Sitcom Trials

Miranda In The Sitcom Trials

2026-09-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

(Post originally from 2011:) Miranda Hart was in tonight's One Show, which seems an opportune time to recall the debut of her novelty shop-based sitcom, in The Sitcom Trials back in 2001:

According to Wikipedia, Miranda Hart's eponymous sitcom, now on BBC 2, first appeared as part of The Sitcom Trials at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2001. It featured Miranda, working in a joke shop that sells penis pasta, with a diminutive blonde sidekick, originally played by Charity Trimm, and the love interest in the cafe, played then by Gerard Foster. The camp character played in 01 by Dan Clegg went on to be played in the TV series by James Holmes who, coincidentally, was the star of the 2002 Edinburgh Fringe Sitcom Trials.

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

My Books And Where To Find Them...


Romeo & Juliet (Colour)	Romeo & Juliet (bw)	Richard The Third (Colour)	Richard The Third (bw)

Shakespeare Omnibus	Findlay Macbeth	Prince of Denmark Street	Midsummer Night's Dream Team

Tales From Bible (Col)	Tales From Bible (bw)	Joseph, Ruth & Other Stories	Space Elain

Book Of Esther	Who Notes	Doctors Who? Colouring	Sweet Smell Of Sockcess

Kids Comics Annual 2026	Kids Comics Annual 2025	Socks Do Shakespeare	Colouring Books

Top 10 Christmas Sitcom Episodes

2025-12-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

Rank	Episode & Sitcom	Why it stands out
1	Christmas Special, Part 2 — The Office (UK)**	Consistently rated the highest Christmas sitcom episode across IMDb-based surveys — many users (≈ 70%) give it a 10/10. It also serves as the series finale, with emotional payoff and perfect timing as a holiday send-off.
2	The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis — The Big Bang Theory**	Widely regarded as the funniest and most beloved holiday episode of the show, with a high IMDb score (≈ 9.2/10) and over 5,000 fan votes backing it.
3	A Very Sunny Christmas — It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia**	Its dark, irreverent humour and holiday-chaos energy resonated with fans — earning it a top-3 slot in multiple fan polls and holiday rankings.
4	Christmas Party — The Office (US), Season 2 Episode 10	A breakthrough American-sitcom Christmas episode: chaotic Secret Santa gone wrong, cringe comedy and heartfelt moments. Often ranked #1 or #2 in “best sitcom Christmas” lists. It originally drew 9.7 million viewers.
5	Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas — Community**	A standout for its ambition — told in stop-motion animation, tackling themes of loss and “what Christmas means.” Critics and fans alike praise its heart as much as its comedy.
6	Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean — Mr. Bean**	Classic physical comedy and universal appeal: a mostly visual, almost dialogue-free episode that remains evergreen — widely considered a top Christmas special worldwide.
7	The Strike — Seinfeld**	Introduced the now-iconic “Festivus”, Seinfeld’s subversive take on holiday tropes — absurd, clever, and hugely influential in pop-culture.
8	Christmas Special — 30 Rock, Season 3	A witty, satirical twist on a holiday show within a show — mixing workplace chaos, family dysfunction and typical 30 Rock absurdity. Its high viewership and fan praise earned it a place among top sitcom specials.
9	Christmas at Downton Abbey — Downton Abbey**	Though more a drama-period piece than pure sitcom, its Christmas special combines warmth, romance and social-class tension — giving it broad appeal in Christmas-episode roundups.
10	Regional Holiday Music — Community**	A later Community holiday episode that leans into satire and musical parody — capturing both the silliness and chaos of Christmas traditions. Loved by many for its boldness and sharp comical tone.

My Books And Where To Find Them...

