BBC One reaches the broadest audience of all our channels and this is where we want to promote the biggest, brightest and best talent available. Over the next year, we are making the development of new and top drawer scripted Comedy for BBC1 a high priority. We are renewing the search for fresh and funny series for what has always been the natural home of popular mainstream Comedy on British television.
Our goal is to partner with the very best writers and producers to bring mainstream audiences the faces they know in comedy shows they will love. While we are aware that success is never guaranteed, we intend to give narrative comedy the best possible chance of becoming a hit by channelling more development funds and commissioning rigour into the process.
We are still looking to further reflect the diversity of our audience and to celebrate the country's ethnic mix
Budget Information
- Funding levels range across all three comedy tariffs and we have opportunities within in-house and Indie guarantees and the WoCC. While promoting the domestic market is our priority we are also interested in ambitious comedy which has international appeal that could be developed as a co-production.
What we're looking for
We want to see many more ideas for BBC1, and we want those ideas brimming with confidence and underpinned with a real understanding of the BBC1 audience. We are not stipulating pre- or post-watershed, Friday night or after the Ten O'Clock News - we will find a place for the best shows. We are primarily interested in sitcom, but would like to encourage sketch and particularly hybrid comedy/entertainment formats which can deliver high quality with a lower price tag.
While taking as read that we're looking for warm, funny, real-world ideas, we'll also be measuring ideas and scripts against these benchmarks:
- Does the project stretch boundaries - will it modernise comedy on the BBC?
- Could this show appear on any other channel?
- Will the project attract the biggest names or showcase key talent on BBC1 or work to a succession planning agenda?
- Is the project ambitious and big enough for the channel to build a marketing campaign around it?
- Will it bring a new audience to the channel whilst satisfying its core viewers?
- Can a series deliver at the price we want to pay?
BBC One - Pre & Post-watershed Comedy Pilots
Shape
1 × 30' returnable
Requirement
We are commissioning a number of pilots in 10/11 to meet the challenge of delivering comedy to the broadest possible audience. We are keen to encourage a wider range of shows - from audience sitcoms, to single camera comedy, as well as personality-led broken comedy formats. We need shows written by our most talented writers and featuring the faces of our best loved performers to be enjoyed by the widest possible audience.
We're also keen to grow and develop production outside of London, especially in Glasgow and the North of England so will be holding funding for two pilots out of Glasgow with the aim of promoting studio skills in Pacific Key.
Please read this Comedy Pilot Strategy [PDF, 43KB] for more information.
Budget
£170k to £270k per 30 minute pilot
BBC One - Pre & Post-watershed Comedy
Shape
6 × 30 minutes returnable
Requirement
Two of our most popular but very different shows - Outnumbered and Gavin and Stacey - demonstrate the range of comedy we would like to continue to deliver on BBC ONE post-watershed. We are looking for audience sitcoms and single camera comedies and are open to a variety of settings that will appeal to as wide a range of our audience as possible. We welcome ideas that can be delivered to the audience in a modern and refreshing way. More opportunities are available for projects funded within the Comedy 2 tariff.
BBC One - Sketch Shows/Scripted Ents.
Shape
30' returnable pre- and post-watershed.
Requirement
Sketch shows remain a vital part of BBC ONE's comedy slate and we're keen to bring the next generation of sketch performers to the channel to sit alongside Armstrong and Miller. We're also keen to keep entertainment values at the heart of the sketch show - for example, by mixing sketches with stand-up.
BBC One - Comedy Dramas
Shape
60' returnable series
Requirement
Comedy is working closely with Drama to develop original and returnable series. We're predominantly looking for 60' ideas that deliver a confident comic twist on familiar drama territory and have humour as their driving sensibility. The occasional long form one-off will be considered if there's strong comedy talent at the heart of it.
Budget
£550k to £600k per hour
 Download the full list of BBC ONE requirements [PDF, 27 Kb]
Comedy on BBC TWO
BBC TWO is looking for a combination of bold, channel-defining shows featuring established performers as well more cultish and uniquely authored pieces - both of which have established the channel as a destination for smart and popular comedy.
We want our comedy to be laugh out loud - we're not looking for gentle laughs on BBC Two. Ideally narrative comedy should be confident and colourful at the same time as demonstrating a distinct point of view. We welcome sitcoms and sketch ideas that have the potential to appeal to a large audience and which promote a diverse line-up of performers on the cusp of mainstream recognition.
Diversity continues to play an important part in BBC Two comedy and our desire to have more female writers and performers on the Channel remains as strong as ever. We are also keen to unearth more returning series from the Nations and Regions.
The Audience
Comedy on BBC Two plays a vital role in rejuvenating our audience profile - in particular the demanding twenty- and thirty-something audience. While our priority is our domestic audience we would like to find ambitious clever comedy that will appeal beyond the domestic market which could be developed as a co-production.
Budget Information
- Funding levels range across all three tariffs. There are opportunities within the in-house, indie guarantees and the WoCC.
BBC TWO - Audience Sitcom
Shape
6 × 30 minutes to play pre- or post-watershed.
