BBC Director of Comedy, Jon Petrie, has called for the TV industry to pitch him more mainstream comedy saying “the truth is we’re still not getting pitched enough of the comedy we need to keep people happy.”
Petrie was speaking at the BBC Comedy Festival taking place this week in Glasgow as he announced six new and returning shows.
He said that “mainstream comedy is what viewers love best. It’s written right through our comedy heritage and is so close to our hearts. It can tell our stories and bring us together like nothing else” and called on producers to “take risks and create the next generation of classic sitcoms and immortal characters that audiences will keep returning to for decades to come.”
He said that due to the fast-changing media landscape, including the effects of strikes, inflation and recession, had resulted in a smaller comedy eco-system.
“The truth is we’re still not getting pitched enough of the comedy we need to keep people happy…If our comedy eco-system is shrinking, then it’s on all us to fight for the right of UK mainstream comedy to exist.
“The sitcom isn’t dead but it needs a couple of Berocca. And a black americano with two sugars. We’re asking you to do something really ambitious and help save our sitcom. It’s what audiences want to see.”
Petrie also unveiled plans to fund six writers’ rooms with show ideas originated and led by an experienced showrunner and backed by teams of established and new writing talent to create the next big UK sitcom. He cited shows such as Ghosts, Two Doors Down, Motherland and Here We Go, as examples.
He said: “We know that making a laugh out loud series is much easier said than done. So, in order to supercharge development in that area we are announcing a brand-new initiative for UK producers. We are committing to funding writers’ rooms with show ideas originated and led by an experienced showrunner to create the next big UK sitcom with broad appeal.”
He said that the BBC was “still the biggest investor in comedy in the UK. And contrary to some reports, we’re not cutting back. In the last year alone, we’ve released 9 new shows and 14 recommissions and we want to continue to commit to at least 20 new and returning comedies on the BBC each year.”
“Our audiences have never wanted to watch comedy more, 8 of the 10 biggest comedies of last year were on the BBC, with the Ghosts Christmas Special at number one, attracting 7.2M viewers.
Jon Creamer
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