Romeo and Juliet - in black & white or colour


Richard The Third (Colour) Paperback • signed	Doctors Who? Colouring Paperback • signed	Socks Do Shakespeare Paperback	Kids Comics Annual 2026 Paperback

Richard The Third (bw) Paperback • signed	Findlay Macbeth Paperback • signed	Prince of Denmark Street Paperback • signed	Midsummer Night's Dream Team Paperback • signed

Shakespeare Omnibus Paperback • signed	Comic Tales From The Bible Paperback • signed	Joseph, Ruth & Other Stories Paperback • signed	Space Elain Paperback • signed

Book Of Esther	Who Notes	Sweet Smell Of Sockcess	Attack Of The Sausages

My 1975 Diary Calendar	Colouring Books Paperback • signed	Scottish Falsetto Socks Annual	Tales Of Nambygate

Sitcom, the future

2025-08-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sitcom, the future. According to Chat GPT

While there isn’t an existing image explicitly titled “British sitcom of the future,” the concept art shown here (above) evokes a futuristic setting that could serve as an imaginative backdrop for such a sitcom—think sleek, high-tech interiors with warm lighting and retro touches. It offers a glimpse into how a future-set sitcom might look: stylish yet familiar, with design motifs that blend nostalgia and innovation.

Here’s what makes this feel sitcom‑worthy:

Futuristic Set Design: Curved walls, clean lines, and modular structures hint at a sci‑fi setting—maybe a space station, smart home, or virtual studio setup.
Warm, Intimate Ambience: Despite the tech-inspired architecture, the design still feels like a living space rather than a sterile sci‑fi location—perfect for character‑driven humour.
Imaginative Details: The ceiling feature and segmented partitions could house quirky props or smart devices that become comedic focal points—think a floating message board or voice‑activated kettle that has a mind of its own.

Hello, and thanks for looking at my little old blog. My brand new graphic novel, Romeo and Juliet, is launching soon on Kickstarter and we'd love your support to make it happen. You can bagsy a signed first edition for just pocket money, or get bespoke original artwork from me, or, if you really fancy, you could appear in the book itself! Please check out the Kickstarter (free, no obligation) and help my new book become a reality. Thankyou for your attention to this matter. Now on with the blog...

Visualizing the Future of British Sitcom

Here’s how we might build upon this concept to create a truly British‑flavoured sitcom of the future:

A Modern Domestic Setting
Imagine a family home (or flat) where everything is “smart” — appliances talk back, walls shift to reveal new rooms, and AI butlers have dry wit. The future meets the familiar British household, complete with tea-making robots and a virtual mantel to show cherished family photos.
Community and Character at the Core
British sitcoms thrive on character dynamics. What if your neighbours are holo‑projections, or old friends stay in touch via holographic pub meetups? Perhaps a recurring comic setup involves glitch‑prone robots over‑serving tea or misreading polite conversation as commands.
Blending Formats and Styles
Borrow from retrofuturism—design aesthetics that mirror what past decades imagined the future would look like, such as bright pastel gadgets or sleek mid‑century furniture with a sci‑fi twist Wikipedia. This helps balance nostalgia with novelty.
Injecting Darker, Quirky Tones
Modern British comedy often mixes warmth with a hint of darkness or absurdity. Following shows like Big Boys and Funboys, future sitcom plotlines could explore loneliness in hyperconnected societies or the emotional snafus of AI roommates—with a comedic edge The Times.
Creative Expression & Fan Art
Fan creations and concept art—like imagined set illustrations or stylised character sketches—can help shape tone and visual identity. Projects like Alex J Cunningham’s “Sitcom Sets” (which blend photorealism with illustrative styles) are great inspiration alexjcunningham.com.

Imagined Sitcom Title: Time‑Tea in the Future

Premise: A multigenerational British family navigating life in a smart home on the edge of London — where the kettle talks more than Gran, and a rogue cleaning drone has a sardonic British sense of humour.
Style: Familiar domestic cosy‑comedy meets tech mischief. Warm heart meets glitchy gadget.
Visual Identity: Retro‑futuristic décor, pastel colours, curved futuristic furnishings, and quaint British details—like an AI that serves Yorkshire tea but mispronounces “Yorkshire.”

