Monday, August 08, 2005

Oy! Or - 'News to us'

Article in today's Times about (name changed to protect both our careers), head of BBC 3, in which he says:

"...the creative teams behind Channel 4’s Green Wing and Peep Show (“I wanted them off Channel 4 and with me”) ... are all currently developing projects for BBC Three."

Cue mass emailing around GW writers to find out who he's talking about. We haven't worked it out yet, but we plan on being very excited for that person when we do. In the meantime I'm asking Ginny to send him the script for Romey Loves Jools , with an email saying 'Oy!'.

The "big new sketch shows Tittybangbang and Man Stroke Woman" that he's talking about, by the way, were the ones I sent stuff in for and never heard anything back. So they'll be shit*.

Also, while we're going all mediay, Fay has a very sweet interview in the Guardian, next to some advertising bint.

UPDATE:

One huge fit of paranoia later (it's like you find out all your mates have gone off to see a film you were really excited about), we'd determined that absolutely no-one from the Green Wing writing team had been given pots of gold from BBC 3 - although we hadn't tracked down Stuart Kenworthy. Just as we were having visions of the Stu-pot swanking around Soho with a big hat on, saying 'Ooh, look at me! Ai'm the creative team behind Green Wing, you know', whilst small Peruvian children fanned him with ostrich plumes, he got back to us and said no, he didn't have anything in development either, In fact, what it seems to boil down to is three of the GW writers having sketches in the Man Stroke Woman thing. Tch.

Although we haven't ruled out the possibility that by 'creative team' Mister Name Changed meant the caterers. Or the guy who does the lighting. Either way, Agent Ginny has sent him Romey loves Jools, which has been described as 'warm' and 'funny' and 'really suited to BBC 3', so he shouldn't let the slightly snide tone of this post put him off giving me some cash so I don't have to eat cardboard to survive through the rest of the summer**.






*Apart from the bits with Nick Frost in, or the bits written by GW Richard, Gary and Stuart. Those bits will be great.

** And if he doesn't like the tone, I'll just wait a year until the next crop of executives come round and try all over again***.

*** Might delete that bit later.

23 comments:

felinity said...

Hey, I saw that and thought of you.

Then thought that you'd be bound to have told us about it by now, so perhaps they'd cruelly left you out.

James Henry said...

Well exactly. But in fact they seem to left most of us out. I think 'some, or possibly even one of the creative team' might turn out to be more accurate.

felinity said...

You should rock up to his office being all: "Hey, so we're working together, fantastic! Where's the money?"

James Henry said...

I always like to put 'where's the money' at the start of every encounter with department heads, just to avoid misunderstandings. And then when they say 'ooh, there won't be any at this point...', I've still got time to go to the British Museum before I get the train home.

felinity said...

You reassure me that being a TV writer is just as glamorous as I've always imagined. Do they give you weak squash and slightly soft biscuits, too?

James Henry said...

The BBC biscuit budget was cut last year. Absolutely true.

Anonymous said...

Criossants were banned in meetings. We now get tea, coffee, mineral water and orange juice. No biscuits.

patroclus said...

It's *always* the first sign of a company going down the tubes. You're in a meeting and there's no biscuits = time to start negotiating your lucrative voluntary redundancy.

Anonymous said...

Dammit. I mean, how expensive is a pack of "value" custard creams these days? *mutter*

James Henry said...

That was a sign Waterstone's was losing its way somewhat, when they stopped getting one copy of the Guardian each day for the staffroom. I personally made sure to annoy at least 65p's worth of customer every day, just to show them.

Herge Smith said...

Is Toy-Fu making it to TV - just promise you won't water it down, or comprise on the sex, nudity, swearing and violence.

Promise us.

James Henry said...

I'll make sure to put in some amusing racism, projectile vomiting and cripple gags. You know, for the kids.

patroclus said...

I've got a lot of cardboard knocking around from my recent mega-spree at IKEA. Would you like me to send you a food parcel?

James Henry said...

Could you wrap it in more cardboard, so I have dessert?

Sparkling said...

Don't you get royalties for getting your 'name' mentioned in the article, or at least a biscuit?

James Henry said...

Yes, every time 'Green Wing' gets a mention in the popular press, Channel 4 send me a signed picture of Alex the barmaid from 'The OC'. It's an odd system, but I'm happy with it.

Anonymous said...

Do a protest...in topmilers

Anonymous said...

You don't want to go eating cardboard for main course AND dessert, try those little polystyrene packing chips for pud - simple food needn't be monotonous y'know!

cello said...

While we're on the subject of 'Oy'...I think you know what I mean. And I was doing my gravitas thing as well, to compensate for the excess of frog last time.

But on the shameful absence of GW writers on BBC3, I think we should stage a boycott. I can live without The Mighty Boosh if it's for a worthwhile cause. Would you all appreciate a pointless gesture?

James Henry said...

I wasn't sure if you had a secret identity or not. Nice grown-up article though. But don't make any pointless gestures on my account, although I appreciate the thought, obviously.

Anonymous said...

Top-miler protest!

James Henry said...

You've already cut up a wastebasket in preparation, haven't you?

Anonymous said...

possibly...*coy looks*