Republic of Ireland (including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man).

It says on the website that you don't want first drafts. I have sought feedback from various people and am adjusting my script accordingly. Is there a level of feedback I should have attained before I send it in? I've done several versions already.

This is hard to say and really, as the writer, it’s up to you as to when you think your work is ready to be sent out. It’s very common that you’ll never be completely happy with it, but if you've sent it out to people who you respect and got their feedback and then it sounds like you have made it the best it can be at this point.

If you get 5000 submissions, how many get through to stage 2?

On average, between 500-600 scripts will progress to Stage 2 - 30 Page Sift.

The main factors that push scripts through to the second stage of our Open Call are:

• Originality of voice – the writer’s voice clearly shines through
• Originality of idea – unique stories that explore new territory, concepts, worlds, experiences, characters etc
• Storytelling ability – how you hook your reader/viewer/listener with the world and characters you have created

A good portion of the 5,000 scripts are ineligible as they don’t adhere to the Open Call Terms and Conditions. Make sure you have read them before applying.

Many answers can be found on our website if they are not included above. If you still have questions about our Open Call opportunity, you can join one of our online drop-in sessions for Help and Advice.

Visit this page for drop-in times and registration details.

Once each drop-in has reached capacity, no further registrations will be accepted. You can also email your questions to the 主播大秀 Writersroom team on writersroom@bbc.co.uk

To submit your script, visit our Open Call Submission page