The Isle of Wight has been home not only to the likes of the great comedy writer Ray Allen (Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em) but also the award-winning Ventnorian, Hannah George. If you know a female comedy writer, they may be interested to read about this script call.
UKTV and Female Pilot Club are inviting women writers to submit original comedy scripts featuring female lead characters over the age of 45.
Since 2019 Female Pilot Club has produced readings of new comedy scripts in front of live audiences with the cream of British comedy talent, including Arabella Weir, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Robert Webb. This announcement marks its first collaboration with a broadcaster.
Kay Stonham says,
“Female Pilot Club exists to amplify brilliant female comedy voices and to help great TV pilot scripts take off and fly.
“We’re excited to partner with UKTV to find some great new comedy scripts written by women.”
What is Female Pilot Club?
Female Pilot Club was founded with support from Comedy 50:50 by award-winning comedy TV and Radio writer Kay Stonham (My Family, Harry Enfield and Chums, Alistair McGowan’s Big Impression, Shaun the Sheep,) writer Abigail Burdess (Tracey Ullman’s Show, Paddington, That Mitchell and Webb Look) and actor and writer Emily Chase (Bad Salsa, Bloody Comedy TV).
The Club was founded to address inequality. Female writers continue to face challenges pursuing careers in the film and television industry. The Writers’ of Great Britain (WGGB) revealed in their 2018 Gender Inequality and Screenwriters report that only 17 per cent of comedy films made in the UK had at least one female writer, and that just 11 per cent of TV sitcoms were predominantly female-written.
UKTV’s approach to inclusion
UKTV is also passionate about Diversity and Inclusion and actively works towards a range of pillar strategies broaching areas such as leadership and responsibility, talent and development, culture and working environment, and on screen and production diversity.
Recent projects run by the commissioning team include Rosie Jones’s Disability Extravaganza, a comedy showcase for up and coming disabled comedians which is now live on the Dave YouTube channel, and the upcoming All New Laughs pilots on Dave, which are the result of a WriterSlam to elevate TV writers from underrepresented groups.
Rost: We can identify and elevate talent that too often goes undiscovered
Lindsey Rost, Development Executive – Scripted Comedy, UKTV, said,
“Partnerships like this are so important.
“Working with organisations like the Female Pilot Club, we can identify and elevate talent that too often goes undiscovered.
“We look forward to seeing some wonderful new comedy come from this initiative, and hope it opens doors for the talented writers who participate”
Information about the initiative can be found on the Female Pilot Club Website.
News shared by Chelsea on behalf of UKTV and Female Pilot Club, in her own words. Ed
Image: green chameleon under CC BY 2.0
