BBC Writersroom
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Introducing BBC One's 'The Pact'
Pete McTighe
Writer
When a young brewery boss is found dead, a chain of events is triggered that draws four of his employees into a fragile pact of silence, bound by a secret that will change their lives forever.
The creator and writer of BBC One's The Pact, Pete McTighe, introduces the drama.
The Pact begins on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Monday 17th May at 9pm
The Pact
Growing up, I was heavily influenced by female ensemble dramas like Widows, Tenko and She’s Out, and I’ve always gravitated towards writing complex female-led drama series. After finishing a prison drama that ran for 8 years, I was craving something different - something just as characterful and surprising, but less claustrophobic and with its own strong identity. And ever since I moved to Wales, I’d been eager to write a world-class drama set here, taking advantage of our epic locations and incredible talent both on-screen and behind the camera. The Pact is the fusion of those intentions.
The Pact - watch the trailer
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TV Drama Writers’ Programme 2021 participants announced
BBC Writersroom
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We are delighted to reveal the writers and production companies taking part in this year’s TV Drama Writers' Programme. For 2021 this highly-respected initiative (now in its seventh year) is partnering thirteen up-and-coming screenwriters with thirteen independent production companies, giving the screenwriters the opportunity to write the first episode of a potential BBC-commissioned original drama series or serial.
During the year-long scheme, the writers will attend masterclasses and workshops with established television writers, production teams and experts in screenwriting, while developing their original script. The process culminates in read-throughs, following which the aim is that the writer’s series or serial will be taken into full development by the BBC.
The participants in the 2021 programme are:
- Tim X Atack – Hillbilly Films
- In-Sook Chappell – Sugar Films
- Celia Morgan – The Lighthouse Film & TV
- Daniel Rusteau – Element Pictures
- Alissa Anne Jeun Yi – BBC Studios
- Adam…
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Creating U.Me: The Musical
Theo Jamieson
Composer and Lyricist
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U.Me is an international love story staged for radio and podcast which has its world premiere on the BBC's World Service on Wednesday 12th May 2021 at 7.45pm via www.bbcworldservice.com/musical. We caught up with the composer and lyricist Theo Jamieson to find out about the genesis and creation of this innovative and timely work of musical theatre.
Listen to U.Me on Wednesday 12th May at 7.45pm on BBC World Service and on BBC Sounds
Listen to Everything Stops: The opening track from ‘U.Me: The Musical’
How did you first become involved with U.Me?
Simon Pitts, the show’s creator and a Commissioning Editor for BBC World Service, got in touch with me via Twitter. He was looking for a writer for a radio-musical project and he had heard my songs on Soundcloud. What followed was a series of phone calls and emails in which we knocked around ideas and generally got more and more excited about the project’s potential. Simon invited Steve Levine (Culture Club, The Beach Boys) to produce the music and the BBC Philharmonic to perform. Very generously they embraced…
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Adapting The Pursuit of Love for BBC One
Emily Mortimer
Screenwriter, Director and Actor
Adapted and directed by award-winning actor Emily Mortimer, The Pursuit Of Love is a romantic comedy-drama about love and friendship from the 1945 novel by Nancy Mitford. Emily Mortimer explains how the novel was brought to the screen and the challenges of adapting it from book to screenplay as well as directing, including directing herself in the role of The Bolter.
The Pursuit of Love comes to BBC One and BBC iPlayer from Sunday 9th May 2021 at 9pm
Watch the trailer for The Pursuit of Love
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What happened on the TV Drama Writers' Programme?
Leanne Davis
Writer
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The TV Drama Writers' Programme is a unique initiative which gives promising screenwriters the opportunity to write the first episode of a potential original series or serial for the BBC with the aim that that the writer’s series or serial will be taken into full development.
Leanne Davis was one of the eleven writers on the 2020/21 scheme, which culminated just before Easter with script read-throughs, and explains what it has involved and meant for her development as a writer.
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Creating The Break
Anne Edyvean
Head of BBC Writersroom
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The latest series of BBC Three's The Break landed on BBC iPlayer this week with all five bold short dramas showcasing some brilliant writing, directing and acting talent.
When Fiona Campbell (Controller of BBC Three) said she wanted the next series of The Break to be from disabled talent we were delighted. We told our Writers’ Access Group (BBC Writersroom's development group for writers with…
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Writing for The Amelia Gething Complex
Houmi Miura
Writer
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The Amelia Gething Complex returned for its second series last week on BBC iPlayer. Houmi Miura is a graduate from our Northern Voices writer development scheme and describes how she got the chance to write for the show and what that entailed.
Hello there, my name’s Houmi and I was part BBC Writersroom’s Northern Voices 2020. I’ve recently had the pleasure of going through the pitching and commissioning processes for sketches on CBBC’s The Amelia Gething Complex.
A brief had been sent out with some themes that the team were looking at for season 2 and we’d been told to see where our…
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Meet the Drama Room writers for 2020-21
BBC Writersroom
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The BBC Writersroom Drama Room writers 2020-21
Meet the 20 writers who have been part of our Drama Room writer development group since autumn 2020.
BBC Writersroom's Drama Room is a 1-year development scheme for writers identified through our open submission Script Room opportunity and other talent searches. This Drama Room group was put together following the Script Room which closed in January last year.
The group meet, normally once a…
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The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award - Shortlist Announced
BBC Writersroom North
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Five up-and-coming writers have been shortlisted for the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award with the winner set to be announced in September.
The five writers and their shortlisted plays are:
Driving Lessons by Juliana Sumsion (Lancaster)
Kelly Ann is twenty-one and wants driving lessons, but she has Downs Syndrome. Everyone including her own family doubts her ability to learn. Can she prove them all…
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Writing my first Radio Drama, 'Braids', as part of the BBC Arts Lights Up Festival
Olivia Hannah
Writer
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Over a year on from theatres closing, BBC Arts created, Lights Up, a festival of UK theatre that brings productions into the nation’s homes through TV and radio that were either closed, or never even opened to the public, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Olivia Hannah is an alumni of our Northern Voices writer development group. Her play, Braids was selected to be part of the festival, giving her a new platform for her work and a first Audio Drama credit with BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Olivia picks up the story of the play's journey from page to stage to radio in a remote working world.