Requirement
BBC Two is looking for big, iconic and engaging characters, bold ideas, different world views and perspectives, smart and laugh-out audience sitcoms. Originality and authorship will be key to any successful commission. Whilst not being slavishly mainstream the ideas must be popular and capable of delivering audiences. Female-led comedy remains an important part of the mix and we would also like to encourage Entertainment/Comedy hybrids with an attractive price tag.
BBC TWO - Single Camera Comedy
Shape
6 × 30 minutes to play pre- or post-watershed.
Requirement
We expect single-camera comedy to deliver a laugh-rate equivalent to an audience sit-com. Low-cost, inventive single-camera comedy with engaging and thought provoking protagonists at the heart of it will be favoured. We are targeting single camera comedy with a £200k per episode tariff.
BBC TWO - Sketch Show
Shape
6 × 30 minutes to play post-watershed.
Requirement
Finding and establishing a strong and channel-defining sketch show is a priority for the channel. Following the success of The Catherine Tate Show, Dead Ringers and That Mitchell and Webb Look, we are keen to find the next generation of sketch shows for BBC Two. Strongly authored or talent orientated ideas are key to a successful idea.
BBC TWO - Comedy Drama
Shape
3 × 60 minutes to play post-watershed.
Requirement
BBC Two is looking for comedy-dramas that have thought-provoking and rewarding ideas at the heart of them. We are not looking for shows that are too niche - we'd like to establish returning series and build audience loyalty. Limited slots will lead to great competition so inventive, bold and low-cost ideas will be favoured.
Download the full list of BBC TWO requirements [PDF, 22 Kb]
Comedy on BBC Three
BBC Three is a channel that focuses on audiences who are youthful in spirit and welcome a sense of adventure.
Comedy remains a core-genre for BBC Three and has recently experienced unprecedented success with its core 16-34 year old audience. We are keen to build on these successes and will continue to develop new talent and commission bold, inventive and fresh ideas that have attitude and confidence. We need to maintain this momentum by delivering more high-quality, innovative, and high-impact programmes to the audience.
Budget Information
- Funding levels range across all three tariffs. There are opportunities within the In-house, Indie guarantees and the WoCC. There are many more slots available within Comedy One and low Comedy Two tariffs.
BBC Three - Audience Sitcoms
Shape
6 × 30 minutes for pre- and post-watershed.
Requirement
Think beyond flat-share and take us to precincts we haven't experienced before. BBC Three is keen to develop new writing and new performing talent through audience sitcoms, but the ideas must be laugh-out-loud, have attitude and the ability to both surprise and thrill. We are wary of patronising our discerning audience and want to offer up viewing experiences which fully engage and challenge them and which give a wide berth to bogus "yoof" content.
BBC Three - Single Camera Sitcoms
Shape:
6 × 30 minutes for pre- and post-watershed.
Requirement
How Not To Live Your Life and Ideal are examples of BBC3's determination to build on the momentum gained from the success of Gavin and Stacey. BBC Three is keen to continue to encourage scripts for single-camera comedies that apply the same discipline of audience sit-com and deliver a strong laugh-rate. Low-cost ideas which present a robust and engaging comedy world but which don't fall down on quality are always welcomed.
BBC Three - Sketch Shows
Shape:
6 × 30 minutes for post-watershed.
Requirement
BBC Three is keen to be the home of strongly authored and imaginative sketch shows featuring new and promising onscreen performers. Although limited opportunities will mean competition is high we are always on the look out for new ideas and are as keen to refresh the slate as we are to promote our popular returning series.
We would particularly like to encourage the development of different formats that can deliver iconic new performers or comedy characters to the audience in an original and reputationally enhancing way.
BBC Three - Comedy Drama
Shape:
6/8 × 60 minutes for post-watershed.
Requirement:
BBC Three is looking for quality comedy-drama that is authentic, distinctive and able to attract and hold the attention of a young-at-heart 16-34 year old audience. Ideas will need to be bold, possess real energy and vision, be clearly driven by humour as well as demonstrating returning series potential. High-concept, low-cost ideas will be favoured.
Download the full list of BBC THREE requirements [PDF, 22 Kb]
Comedy on BBC Four
Comedy on BBC FOUR is a vital part of the channel's ambition to be a lively energetic space where the audience is stimulated, challenged and entertained.
Budget Information
Funding level is Comedy 1 (£55k to £1170k per 30 minute episode). There are opportunities within the in-house and indie guarantees and the WoCC.
BBC Four - Singles & Series
Shape
3-6 × 30' for post-watershed
Requirement
Comedy on BBC Four should have impact, offer an insight, have some strong 'content', feel credible and have a point of view. Subject matter and casting is important to an audience that feels connected with their shows.
While satire and thought-provoking comedies are important this shouldn't be at the expense of 'big laughs'. BBC Four is not the home of 'dark comedy'.
If the comedy is being authored then that should be an opinionated and intelligent personality who is passionate, refreshing and exciting (like Charlie Brooker). BBC Four is keen for projects to come with big names who believe in the project and are passionate about the subject matter (like Jo Brand in Getting On).
One-offs will be considered if it is led by named talent, an interesting and engaging theme or could play as part of a season.
Download the full list of BBC FOUR requirements [PDF, 21 Kb]
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