British Comedy Guide

3 days ago | comedy.co.uk | Tim Dawson

On Saturday, Micheál Jacob and I ran a writers' room experience for new writers in Manchester. It was a fun morning - and we hope the charming group of writers who came along enjoyed it. Thanks to Comedy Lab's Tom Short for organising it. One of the issues we discussed was story generation. Devising viable stories seems to be one of the major problems new(er) writers face. I'm not entirely sure why this is.

4 days ago | comedy.co.uk | Si Hawkins

One random comedian, eight random questions; it's the ultimate test of funny person and fate. This week that person is Christopher Beanland, a busy travel writer and author who decided to swap sitting at laptops for doing stand-up and exploring leafy urban spaces. The latter became the podcast Park Date, which recently celebrated 50 episodes of Chris strolling al fresco with comedy people. What are his favourite park/person moments, so far?

5 days ago | comedy.co.uk | Tim Dawson

When developing your sitcom idea, it's tempting to dream big. Exotic locations, massive casts, elaborate set-pieces - all very exciting on paper. But here's the reality: television is a business. And businesses need practical, sustainable ideas. Your brilliant concept about time-travelling pirates might be creatively ambitious, but it's probably not getting commissioned. The most successful British sitcoms are usually very contained. The Royle Family rarely leaves the living room.

6 days ago | comedy.co.uk | Tim Dawson

A member asks: When coming up with a new idea for a sitcom, where should I start? Should I start with the characters or the situation? Thank you for your question. This is one of the most fundamental questions in sitcom development - for writers, at least! The honest... Confirm your subscription and start enjoying the benefits of Pro right away. Got a question for the doctor? Email [email protected]

1 week ago | comedy.co.uk | Si Hawkins

It's a very sensible place for a fringe festival, the seaside. Say you do a work-in-progress that goes weirdly; just walk down to the beach, take a good long look at the view and, hey presto, instant perspective. And things definitely do go weirdly during our few days of show-going. In a good way, mostly. To begin, though, a fine example of successful showmaking, with The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show.