About 25 WFTV members attended the croissants and coffee breakfast meeting with Lucy Lumsden, on a glorious sunny morning at the WFTV offices.

[Lucy Lumsden and event host, Jan Etherington]

Responsible for commissioning over all four BBC channels, Lucy has a huge job.  She reports to Controller of Fiction - Jane Tranter (Drama) and also ‘works very closely’ with the ‘in house’ comedy team and Mark Freeland, head of comedy. There are lots of names and titles and it all sounds fairly confusing to those looking for a way to approach the comedy department. Is there any simple way of describing the job delineations, and, fundamentally, who do we go to?

The best approach is through a producer/director whose work you enjoy, an independent company (the ‘favoured independents’ who supply the most comedy to BBC are Baby Cow, Hartswood, Tiger Aspect, Talkback Thames, Objective, Avalon, DLT) or direct to the BBC comedy department. It is rare to commission a series straight off. Usually, a pilot is made and sometimes a star name can help get a show commissioned on some channels.  The BBC's commissioning website can offer you more information.

[Lucy answers WFTV members' questions]

Lucy believes the BBC ‘needs to grab’ the one hour comedy drama genre. Our Mutual Friends starring Marc Warren has been made this year and a new series of pilots will probably be planned for the near future. She is particularly keen on the funny, perhaps slightly quirky (Pushing Daisies) kind of series that takes viewers to a ‘joyous place’ and lifts their spirits. She also has a strong and passionate commitment to studio audience sitcom but only a tiny percentage of scripts received are written to play in front of an audience and she would like to see more.

According to Lucy, what makes comedies such as Gavin & Stacey and Only Fools and Horses so successful is often a strong, almost autobiographical, authorial voice speaking in a world the author knows, which is drawn with love and affection.  Although they are developing some series with round table writing, in the American style, she thinks this can muffle that distinct authorial voice.

As many shows started on Radios 2 & 4, Lucy is passionate about radio’s contribution to television comedy. Also, she believes that because radio shows are cheaper to make, commissioners are more willing to take a chance and it’s a great place for writers to learn the comedy craft. She meets with radio comedy heads every week or so and there is huge cross-fertilisation between radio and TV. Along with radio, BBC Comedy is planning to use the internet and the website to launch ideas and more experimental comedy.

Although there are now far more outlets for comedy scripts across the BBC channels, the percentage of good scripts received by the department has not changed. There is still a huge need for good comedy writing with a strong authorial voice and Lucy Lumsden will welcome WFTV members’ ideas.

by Jan Etherington

[Members enjoy coffee and croissants at the WFTV offices]

Got an amazing script to pitch?  Where should you take it?