Sitcom Writers Talking

These very interesting audio files featuring comedy gods are from a defunct site where they ceased to be available. So rather than a valuable resource being lost forever they are presented here for your edification.

These files are presented in MP3 format. Get a free player here.

Paul Mayhew Archer
My Hero (with Paul Mendelson), Office Gossip
MP3 file (06:12 minutes)

Some quotage:

"I was obviously a very sad, lonely child and I used to spend my holidays writing bits of comedy. Then in the sixth form I wrote a comedy play, which at the time I remember thinking was absolutely fantastic."

"I was given a series of 'An Actor's Life For Me' and I remember people saying 'you've got a winner here'. When it went out it got seven and a half million viewers which at that time wasn't brilliant. . ."

"By episode four of the second series of 'Nelson's Column' I was beginning to realise that I hadn't a clue how people talk to each other any more, which is a bit of a problem when you're writing dialogue."

"I have a little route round the living room and I pace round it constantly. But I wish I had a place that I could go to and say 'I'll have that idea and that idea, thank you very much'"

"The vital thing if you're writing comedy is it has to be performed. There's no point in writing comedy plays and just thinking to yourself 'Ooh this is good' - you'll only know if it's any good when you get it read or performed."/

John Morton
People Like Us, Kiss Me Kate (with Chris Langham)
MP3 file (08:07 minutes)

Some quotage:

"I just gave up my job and sold my house in order to write. I hadn't got a commission because I hadn't started writing."

"My partner and I write every single word of 'Kiss Me Kate' with us both in the room - even to the point where if one of us has to go to the loo the other one stops writing. . ."

"An element of the fun just goes right out of it because it matters so much - so which bit of it is fun?"

"I've got an hour glass at home and one of the things I do as a kind of physical manifestation of time passing is to just watch the sand go through the hour glass and turn it over."

"Don't give up. That's a very obvious one but I think one of the distinguishing characteristics of people who make it is probably that they just didn't give up when other equally, or perhaps more, talented people just ran out of steam."

Simon Nye
Men Behaving Badly, Beast
MP3 file (08:10 minutes)

Some quotage:

"I actually sent a short story off to Penthouse when I was 21 because I didn't quite know what you did with a short."

"I'm very sort of scared and generally pliant so I was quite quick to give in. . ."

"I'm not a very sort of boozy pubby kind of bloke really. . . so Men Behaving Badly was really based on observations. . ."

"I think it's a good idea to write an extra few minutes. . . I did write one series of Men Behaving Badly and it ended up too short."

"I often turn to my Argos catalogue, it's surprising how often that helps. . . it has to be the latest edition as well. I don't want any old objects creeping into my sitcom. . ."

David Renwick
Whoops Apocalypse (with Andrew Marshall), One Foot in the Grave
MP3 file (06:18 minutes)

Some quotage:

"We came up with this idea about a sitcom based on World War III, called 'Whoops Apocalypse'. It ran for just six episodes as the world blew up at the end of it - it didn't have much longevity beyond that. . ."

"I regard Victor as a fairly messianic character really who is shouldering all of the problems and troubles of the world single-handedly on our behalf. . ."

"When I get stuck I like to lie down with my face in the carpet."

"I'm always slightly suspicious of writers and practitioners of comedy who spend their lives laughing because you sort of feel 'well you're going to laugh at anything.' "