This image sparks creative possibilities for how British sitcoms might evolve—maintaining their characteristic character‑driven, socially witty charm, while embracing future aesthetics and technological absurdity.

If you’d like, I can fetch more concept art in different styles—maybe a virtual reality sitcom set, or a satellite‑based comedy studio—or even help storyboard an episode setting. Just say the word!

********

The future of British sitcom is likely to be shaped by a blend of tradition and innovation, as the genre continues to evolve in response to shifting audience preferences, technological change, and cultural dynamics. British sitcoms have long been known for their dry wit, strong character work, and ability to reflect societal issues through humour—from the class struggles in Only Fools and Horses to the workplace absurdity of The Office. As we look forward, this legacy will continue, but in new forms.

One of the clearest trends is the movement towards more diverse voices and stories. British comedy is finally beginning to reflect the multicultural reality of the UK, with more sitcoms being created by and starring people from underrepresented backgrounds. Shows like Man Like Mobeen and We Are Lady Parts are paving the way for a new generation of sitcoms that explore identity, race, religion, and gender with humour and nuance. The future will likely bring more stories from across the UK’s regions and communities, breaking out of the London-centric model and embracing broader representation.

Streaming platforms will also heavily influence the direction of British sitcoms. Services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ offer both opportunity and challenge. On one hand, they provide creators with more freedom and global exposure. On the other, they often demand tighter pacing, shorter seasons, and a more cinematic look. Traditional half-hour sitcoms may evolve into hybrid formats—part sitcom, part dramedy, part mini-series—with more serialized storytelling and character development. The success of shows like Derry Girls and Sex Education illustrates how British humour can translate globally while still retaining its local flavour.

Technology and viewing habits are also reshaping the genre. Younger audiences are consuming content via social media, YouTube, and short-form platforms like TikTok. This could inspire more micro-sitcom formats or web-first comedies that build cult audiences before being picked up for traditional broadcast or streaming deals. Sitcom creators will need to be savvy about digital storytelling, transmedia integration, and audience interaction.

Humour itself may become subtler and more introspective. The days of broad, studio-laughter comedies may be waning in favour of more character-driven, slice-of-life shows. This doesn’t mean sitcoms will become less funny—just more layered, emotionally intelligent, and reflective of modern life’s absurdities. Expect more cringe humour, dark comedy, and shows that blend pathos with punchlines.

Despite all these changes, the core appeal of the British sitcom—relatable characters navigating everyday problems with wit and resilience—will remain. Whether set in a working men’s club, a modern office, or a chaotic family home, the sitcom will continue to offer comfort, catharsis, and cultural insight. The format may evolve, the distribution may change, but the heart of the British sitcom—a uniquely human, uniquely British lens on life—will endure, and perhaps even thrive in this new era.

My Books And Where To Find Them...


Richard The Third (Colour) Paperback • signed	Doctors Who? Colouring Paperback • signed	Socks Do Shakespeare Paperback	Kids Comics Annual 2026 Paperback

Richard The Third (bw) Paperback • signed	Findlay Macbeth Paperback • signed	Prince of Denmark Street Paperback • signed	Midsummer Night's Dream Team Paperback • signed

Shakespeare Omnibus Paperback • signed	Comic Tales From The Bible Paperback • signed	Joseph, Ruth & Other Stories Paperback • signed	Space Elain Paperback • signed

Book Of Esther	Who Notes	Sweet Smell Of Sockcess	Attack Of The Sausages

My 1975 Diary Calendar	Colouring Books Paperback • signed	Scottish Falsetto Socks Annual	Tales Of Nambygate

Top 10 Sitcoms Starring Robots, according to a robot

2023-08-31T22:30:00.001-07:00

Over the years, there have been many sitcoms featuring robots as main characters. From classic comedies to more recent shows, these shows have captured the imaginations of audiences with their unique and often hilarious storylines. In this essay, we will explore the top 10 sitcoms starring robots.

