The Precious

YES! I have finally started work on my long gestating family drama series. Fingers crossed for the Robin Hood slot. Actually there's not a hope in hell of it being made. It would cost a fortune and no one would invest in an expensive series by an untested writer. It's just meant to show what I can do. It's great fun to outline anyway, and hopefully that will come across to readers. Planning to have the first pass on the pilot script complete by the end of October.

I've been working on one feature script all year, in between changing jobs and other scary/exciting real life stuff, so it feels good to put that aside and work on something new. One skill I seem to totally lack is the ability to juggle numerous projects at the same time. I have to crack that. The revised target for this year is to hit January with three new specs, feels like I'm on course for the first time in ages. Very exciting.

There seems to have been some grumbling recently from writers who want to get into TV but don't want to write for Doctors, or Casualty or the soaps. There's nothing wrong with those shows you know. Chances are, unless you're incredibly fortunate, you'll have to write for something along those lines before anyone decides to film your magnificent octopus so don't get too precious. No one is too good for Casualty or the serial dramas, and those shows are going to look pretty damn good on your cv. Here are some gob-smackingly excellent writers who started out on these shows;

Tony Warren (Corrie)
Jack Rosenthall (Corrie)
Paul Abbott (Corrie)
Frank Cottrell Boyce (Corrie)
Paul Cornell (Corrie, Casualty)
Matt Jones (Corrie)
Gerry Davis (Corrie)
Barbara Machin (Emmerdale Farm)
Tony McHale (Eastenders)
Catherine Tregenna (Eastenders, Casualty)
Ashley Pharoah (Casualty)
Keith Temple (Casualty)
And some fella called Tony Jordan (Boon, Eldorado, Minder, Eastenders).

If it was good enough for them (and many more) then it's well good enough for me.