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Paul Ashton

Listed below are comments made by Paul Ashton between Thursday, 23rd July 2009 and Friday, 4th December 2009.

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UNSOLICITED SCRIPTS: AN UPDATE 07:51am on 04 Dec 2009 Rachel Marsh (and Inkstain) - no, it's really nothing to do with immigration rules, just one of our priorities - and one of the BBC public purposes - to represent the different nations, regions and communities of the UK. Which is why we've been focusing a lot on Scotland, Northern Ireland, the UK regions, and are about to run a project in Wales. Other parts of the BBC, like BBC Global News, World Service and Worldwide, do have a priority of bringing the UK to the rest of the world and the rest of the world to the UK - but that's not amongst our priorities or purposes as a department. It never has been, in fact - accepting scripts from overseas has always been an extension beyond our remit, but it's one that's justified itself less and less over time. So the decision is a natural one that has come about over time, not a reaction to any hidden agenda. I know people like to find a sinister reason for change, but in this case it's pretty simple.

Btw - blog silences simply mean we're extremely busy doing other things...!
UNSOLICITED SCRIPTS: AN UPDATE 8:13pm on 25 Nov 2009 Paul Blakenfield -
• Charge a coverage fee - we are not allowed to do this
• Charge an additional coverage fee for overseas scripts only - ditto
• Demand loglines and reject scripts based on unsuitable concepts - we don't judge on concepts, we assess the ability to write
• Demand query letters - processing this would be extremely time-consuming
• Don't read the first ten pages, but the first five or even one - fewer than ten pages is just not necessarily enough

Inkstain -

Your script number assumptions are inaccurate I'm afraid, the approximately 10,000 includes all of the other competitions and initiatives separate from the unsolicited system, all of which are for UK and Eire writers only (which this year will include CBBC, Scotland Writes, Writers Academy, Tony Doyle, Northern Laughs, Northern Voices and more)

"low-paid, intern-level readers" - again, a mistaken assumption. We only ever use experienced professionals, we never use interns or work-experience readers. Ever.

The success stories are a snapshot. Writers go on to be produced across the full range of BBC networks and programming. Hundreds of writers.

Neither our work nor that of the Writers Academy is designed solely for young/green writers. There are no ages next to the names on the success stories from which to make that assumption. In the 2008 Academy, for example, the majority were writers in their 30s and beyond.

"The Writersroom workload didn't match its success rate, so their budget was cut." Sorry, but this is entirely mistaken.

I_amMrP -

I think it's in Norfolk, isn't it? Nice place, but a long, long way away...
UNSOLICITED SCRIPTS: AN UPDATE 08:03am on 23 Nov 2009 Inkstain - in my earlier blog I said:

"The very large proportion of scripts we receive are from the UK and Eire - we receive fewer scripts from overseas than perhaps you might think."

The point is that we aren't suddenly closing our doors to most scripts, only a smaller proportion. This doesn't mean we get few scripts from overseas, just fewer - we receive a huge number of scripts, the very large proportion of which are from the UK and Eire. It's still a considerable amount of time and money spent on processing overseas scripts, not an inconsiderable one. Believe me, there will be a noticable difference for the person opening post, the person logging scripts and sending out acknowledgment cards, the readers sifting scripts, the readers giving scripts full reads and feedback, and the people sending out reply letters.

Yes, there have been lots of interesting suggestions - but none that would really resolve it from our point of view. We do regularly assess what we do and how we do it, and this is the outcome of just such assessment.

"I note your implication that these were established writers paving a return mid-career, not breaking into the business." Sorry, but this is your inference rather than my implication.

There's no hidden cultural agenda. When they are sifting scripts, the readers don't concern themselves with where the writer comes from, they focus on the quality of the script. When a script gets a full read, we talk about it during a script meeting, at which point we decide the next step. Only a very small proportion are given to me. But if a reader believes a scripts is great, they will give it to me, full stop. In both instances I mentioned, the writer did not state in their cover letter that they were relocating, this was information I gleaned after being in touch with them.

It's easy to infer agendas. But there are no veils, no clothing of one thing as another - and we are certainly not being "disingenuous". I have pointed to the various reasons that have gone into our thinking - the ultimate one being that the subsequent output from writers coming to us from overseas does not justify the expense on accepting scripts from overseas. I think that is pretty clear and forthright. Again, we appreciate how strongly some people will feel about this - but that is the bottom line.
UNSOLICITED SCRIPTS: AN UPDATE 2:05pm on 22 Nov 2009 To clarify: Writersroom will not accept unsolicited scripts from overseas. Solicited writers, writers with agents or writers with a track record are able to contact other departments within the BBC direct - it is up to that department whether or not they accept such work from overseas. Our Terms and Conditions only apply to unsolicited scripts.

BBC radio drama is not wholly London-centric. There is a department in Belfast for those writers in Ireland. There are also departments in Scotland, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff. So it really isn't about proximity to London.

(Anthony Minghella was a sought after professional director, not an aspiring unsolicited writer, by the way. This really is confusing the issue.)

There are no hidden discussions or agendas - just priorities. Running the system we run is time-consuming, hard work, expensive and at all times must justify itself amidst and against all the other worthy services competing for money at the BBC. Accepting scripts from overseas simply has not justified itself, and I guess in that sense I'm afraid the argument has already been lost.
UNSOLICITED SCRIPTS: AN UPDATE 08:19am on 21 Nov 2009 JonJamesMills - yes indeed, it's easy to lose sight of this, and I do believe that by hook or by crook brilliant writers will be found out or make themselves known.