1 - Red Dwarf - "Red Dwarf" is a British sitcom that follows the adventures of Dave Lister, the last human being alive, and his robot companion, Kryten. Kryten is a service mechanoid who serves as a butler and caretaker for the crew of the mining spaceship Red Dwarf. He is often the source of much of the show's comedy, with his overzealous and sometimes misguided attempts to be helpful.

2 - Futurama - "Futurama" is an animated sitcom that follows the adventures of Fry, a pizza delivery boy who is cryogenically frozen and wakes up 1,000 years in the future. One of the show's main characters is Bender, a robot who is a heavy drinker, smoker, and gambler. Bender's sarcastic wit and selfish antics often get him into trouble, but he is ultimately a lovable character.

3 - The Jetsons - "The Jetsons" is a classic animated sitcom that aired in the 1960s. The show is set in the year 2062 and follows the lives of the Jetson family, who live in a futuristic utopia. One of the show's main characters is Rosie the Robot, who serves as the Jetson family's housekeeper. She is often the voice of reason in the show, with her dry sense of humor and practical advice.

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My Books And Where To Find Them...

Romeo and Juliet - in black & white or colour


Richard The Third (Colour) Paperback • signed	Doctors Who? Colouring Paperback • signed	Socks Do Shakespeare Paperback	Kids Comics Annual 2026 Paperback

Richard The Third (bw) Paperback • signed	Findlay Macbeth Paperback • signed	Prince of Denmark Street Paperback • signed	Midsummer Night's Dream Team Paperback • signed

Shakespeare Omnibus Paperback • signed	Comic Tales From The Bible Paperback • signed	Joseph, Ruth & Other Stories Paperback • signed	Space Elain Paperback • signed

Book Of Esther	Who Notes	Sweet Smell Of Sockcess	Attack Of The Sausages

My 1975 Diary Calendar	Colouring Books Paperback • signed	Scottish Falsetto Socks Annual	Tales Of Nambygate

Colouring Books: Doctors Who, Hollywood Legends, Punk, Cult TV, Eurovision Vol 1, Eurovision Vol 2, Eurovision Best Of British & Irish, 1960s Pop, 1970s Pop, 1980s Pop, 1990s Pop, 2020s Pop, Bowie, Scottish Pop, Royalty, Rom Coms

4 - Small Wonder - "Small Wonder" is a classic sitcom from the 1980s that follows the lives of the Lawson family and their android daughter, Vicki. Vicki is a highly advanced robot who is capable of performing a wide range of tasks, from cooking dinner to doing the laundry. She is often the source of much of the show's humor, with her attempts to understand human behavior.

5 - My Life as a Teenage Robot - "My Life as a Teenage Robot" is an animated sitcom that follows the adventures of Jenny Wakeman, a robot who was designed to protect Earth from various threats. The show is set in the fictional town of Tremorton and follows Jenny's attempts to balance her duties as a superhero with her desire to fit in with her human classmates.

6 - Mork and Mindy - "Mork and Mindy" is a classic sitcom from the 1970s that follows the adventures of Mork, an alien from the planet Ork who is sent to Earth to study human behavior. Mork is often the source of much of the show's humor, with his otherworldly antics and strange behavior. Although not a robot, Mork's unique characteristics make him a standout character in the world of sitcoms.

7 - ALF - "ALF" is a classic sitcom from the 1980s that follows the adventures of Gordon Shumway, an alien who crash-lands on Earth and is taken in by the Tanner family. Although not a robot, ALF's sarcastic wit and mischievous behavior make him a standout character in the world of sitcoms.

8 - Metal Mickey - "Metal Mickey" is a British sitcom from the 1980s that follows the adventures of the Wilcox family and their robot friend, Metal Mickey. Metal Mickey is a highly advanced robot who is capable of performing a wide range of tasks, from cleaning the house to playing video games.

