Comedy: Fancy Writing for Newsjack and getting paid?

BBC Radio 4 Extra’s topical sketch show Newsjack returns for its 16th series with brand new host Angela Barnes (BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz and You Can’t Take It With You).

Irreverent and satirical, Newsjack is the scrapbook sketch show written entirely by the Great British public, and then brought to life by a revolving cast of sketch performers.

The programme continues to be a showcase for new comedy writing: anyone can submit material (sketches and one-line jokes) – these can be submitted every week of the six week run.

Everything you need to know before submitting a sketch:

1. Download the template(s) Below

2. Write your name and email address in the header

3. Write in your sketches or one-liners

4. Attach your sketches or one-liners in an email and send to:

newsjacksubmissions@bbc.co.uk

N.B. you will NOT receive an auto-response confirmation from newsjacksubmissions@bbc.co.uk. However, if you do not get an “undelivered message” back, then they have received it.

Templates:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news-quiz/ONELINERS_RENAME_THIS_FILE_WITH_YOUR_NAME.rtf

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news-quiz/SKETCHES_RENAME_THIS_FILE_WITH_YOUR_NAME_AND_SKETCH_TITLE.rtf

(These are .rtf files – compatible with both MAC and PC, if you’re having trouble opening it, try opening in another programme)

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/transcripts/eg_sarah_campbell_dyson_silent_hairdryer.pdf

(This is an e.g of what a formatted sketch looks like – Arial 12pt, double line spacing, indentation hanging by 4cm. If you are having real problems with the template above please just get your sketch looking as close to this as possible)

Deadlines:

Sketches: Noon Monday 5 September.

One-Liners: Noon Tuesday 6 September.

Then at the same times each week, for 5 weeks.

Submissions after these times will NOT be read.

Sketch Guidelines:

Please write an introduction for each sketch, clearly outlining the news story it’s from and setting up the sketch for clarity.

Each episode will have the following sections. The show will contain a maximum of 3 sketches in each section.

Arts & Entertainment

Business & Economy

Politics

Science & Technology

Sport

World News

Please think outside the box – delve deep for stories you find fun/interesting.

Sketch Limit per Episode: 2 Sketches per person.

30 Second Advert Guidelines:

This is a 30 second advert satirising something from the news that week – i.e. The Oscars, a political ad, infomercial, etc. Although they are not asking for charity appeals this time. (“They’ve had too many. Their sympathy has dwindled”.)

30 Second Advert Limit per Episode: 1 per person. 130 words maximum.

One-liner Guidelines:

Each episode will contain one-liners in the following forms ONLY:

Breaking News.

A One-liner ideally linked to a current news story.

e.g: Obama gives interview to Buzzfeed. What happened next will warm your heart.

Goodbye TV Listings, hello ‘Viewsjack’.

That’s right, the one liners have evolved once again. Newsjack will head to the street to get various views on pressing issues.

Viewsjacks are vox pops in format – An opportunity for a quick, characterful one-liner from a member of the public.

e.g:

Man: ‘I’m voting for the Green Party because of their policy to introduce less severe sentences to prevent overcrowding prisons. Now give me your wallet.’

Woman: ‘If Kanye doesn’t like Beck, why can’t he just drink champagne like all the other pop stars?’

One-liner Limit per Episode: 6 One-Liners per person. (3 Breaking news, 3 Viewsjack.)

Fees:

There is a flat fee for all non-commissioned material (regardless of the writer’s previous experience):

£42/minute for sketches (£21/30 seconds for sketches).

£21 for quickies and one liners.

This fee will be for taking all rights in the work on a non-exclusive basis.

 

By Tanya Raybould

Editor

@tanyalouiseray