As you can see the STW2 site is in Hibernation at the moment since we are keeping our fingers crossed in the hope of another series. Don't forget to register on our writers list so that we can let you know what's going on... when something does!
Meanwhile I thought I'd pop a few platitudes down just because I can. Firstly... Happy New Year and Best Wishes. Secondly... sorry you didn't all get onto the show.
As we opened each envelope, we thought maybe this is the one! A brand new version of the Dead Parrot or Four Candles! One simple set, two simple people and 1 minute thirty seconds of funny writing. Sometimes we got it! Great, thanks! Sometimes we didn't but we still had to make 14 half hour episodes... so sometimes we just went for the easy one liners. So here's a check list of the things that might appeal to us for next series...
1) Simple is good!
2) We love the sketch to end with a punch line...
3) But why can't there be three other funny thoughts on the way to it? (in fact we don't really need a punch line if we have a complete story with laughs on the way)
4) 'Characters' write themselves if they are clearly defined in the writing... not the stage directions. It's is what they say and do that we need to be funny. The best sketches are those where the actor, or both actors, or all actors, pick up a five line sketch and instantly understand the universe in which they live and who they are.
5) We don't want to squash your ambitions... we will hire six military uniforms if they are essential to the sketch, but we won't want to do it for a one line gag, which we have all read in the joke books. We would like to avoid old jokes but they are only old if everyone has heard them (we have) but sometimes even they can be assured of getting a laugh so we'll use them (to make the time up) We don't much like 'pull back to reveal sign saying.....' we admit we sometimes do them, but it always makes us feel bad.
6) We are prepared to shoot in difficult places but only if our actors can add value to what's been put on the page.
7) We don't always get it right. Anyone can cock up the perfect recipe... and that's all a script is... everything else is up for grabs.
8) We want the show and your contribution to it to be the best that we can make it. Sorry if it doesn't always seem that way.
9) We nearly always find that the best sketches are the ones most clearly laid out and spaced on the page. Your sketch is in competition with thousands of others and they need to be read, understood, and appreciated instantly.
We hope to be writing to you soon, if you are on our list, to submit some new material.