9 - The Bionic Woman - "The Bionic Woman" is a classic sitcom from the 1970s that follows the adventures of Jaime Sommers, a former tennis...

-at this point Chat GPT, for it was they writing the article, got to their 500 word limit and just stopped. They were halfway through writing about a show that's not a sitcom, and a lead who's not a robot (she has some metal bits, that's not the same thing. Honestly, you'd think it'd take one to know one!)

(As you no doubt can tell, we asked Chat GPT for the article, and Craiyon for the image).

The Sitcom Trials is taking a break at the moment but could return at any time. Stay tuned.

Top 10 Movie Stars Who Started Out In Sitcoms

2023-07-31T22:30:00.001-07:00

Over the years, many movie stars have gotten their start in television sitcoms. These shows gave them a chance to hone their comedic skills and build a following, ultimately leading to success on the big screen. In this essay, we will explore the top 10 movie stars who started their careers in sitcoms, including Tom Hanks and Simon Pegg.

1 - Tom Hanks - Tom Hanks got his start in the 1980s sitcom "Bosom Buddies", where he played a young advertising executive who dressed in drag in order to live in a women-only apartment complex. He went on to become one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, starring in hits like "Forrest Gump", "Apollo 13", and "Toy Story".

2 - Robin Williams - Robin Williams got his start on the television sitcom "Mork & Mindy" in the late 1970s. He played an alien from the planet Ork who comes to Earth to study human behavior. Williams went on to become one of the most beloved actors of his generation, starring in hits like "Dead Poets Society", "Good Will Hunting", and "Mrs. Doubtfire".

3 - Jennifer Aniston - Jennifer Aniston got her start on the hit sitcom "Friends" in the 1990s. She played Rachel Green, a spoiled but lovable young woman who works at a coffee shop and hangs out with her five best friends in New York City. Aniston went on to become a major movie star, starring in hits like "Marley & Me", "The Break-Up", and "Horrible Bosses".

4 - George Clooney - George Clooney got his start on the sitcom "The Facts of Life" in the 1980s. He played a handyman named George who works at an all-girls boarding school. Clooney went on to become one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, starring in hits like "Ocean's Eleven", "Up in the Air", and "The Descendants".

5 - Steve Carell - Steve Carell got his start on the sitcom "The Dana Carvey Show" in the mid-1990s. He went on to become a regular on "The Daily Show" and "The Office", where he played bumbling boss Michael Scott. Carell went on to become a successful movie star, starring in hits like "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", "Little Miss Sunshine", and "Crazy, Stupid, Love".

6 - Jim Carrey - Jim Carrey got his start on the sketch comedy show "In Living Color" in the early 1990s. He went on to star in the hit sitcom "The Duck Factory", where he played a young cartoonist who works at a TV station. Carrey went on to become one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, starring in hits like "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", "The Mask", and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".

7 - Simon Pegg - Simon Pegg got his start on the British sitcom "Spaced" in the late 1990s. He went on to star in hits like "Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz", and "Star Trek". Pegg has become known for his comedic timing and his ability to balance humor with drama.

8 - Will Smith - Will Smith got his start on the sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" in the early 1990s. He played a street-smart teenager from Philadelphia who moves in with his wealthy aunt and uncle in Bel-Air. Smith went on to become one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood, starring in hits like "Men in Black", "Independence Day", and "Ali".

9 - Kristen Wiig - Kristen (at this point Chat GPT had finished writing its 500 words and just stopped. Very poor.)

Two more movie stars who started out in TV sitcoms are Melissa McCarthy and John Krasinski. Melissa McCarthy got her start on the sitcom "Gilmore Girls" in the early 2000s, where she played Sookie St. James, the best friend of the show's protagonist. She went on to become a successful movie star, starring in hits like "Bridesmaids", "The Heat", and "Spy". John Krasinski got his start on the hit sitcom "The Office" in the mid-2000s, where he played Jim Halpert, a salesman who has a crush on his coworker Pam. He went on to become a successful movie star, starring in hits like "A Quiet Place", "13 Hours", and "Jack Ryan".

