The Writer's Journey

The purpose of the BBC writersroom is to find, nurture, and develop talented writers. The measure of our success is gauged not only by writers going on to be commissioned and produced, but also by our continuing relationship with them. Here are just a few of those journeys:

Keith Brumpton

Keith entered our Story 2k2 competition for northern writers. His script was shortlisted and he was subsequently invited to a CBBC writers' day, where he pitched an idea called Spy Chix. His idea impressed everyone involved and he was encouraged to develop it further. After teaming up with independent production company Kudos, it was commissioned by CBBC as MI High. The successful show will soon have a third series.

Leah Chillery

Leah sent us an impressive unsolicited stage play and was invited onto our Sparks radio drama group in 2006. Her first radio drama was subsequently produced in the Takeaway series for the Afternoon Play on Radio 4. Leah then came on our EastEnders Voices scheme in 2008 and was subsequently taken on to the full Eastenders shadow scheme. She has most recently been selected as one of eight writers/teams for the first BBC College of Comedy, and is developing an original sitcom and storylining for Grown Ups, both with BBC3.

 

Sarah Phelps

Sarah came to our notice through Paines Plough Theatre Company. She was invited on our Sparks radio scheme and went on to write two Afternoon Plays, a Friday Play adaptation and a Woman's Hour serial for Radio 4, along with 42 episodes of Westway on the World Service. Sarah was also invited on a CBBC Comedy Drama scheme and had an original series commissioned by CBBC. Since then, she has become a core member of the writing team for EastEnders, written for Holby Blue and adapted Oliver Twist for BBC1. Sarah has also written for No Angels on Channel 4.

 

Mark Catley

Mark was the first writer to be commissioned as part of our Northern Exposure partnership with the West Yorkshire Playhouse, which has already resulted in three hugely successful productions with the theatre. Mark has written two plays for BBC Radio 4 and was among eight writers selected for the first BBC Drama Writers Academy in 2005, which led to him writing for EastEnders, Holby City, Casualty, and Doctors on BBC ONE. He has since become the lead writer and Story Producer for Casualty.

Read our interview with Mark.

 

Paul Farrell

Paul sent in an unsolicited script that impressed us and was selected for a week long residential scheme to develop ideas for returning crime shows. He worked intensively on an idea and pitched it to BBC executives. It was soon commissioned to treatment, then to script, and his two-parter was broadcast in the 2006 season of Silent Witness on BBC1. Paul also took part in our BBC Films scheme to develop writers new to the department. He has since been produced for Waking the Dead on BBC1, commissioned for Primeval on ITV and is on a development scheme with Eon Films.

 

Katie Douglas

Katie entered Northern Exposure's 5 Writers for Liverpool competition and was given a bursary award to develop her work. With this, she wrote Here Come the Clowns, which we presented in a reading at the Actors Centre. Katie was picked up by Fred Barron to join the writing team for the BBC1 comedy According to Bex. Since then she has written Grown Ups on BBC3, Young Dracula and MI High for CBBC, After You’ve Gone and My Hero for BBC1, Hollyoaks: In the City for Channel 4, Secret Diary of a Call Girl for ITV, and has had original ideas commissioned for the BBC and Shine.

 

Ian Kershaw

Ian came to our attention through the Flip the Script events at Manchester Contact Theatre, which led to a production of Get Ken Barlow at Watford Palace Theatre. He was invited to workshops including Writing for Radio, and began developing his first radio play which aired on Radio 4 in 2006. Ian was selected for the BBC Drama Writers Academy in 2006, writing episodes for EastEnders, Holby City, Casualty, and Doctors. He also won the North West Writer Prize in the Bruntwood Playwrighting Competition 2006 and has been commissioned by Oldham Coliseum. Pick Ups, Ian’s six-part original series for Radio 4, stars John Thomson and airs in 2008. He has also been commissioned for Shameless on Channel 4.

 

Lucy Catherine

Lucy has written numerous radio plays for Radio 4. She was selected for our BBC Mentors scheme, where she was mentored by Jimmy McGovern and her 30 minute TV single drama The Caravan was broadcast by BBC Choice. Lucy then went on to write an episode of Casualty. In 2006 Lucy came on our Interactive Serials residential scheme and an idea she co-created with two other writers on the scheme, Darke Town, has been commissioned by BBC Serials. She is also under commission to write further original dramas for the BBC.

 

Levi David Addai

Levi was nominated for The 50 mentoring scheme in 2006 by the Royal Court Theatre, following the his first play 92.4 FM. He was invited on to our EastEnders Voices scheme to bring diverse new writers to the show and was subsequently invited on to the full EastEnders shadow scheme. Levi’s first episode was broadcast in 2007 and he has been commissioned for a second. His second play will be produced at the Royal Court in 2008.

 

Sasha Hails

Sasha came on our Cbeebies schemes in 2002 and subsequently wrote for The Story Makers. She then went on to write numerous episodes for the BBC World Service series Westway and in 2005 was selected for the first BBC Drama Series Writers Academy, writing episodes for EastEnders, Holby City, Casualty, and Doctors. In 2006, Sasha was nominated for The 50, our year long collaboration with the Royal Court Theatre, and has since become one of the core writers for Casualty on BBC ONE.

 

Karen Laws

Karen won our Northern Exposure competition in 2002, judged by Paul Mayhew-Archer and Lee Hall. She was subsequently mentored by Paul Mayhew-Archer, and went on to write three episodes for Two Pints of Lager (And a Packet of Crisps). She also has an original sitcom in development with BBC Comedy. Karen took part in our NE Voices scheme to develop TV drama calling card scripts, in partnership with Northern Film & Media; she was subsequently selected for the 2007 BBC Drama Writers Academy and is writing for EastEnders, Doctors, Casualty, and Holby City.

 

Shakeel Ahmed

Shakeel responded to an open call for Muslim writers for a forthcoming comedy show, The Green Mosque. His work impressed us and he was invited to a week-long residential scheme to develop a calling-card script for TV. Shakeel is one of three writers who received a bursary to work with BBC Comedy in Manchester and is being mentored by Graham Duff, writer of Ideal on BBC3 He will be taking part in our 2008 EastEnders Voices scheme to bring diverse writers to the attention of the show.