CBBC and BBC Writersroom seeking new sketch writers

CBBC and BBC Writersroom are joining forces in a talent search to find new sketch writers.

If you can write funny for young fans of comedy, tap in to the unique world of Class Dismissed and capture the tone of the show (see clip), then we want to hear from you.

This is a unique and fun opportunity to get your writing noticed.  But it’s a tight deadline, we’re asking you to write and submit your sketches within one week!

Write it, send it in and your sketch could land on the desk of the Class Dismissed Creative team. There is no guarantee of selection but, if chosen, your sketch may even feature in future episodes of CBBC’s sketch show Class Dismissed.

What to submit:  The challenge is to write a comedy sketch for any one of the following characters:  Mr Hart, Mr Christopher, Mr Jones, Miss Dior-Durant, Mrs Tucker and Miss Ready. Be sure to target your sketch at the CBBC audience aged 6-12 years.

You will need to send us up to three sketches in total (so three sketches for one character or one sketch each for three characters) that are each between 1-3 minutes long. The work you submit must not have been previously commissioned, optioned or produced on any platform including tv, online or radio.

Judges: Claire McCarthy (Producer, Class Dismissed), Andy Potter (Writer, Class Dismissed) and Joanna Blake (Development Producer, BBC Writersroom).

Schedule:

• LAUNCH: 13th May 2015 (Salford)
• OPENING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS:   Thursday 14th May 2015 from 10am
• CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Thursday 21st May 2015 at 5pm
• SHORTLIST MEETING: Salford – Friday 5th June 2015
• FINALISTS NOTIFIED:  19th June 2015

How to apply:  Please submit your sketch via their online submission system. Please note that all sketches must be submitted in PDF format. You can submit up to three sketches but please combine these into a single PDF file.

About the show:

CLASS DISMISSED
12 x 15’ sketch comedy

Welcome to the world of Dockbridge High, an ordinary school full of extraordinary characters and the subject of sketch-show-cum-mockumentary Class Dismissed.

A brand new commission for CBBC, Class Dismissed will be shot to look like a fixed rig observational documentary (Educating Essex/24 Hours in A&E) but will be jam-packed with laugh-out-loud, larger-than-life sketch characters of the Little Britain mould.

MALE CHARACTERS

MR HART – SCHOOL NURSE:  Mr Hart is the school nurse but would love to be an ER surgeon. He treats every day minor incidents as if they are full-blown emergencies, any chance to show off his medical know-how. He loves medical language and hospital-drama clichés lifted from his favourite shows: House, ER, Casualty, Holby City etc. He overreacts to everything, a paper-cut would be a reason for surgery. Has an American accent. 

MR CHRISTOPHER – MUSIC AND DANCE:  Music and Dance teacher Mr Christopher has always dreamt of being famous and sees the documentary as the perfect opportunity to be discovered. He’s the only teacher that regularly clocks the cameras and plays up to the ‘audience at home’. His teaching job is a just stopgap until he gets discovered. Very much of the X-Factor/Britain’s Got Talent generation, he’s not fussed about which of his many skills he’s discovered for. He has a strong YouTube presence (another way to showcase his talents). Plays many instruments, sings, dances, does acrobatics etc, but to a basic rather than advanced level. Jack of all trades, master of none. Massive show-off.

NB: they already have a script pastiching an X-Factor audition so please avoid this.

MR JONES – BUSINESS STUDIES/IT:  Mr Jones uses his lessons to run his business empire, using the kids in his class as his workforce. Alan Sugar is a good benchmark for what the CBBC audience think a businessman is like: sharp suit, no nonsense, all about making money. The exact details of the business and product can change in each sketch: the lesson might take the shape of a call centre, a business meeting, a motivational talk or a lesson in sales. Business speak/references welcome, but do bear in mind what a 6-12 year old audience knows about businessmen and how businesses work.

FEMALE CHARACTERS

MISS DIOR-DURANT TEXTILES:  The Anna Wintour of Dockbridge High, Miss Dior-Durant is from an unidentifiable Nordic country, with an accent to match. She lives for high-end fashion and is brutal with her feedback. Her slightly odd English can lead to an unusual turn of phrase (“I hate it your trouser!”) and odd similes/metaphors. Most at home on the front row in Milan, Miss DD has a blunt asymmetric haircut and dark sunglasses, which when removed reveal a startling pair of eyebrows, one of which is drawn much higher than the other. She is a character of unpredictable highs and lows, her mood as changeable as next season’s fashion.

NB: they already have a sketch where she critiques the pupils’ uniforms on a catwalk. What else can happen?

MRS TUCKER – DINNER LADY:  Think Big Mo from Eastenders, Mrs Tucker is a cockney wheeler-dealer who can get you anything you want (mostly lunch related). She does a fine line as the go-between in trades – if you want to swap your satsuma for a chocolate bar she’s your woman. Also plies the latest food fads (acai berries anyone?) up-selling their deliciousness. Wears a tabard full of goodies that fell off the back of a lorry. Appears out of nowhere.

NB: areas to be careful of – she must swap items rather than steal them – no theft please! Please steer clear of issue around weight and eating disorders. If she’s selling spirulina it’s for its supposed deliciousness or celeb status, not its weight-loss benefits.

 

MISS READY – PE TEACHER 

A former pupil who won every award going during her school days, Miss Ready is highly competitive and can’t bear to lose. She is an advocate of “learning through watching”. Keen to preserve her titles at any cost, she spends a lot of time polishing her trophies in the school trophy cabinet and making sure no-one beats her records. Gym ready at all times, her tracksuit can rip off to reveal appropriate kit for any activity. She wears a sports utility belt containing darts, various balls, chalk, a baseball mitt, rhythmic gymnastic ribbons etc. Not a team player. Tough. Not afraid to get physical.

Before submitting your sketch please read the full terms and conditions

Deadline: 21 May 2015

Source:  BBC Writersroom