(As you can probably guess, we asked Chat GPT to write the article, and Craiyon to create an image of Simon Pegg and Tom Hanks in a 1970s sitcom)

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I 'Ate You Butlers - in sitcoms

2023-06-30T22:30:00.001-07:00

Butlers in sitcoms. Do we really hate them? (Prepare for at least one glaring factual accuracy, probably in the Number One slot)

The butler or servant character has been a staple of television sitcoms for many years, providing comic relief, witticisms, and sometimes even a touch of class to the proceedings. In this essay, we will explore the top 10 butlers or servants in sitcoms, including Butler from "On the Buses".

10 - Geoffrey Butler - "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" - Geoffrey Butler (played by Joseph Marcell) was the sarcastic butler to the wealthy Banks family in this classic 90s sitcom. He often provided a voice of reason and dry humor in the midst of the family's crazy antics.

9 - Benson DuBois - "Benson" - Benson (played by Robert Guillaume) was the head butler for the governor's mansion in this political sitcom. He eventually became a beloved character in his own right and even got his own spin-off series.

8 - Niles - "The Nanny" - Niles (played by Daniel Davis) was the sardonic butler for the Sheffield family in this popular 90s sitcom. He often engaged in witty banter with the nanny, Fran Fine, and provided some of the show's most memorable moments.

7 - Hudson - "Upstairs, Downstairs"** - Hudson (played by Gordon Jackson) was the strict butler for the Bellamy family in this classic British drama. He was known for his no-nonsense attitude and devotion to his duties, which often put him at odds with the other servants.

6 - Mr. Carson - "Downton Abbey"*** - Mr. Carson (played by Jim Carter) was the loyal butler for the Crawley family in this popular British drama. He was known for his strict adherence to tradition and his close relationship with the family.

5 - Parker - "Thunderbirds" - Parker (voiced by David Graham) was the loyal butler to the Tracy family in this classic puppet series. He was known for his dry wit and his willingness to go to great lengths to protect the family.

4 - Lurch - "The Addams Family" - Lurch (played by Ted Cassidy) was the butler for the creepy Addams family in this classic 60s sitcom. He was known for his deep, mournful voice and his willingness to play along with the family's eccentricities.

3 - Geoffrey - "Butler" - Geoffrey (played by Michael Elphick) was the loyal butler to a wealthy British family in this 1980s sitcom. He was known for his dry humor and his willingness to go to great lengths to protect the family's interests.

2 - Benson - "Soap" - Benson (played by James Noble) was the butler for the wealthy Tate family in this controversial 70s sitcom. He was known for his wit and his ability to provide a voice of reason in the midst of the family's wild antics.

1 - Butler - "On the Buses" - Butler (played by Stephen Lewis) was the cantankerous butler for the wealthy Blakey family in this classic British sitcom. He was known for his constant battles with the bumbling bus driver, Stan, and his devotion to his employer, Mrs. Blakey*.

In conclusion, these 10 butlers or servants in sitcoms have all become beloved characters in their own right, providing humor, wit, and sometimes even a touch of class to their respective shows. Whether they're sarcastic, loyal, or cantankerous, these characters have all left a lasting impression on audiences and have become a vital part of TV history.

(You guessed it, we asked ChatGPT to write the article, and Craiyon to provide the pictures)

*And we couldn't let this one pass, without human intervention. Stephen Lewis played Blakey, Reg Varney played Butler.

** Not a sitcom

*** Also not a sitcom

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

20 year old Rejection letters & the birth of The Sitcom Trials

2023-06-17T01:47:00.001-07:00

In my ongoing quest to empty some of the dozens of boxes we still have cluttering up the place, I open up a file of paperwork, relating to the stage shows Situations Vacant and Sitcom Trials that I was running circa twenty-odd years ago. And what should I find but a clutch of rejection letters.