Fearless - it's clear how impassioned you are about this and I know this change will frustrate some people.

Yes, TV and Radio are very different, as you indicate. But in my experience at the BBC, producers across all mediums and formats are looking for people to work with rather than just scripts to make. This is the feedback and sentiment I receive across the board. It's very much our job to respond to what commissioners and producers want and need.

The World Service is a real opportunity for radio writers - just yesterday I was told about the forthcoming two productions that came out of the last competition which TX tonight and tomorrow: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/arts/2009/03/000000_world_drama.shtml
In your case, I'd perhaps argue that a commendation from them makes you not quite unsolicited. I am in regular contact with World Service. If a writer felt that their position is something other than simply unsolicited, then they are welcome to email us and make an individual case about their situation and work.

This isn't about diversity. There is a wealth of diverse voices in this country that we work very hard to bring to the BBC. Diversity isn't just about where people live or where they come from.

We have been considering this change for some time. Many procucers are genuinely surprised when they realise we have been accepting scripts from overseas because, as I say, they are unsure what they would do with such a writer recommended on to them. When a producer reads work that excites them, their first instinct is to want to meet and get to know the writer. Ideas tend not to come out of the ether unsolicited - they tend to come out of that special moment of connection and then the ongoing conversation between writer and producer. Of the overseas scripts we receive, a large part come from the USA, and a large part of those are Hollywood-esque movie scripts that we can probably do very little with even if they were brilliant. It is very very rare for a reader to recommend on to me a script from overseas. In the two instances I can recall, they were both British writers living overseas who were planning to return, and as such wanted to make contact.

Yes, cost is an issue in the sense that in these difficult times it makes no sense to spend in an area of next to no return. The money and time we spend processing overseas scripts could be used to support the writers we find here that we very definitely want to work with.
UNSOLICITED SCRIPTS: AN UPDATE 1:21pm on 20 Nov 2009 Please make sure you read the whole of the Terms & Conditions for full details rather than just the blog.
Overseas scripts - the reasoning is that we are looking primarily for writers to work with (rather than just scripts to produce). Obviously, it's extremely difficult to work with writers who are based permanently overseas. However, if a British writer is based overseas temporarily, then there is the prospect that they will return and such a relationship might be developed. Therefore we ask all such writers to email us before sending a script to clarify. Obviously, anyone who resides in or relocates to the UK - regardless of where they originate from - is eligible to send us scripts. The very large proportion of scripts we receive are from the UK and Eire - we receive fewer scripts from overseas than perhaps you might think. There is, remember, the World Service International Playwrighting Competition for radio writers overseas. I understand the frustrations but this isn't a question of diversity or being a closed-shop - it's a question of priorities and practicalities.
I do think some of you are missing the point with some of your comments. We are talking about unsolicited scripts and writers, not established ones. My job is to find writers with whom producers can develop a relationship, and doing so is hard enough anyway, never mind trying to do so across a continent. It's not just a question of script notes by email or conversations by phone - it's about getting to know writers, spending time with them, working with them face to face.

Paul M Slattery - we don't accept Doctor Who episodes. Nor do we accept Doctors or Eastenders episodes. But if a writer sending an original script would like to be considered for these two shows in particular, then they should specify that and we will make a note of it. we accept all kinds and genres of TV drama/comedy - but they must be original.
Northern Voices 2:57pm on 24 Aug 2009 blabberblogger - Writersroom North is as such because we have a Project Manager based in Manchester who works across the north, from Merseyside to East Yorkshire, Northumberland and Cumbria. This came about a number of years ago due to the, at the time, very London-centric nature of commissioning and development, and because the north is a very long way for us to travel on a regular basis to run projects. It is also because there was a real desire in theatres and elsewhere across the north to push new-writing. Plus now there will be a large BBC production shift to Manchester.

Northern Voices has come out of a strong, proactive desire in those Screen Agencies to run this kind of project. This doesn't mean we don't run projects in other regions, whether with Screen Agencies, theatres or otherwise. We helped run the Tony Doyle Award and have run various projects/schemes with BBC Northern Ireland over the last year or so. We are involved with the Scotland Writes opportunity in Scotland at the moment. Piers has mentioned some other opportunities. We run targeted opportunities in the regions all the time - but these are not advertised because they are not open-submission calls.

We're a very small team and we do what we can, where we can, and when there's a will and a way to do so with partners and BBC production bases around the UK.
CBBC Competition 10:38am on 27 Jul 2009 justinbeeb - we did indeed email all the second- and third-read writers to let them know they had got through to that stage

blogginsoul - if you want to check whether we received your script, you can email us to ask at writersroom@bbc.co.uk

you can't send unsolicited scripts to CBBC as such - if you don't have experience or an agent, then it would need to come to writersroom. if you do have experience/representation then you can approach them, and possibly submit ideas in their e-commissioning system.
CBBC Competition 12:46pm on 23 Jul 2009 Some numbers for you:

708 scripts submitted

125 got through to second read stage

35 got through to the third read stage

19 got through to the masterclass
CBBC Competition 06:52am on 23 Jul 2009 i_amMisterP - we had some sitcoms, a fair few comedy-dramas, and a lot of scripts that brought humour to the story and world. Certainly some comedy-dramas and humour-laced dramas made it through.

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Paul Ashton