Can you write? Do you think you know what makes people laugh? Have you ever tried banging out a sitcom script? If the answer to these questions is yes, yes, and yes, you might want to read on. Fox TV is teaming with the New York Television Festival (NYTVF) in creating a Comedy Script Contest. Wannabe writers are invited -- hell, encouraged! -- to enter an original comedy pilot for a potential Fox sitcom series. The winner (or winning team if you collaborate with someone) will be awarded $25,000 and a development deal with Fox to turn the pilot into real, honest-to-God TV show.Considering the pitiful pros passing as live action comedy on Fox these days -- Til Death, Back to You, Unhitched -- you might think this contest was an act of desperation. It's not.
At least that's what Kevin Reilly, Fox prez is saying. "This contest will...give us an opportunity to discover fresh new writing talent and invigorate the network's comedy development process by reaching out to a wider artistic community."
The rules are pretty straight forward. Submissions have to be in by June 13, 2008, or when 1,500 submissions are received, whichever comes first. So, if you're interested, put on a hat like Frank on 30 Rock, channel your inner Rob Petrie (and if you don't know who that is, you haven't been reading TV Squad enough), and start scribbling. Remember, this is a 30-minute script. Don't write an epic; just 25-30 pages of funny stuff.
By the way, if this seems like a familiar idea, it is. Bravo tried something similar in 2005, a reality series about trying to write and produce a sitcom, called Situation: Comedy, with Sean Hayes as the host.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-01-2008 @ 6:33PM
What the Frack?! said...
And it will be good and get canceled around the time the pilot airs. Or is supposed to air.
Reply
5-01-2008 @ 6:52PM
MCW said...
Darn you, that's what I was gonna say :(
5-01-2008 @ 6:43PM
Captain Obvious said...
Okay 'squadders. Let's all band together and just send them the scripts from Arrested Development.
Reply
5-01-2008 @ 7:02PM
justelise said...
Fox is pathetic. They don't know how to schedule or support new shows. Why would we want to invest our time into something that will inevitably get canceled.
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5-05-2008 @ 4:30PM
kevjohn said...
money.
5-01-2008 @ 7:47PM
eugene said...
you guys just don't get it. The brilliant suits at Fox saw how well reality/elimination shows are doing so they decided to model their entire network around the premise.
This week's challenge: all shows get new time slots, who will make it and who will give a teary farewell? Will last season's favorites Bones and House be able to stay on top or will viewers be confused by the seemingly random night change? Stay tuned as next week Fox introduces their toughest challenge yet, AI randomly goes on for an extra hour, oh no! Can Chef Ramsey handle the heat or will he have to get out of the kitchen? Find out on, Survivor network!
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5-01-2008 @ 9:11PM
kim said...
JUST PUT ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT BACK ON THE AIR
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5-02-2008 @ 8:32AM
bd said...
The word is "prose", you professional writer you.
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5-03-2008 @ 8:18AM
terp022 said...
Well the good thing would be you would only have to write 5 episodes before they cancel ya. Unless of course you write one for a cartoon. How can they have the nerve to even ask after cancelling arrested developement, andy richter controls the universe, grounded for life and the loop.
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