Kids today may not be familiar with this paper-based phenomenon. But dating back to the days just before everyone had email, these letters from between 1999 and 2001 give a fascinating paper trail from my efforts to break into comedy writing.

I had started sending sitcom scripts to the TV and radio when I was freshly out of art college. My first effort, The Administration, was about the kids running the Student Union at a provincial art college. Write what you know, they say. That was 1984, and if I have the rejection letters from those days, they've yet to turn up. Further sitcom efforts followed, the next significant one being Needletime, which Alan Seaman and I co-wrote circa 1989, based on our time working on Radio Leicester's youth programme Primetime. Again, we were writing what we knew. And getting routinely rejected, obviously.

For the next few years, as I was making my way as a quite successful writer of comic strips, I would occasionally send my sitcom scripts and TV & radio ideas off to the various broadcasters and production companies that existed in those days.

I achieved some small success, having two game show formats optioned by Talkback. One, Drs and Nurses, was a medical game show that found itself pipped to the post by a now-forgotten BBC2 show called Ps & Qs, presented by Tony Slattery. The second was Unbelievable, a game show about truth and lies, that was essentially Call My Bluff with stories. This never got made, and was beaten to the punch by two far better shows that came around a decade later: The Unbelievable Truth on Radio 4, and Would I Lie To You? on BBC1.

The bottom line with the sitcoms was that, no matter how well you thought you were doing, the best you could ever get for your efforts was a polite rejection letter. Which is where the idea for Situations Vacant and then The Sitcom Trials came from.

By the early 90s I'd started doing stand up regularly, and was getting somewhere with it. I had regular paid gigs, including MC-ing the weekly Comedy Box in Bristol. And the one thing you learn in stand up is that it's regular performance in front of a live audience that shapes your comedy. No stand up would get anywhere if they just wrote their comedy ideas down and sent them off to a producer. You get out there and perform them, and that's how you find out whether an audience finds them funny. And if they don't, you write more, and re-write what you've already written, until you have the funniest stuff you can have.

Thus Situations Vacant was a show I devised that would subject my sitcom writing to the same acid test of audience reaction as my stand up. I contacted actors, and other writers (via Venue, the local what's on magazine, another thing that'll be hard to explain to the kids) and we assembled a show where we showcased three or four situation comedies, of varying lengths, and saw how it went.

It went well. The idea was we'd stage the sitcoms, then based on the audience reaction we'd go away, rewrite anything that merited it, and we'd stage them again. We'd team write, contributing ideas to each others scripts, and we'd stage the improved sitcoms again.

Then we'd send these tried-and-tested sitcom scripts off to the TV and radio. And what do you know, it worked.

In 1996 our sitcom, Yikes It's Jesper, was sent to BBC Comedy. The very next day I got a phone call from producer Jon Rolph who said to me "Yes, I think we can do something with this."

This sitcom was co-written by me and journalist Ken Elkes, based around a central character Jesper, devised by Bristol Uni student Iain Morris. The title had been coined by up-and-coming comedian James Dowdeswell, and another contributor to our scripts at the time, who had one or two lines in this, was Bristol local Stephen Merchant. We wrote two episodes of Yikes... both of which had been sent to Jon.

It took a year before this sitcom found itself made into a pilot, recorded in front of a studio audience at the BBC Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House, under the name Come Together, and starring Ben Miller, Arabella Weir, Mel Hudson and Kevin Eldon.

Come Together (which had been renamed when Iain, who was by now working for TV company Avalon, withdrew permission for us to use his Jesper character) never made it beyond the pilot stage, ultimately being the sort of flat-share comedy that the BBC realised they already had enough of. However Jon was able to get us a second pilot, this time of a sketch show called Meanwhile, which starred Ronnie Ancona and Geoff McGivern. It was made in 1997 and also stalled after the studio audience pilot.

