[ssba]
Total run time: 1 hour 08 mins 58 secs.
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About Graham Smith…
Graham (@mrgrahamksmith) has been an Executive Producer for the BBC and a Commissioning Executive for Channel 4 and Channel Five. He has also run his own successful independent production company.
He’s currently the co-founder and owner of Grand Scheme Media (@grand_scheme).
If you enjoyed this you might also like…
- EP 43 – Anne Edyvean – Head of the BBC Writersroom – How To Get Your Writing Noticed By The BBC
- EP40 – Iain Coyle – Comedy Commissioner at Dave / UKTV
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Here’s a list of questions we covered…
Head of Comedy & Entertainment – Channel 5…
- What do you think makes a good TV pitch?
- Do you think it’s about playing the game and playing to their tone of voice? [6 mins 52 secs]
- Do you think TV shows break comedians still? Iain Coyle doesn’t think it does. [9 mins 18 secs]
- Do you think channels are becoming risk adverse? Has this changed since you were a commissioner? [12 mins 34 secs]
- Might Boosh
- Do you think plus one channels are now outdated because of on demand players? [16 mins 41 secs]
Channel 4…
- Spaced – if we take that as an example, can you talk me through how long that took to get made and what the pitch process was like? [4 mins 8 secs]
TV Production…
- What do you think of sites like YouTube which give creators the power to build their own fan base? [8mins 10 secs]
- How do you help mould ideas for TV? Does a person come to you with an idea and you talk them through the best places to pitch?
- Is it harder to work with comedians with or without agents given there’s more people involved I’d imagine it would be harder.
Other TV Questions…
- What do you think of NetFlix investing in more original content and TV shows?
- You’ve worked for Channel 5, the BBC and Channel 4. Where do you see the future of terrestrial broadcasting going for comedy? [24 mins 34 secs]
- Do you factor in the viewer’s second screen experience in your design for a TV show? [22 mins]
- Can advertising sustain TV? Or do we need a new system to fund shows and support shows? [32 mins]
- What do you think of Twitter and hashtags for TV shows? [18 mins]
- Last man on Earth
- True Detective
- Breaking Bad
- Transparent
- Inside No 9
- The Midnight Beast
- Joe Charman’s Episode
- Anne’s Podcast
TV Development…
- At what stage should someone approach Grand Schemes if they have an idea? [0 mins 28 secs]
- What programs do you not like to work on? [45 mins 24 secs]
- What comedy programs do you like to work on? [45 mins 24 secs]
- What deal breakers do you have when working with someone? [45 mins 24 secs]
Everything Else…
- What are the best books on comedy, writing, stand up etc you’ve read? [49 mins 35 secs]
- John Yorke – Into the Woods
- Simon Pegg – Spaced.
- Matt Lucas & David Walliams – Little Britain
- Alan Davies – As Yet Untitled
- What’s the best show you’ve ever worked on and why? [50 mins 50 secs]
- What’s the worst show you’ve ever worked on and why? [52 mins 23 secs]
- What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made and how did you get over it? [53 mins 40 secs]
- Who do you think is the most underrated person in your industry? [55 mins]
- What do you think is the biggest problem in the comedy industry and how would you go about solving it? [55 mins 16 secs]
- Best bit of advice you’ve ever been given? [56 mins]
- Paul Jackson
- Tony Orsten
- Best bit of advice you would give a comedian who wants to make a career in comedy? [56 mins]
