Latest news with #scriptedcomedy
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Jon Petrie calls for producers to 'focus on the funny' as he warns that the opportunities for international investment for scripted comedy are becoming increasingly rare
Director of BBC Comedy Jon Petrie has warned that the opportunities for international investment to significantly plug the gap for scripted comedy are becoming increasingly rare. Speaking at the BBC Comedy Festival in Belfast, Jon said the TV comedy industry had been dazzled by the drama investment model, but the market reality meant that the period of Peak TV was unsustainable. Jon said: 'The opportunities for international investment to significantly plug the gap for scripted comedy are becoming increasingly rare. This might seem at odds with what I said back in 2022 about co-producing with our American friends. That door hasn't closed entirely - but it's always been narrower for comedy, and with a wider reset happening in our industry, we need to face reality head-on. 'We all got dazzled by the drama investment model - which was understandable, given the pace of change. Brilliant shows like The Outlaws and Starstruck showed what's possible when comedy attracts drama-level investment. I'm immensely proud of these shows. 'But let's be honest about the market reality – that period of Peak TV was unsustainable. Meanwhile, production costs have skyrocketed across the board, and pure comedy - the kind that defines the UK's cultural identity - simply doesn't command the same co-production interest as its glossier comedy-drama cousins.' He also pointed to research which shows that it is possible that award-winning, popular comedy can be made on a BBC budget alone. 'It's proven that popular, award-winning, comedy can be made on a BBC budget alone. The data backs up what we've always suspected - people connect with great characters and writing, not budget.' Jon said: 'We must constantly ask: 'Does this specific spend make it funnier?' We can't out-budget global streamers, but we can be smarter and funnier and speak to UK audiences more directly.' He highlighted recent successes for BBC Comedy including Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, which was the highest rated comedy since records began in 2002; Alma's Not Normal, which recently won a BAFTA for scripted comedy; Amandaland and Ludwig. And he asked producers and creatives to develop differently by thinking of cost from the moment of conception. 'And if we keep our comedy affordable and distinctive - we won't just weather this moment. We'll shape what comes next - and make it funnier, sharper, and unmistakably ours.' The BBC Director of Comedy, who has previously spoken about the importance of sitcoms, praised those who work in the scripted comedy TV industry for consistently finding brilliance even when resources were tight. 'Our focus now must be on channelling that resourcefulness smartly. Less about 'papering over cracks' and more about being strategically focused so we can make distinctive and more about being strategically focused so we can make distinctive, impactful comedy for the long haul.' 'Think about what people actually share online. The moments that go viral aren't expensive set pieces - they're laugh-out-loud writing and performances. Amandaland and Am I Being Unreasonable clips spread across social media week after week. The last Cunk special had a total of 185 million global views across our key social platforms. He committed to keep pushing for the comedy tax credit: 'We'll keep fighting for the comedy tax credit and working with the comedy community to make the economics stack up,' he said. 'But in the meantime, in every meeting with writers, producers, directors - the question has to be: does more money make it more funny? 'If it doesn't – it's not worth the spend. Because in the end, audiences watching comedy don't care how it was made. They care if it made them laugh. LH2
Sky News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
BAFTA TV Awards live: Mr Bates Vs The Post Office and Baby Reindeer take home early prizes
Alma's Not Normal wins scripted comedy After a brief musical interlude from Tom Grennan, we're back underway with the award from scripted comedy. This one is presented by stars of Rivals - Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson. Alma's Not Normal takes the win, with Sophie Wilan coming up to accept the award. She doesn't last long before we get our first swear word of the night. Here's who missed out: Brassic - Sky Max G'wed - ITV2 Ludwig - BBC One Mr Bates Vs The Post Office wins limited drama BAFTA It's the first award of the night for Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which takes home the limited drama BAFTA. Russell Tovey and Daniel Mayes hand over the award, which is accepted by Patrick Spence. "This story only had the impact it did because the people that watched it stood up and demanded action with rage," he says. "Our show didn't change the law, the people of this nation did that." He says the show is the "greatest privilege" of their lives. Here's who else was nominated in this category: Baby Reindeer - Netflix Lost Boys And Fairies - BBC One One Day - Netflix The Jury: Murder Trial takes home the entertainment award The Jury: Murder Trial has just been handed the award for the entertainment category. Here are the other nominees: Dragons' Den (BBC One) Love Is Blind (Netflix) The Traitors (BBC One) Mr Loverman star takes best supporting actor BAFTA Next up is the supporting actor award, which has been given to Ariyon Bakare for his role in BBC One's Mr Loverman. Accepting the award from Billy Porter and Marisha Wallace, Bakare says he left his speech in his chair, "so this will be short". "This award stands on the shoulders of those before me, those who have been afraid to come out and be who they want to be. This is for you." He gets emotional in his speech, thanking his sister, who is also in attendance tonight. Here's who else was nominated in this category: Christopher Chung - Slow Horses (Apple TV+) Damian Lewis - Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC One) Jonathan Pryce - Slow Horses (Apple TV+) Mckinley Belcher III - Eric (Netflix) Baby Reindeer takes first prize of the night The first award of the night has gone to Jessica Gunning for best supporting actress. She plays Martha in the hit show Baby Reindeer, which is up for seven other awards tonight. Her performance has already been rewarded in the US with an Emmy, a Golden Globe and SAG award, and she now has her first ever BAFTA. "Thank you BAFTA, wow," she says, accepting the award. "This time last year, Richard [Gadd] and I were stood back stage waiting to go out to present an award. Little did we know what the year had in store for us." Here's who else was nominated in the category: Katherine Parkinson - Rivals (Disney+) Maxine Peake - Say Nothing - (Disney+) Monica Dolan - Sherwood (BBC One) Nava Mau - Baby Reindeer (Netflix) Sue Johnston - Truelove (Channel 4) Alan Cumming kicks off the show We start with a skit from our host, the self-styled "devilishly handsome host" of the US Traitors, Alan Cumming. He calls hosting the show the "12th biggest honour of my life" before swearing a special "BAFTA oath" that includes promising to cut off any acceptance speeches that run on too long. "This is my first time hosting a major television awards show on British soil," he says as he walks onto the stage. Cumming offers some housekeeping rules for the audience, warning winners not to take too many people on stage with them, to remember to thank their commissioners and not to swear or risk an Ofcom fine. The ceremony begins And it's finally time, the ceremony has started and we should be hearing the first awards announced very soon. Before we get going, there's a short welcome speech from Sarah Putt, BAFTA chair. There's a warm round of applause at the mention of Kirsty Wark, who is receiving the BAFTA Fellowship tonight. There's an even bigger cheer for another Fellowship recipient - Sir David Attenborough - who turned 99 this week. In pictures: The stars you might have missed It's almost time... We're all Andy Serkis right now. The ceremony is due to get underway at 5pm, so strap in as we get going here at the Southbank Centre. All the best BAFTA red carpet outfits For some, the red carpet is a bigger event than the awards themselves. That certainly felt the case for some of today's attendees, some of whome looked sensational in the London sun at the Royal Festival Hall. Here's a look at all the outfits.