However Situations Vacant continued, and morphed in The Sitcom Trials, the format wherein the audience saw just the first half of each sitcom, then voted for their favourite and only saw the ending of the winner. Doing regular shows in Bristol and London, we would then stage full versions of earlier winners as the headline act of each show, giving them the vital test that would ready them for sending off to the TV and radio.

Which brings us back to the rejection letters above. Here we can see three sitcom projects getting turned down:

Didn't You Used To Be..? was co-written by me and Geoff Whiting, and was showcased in Bristol and London with Tony 'Baldrick' Robinson in the lead role. There's a poor quality video of it somewhere. It was set in a QVC-like shopping channel and was, I thought, our funniest effort.

The Lavendar Millbank Mob was devised by Rich Johnston, with a number of writers delivering episodes. I wrote two (I think we staged six in all). It was about Labour party spin doctors and was beaten to radio by Absolute Power, and to TV by The Thick Of It.

Go Wild In The Country was the only written written by me alone. Under the pseudonym Jane Simon, which was very much my Currer Bell moment. This one actually ended up on TV, as part of the TV series of The Sitcom Trials.

Which is another story, for another day.

Read more about The Sitcom Trials in its own blog, here. There's a lot of it.

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

Summery sitcoms, a summary

2023-05-31T22:30:00.022-07:00

We asked ChatGPT and Criayon for an article and a photo about summer-related sitcoms. Expecting Last Of The Summer Wine, obviously, this is what we got...

British and American sitcoms with "summer" in the title have become popular over the years, often playing on the idea of summer being a time of relaxation and fun. These shows often feature characters embarking on summer adventures or working summer jobs. In this essay, I will explore some of the British and American sitcoms with "summer" in the title.

One of the most popular British sitcoms with "summer" in the title is "Summer Heights High", which aired on BBC Three in 2007. The show was created by and starred Australian comedian Chris Lilley, who played three different characters at the fictional Summer Heights High School. The show was a critical and commercial success, winning several awards and launching Lilley's career in the UK.

Another British sitcom with "summer" in the title is "The Summer House", which aired on BBC One in 1993. The show followed the lives of several families who rented a summer house in the fictional village of Westcombe. The show was created by and starred Peter Davison, who was best known for his role as the Fifth Doctor in "Doctor Who".

In the United States, one of the most popular sitcoms with "summer" in the title is "The Summerland", which aired on The WB from 2004 to 2005. The show starred Lori Loughlin as a former professional beach volleyball player who takes in her sister's three children after their parents die in a car accident. The show was cancelled after only two seasons due to low ratings.

Another American sitcom with "summer" in the title is "Summer Heights 305", which aired on MTV in 2021. The show was created by and starred comedian Ron Funches, who played a fictionalized version of himself working as a lifeguard in Miami Beach. The show was praised for its humour and representation of the LGBTQ+ community.

In addition to these sitcoms, there have been several other British and American shows that have used "summer" in the title. Some of these shows include "The Summer of '42" (a 1971 film adaptation of the novel of the same name), "Summer Camp Island" (an animated series that premiered on Cartoon Network in 2018), and "The Last Summer" (a 2019 Netflix film about a group of teenagers who spend their last summer before college together).

In conclusion, British and American sitcoms with "summer" in the title have become a popular sub-genre of television over the years. These shows often play on the idea of summer being a time of fun and adventure, and have produced some memorable and beloved characters. While some of these shows have been short-lived, others have become cultural touchstones and are still enjoyed by audiences today.

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

Top 10 Royal Sitcoms

2023-05-03T03:11:00.000-07:00

You know what sitcoms you'd think of if we asked you to name the Top 10 Sitcoms with Royalty in their name, don't you? Yup, you've thought of the exact same top three as us. I bet the robot thinks differently. Here's what they came up with...

Sitcoms with Kings, Queens, or royalty in their title have been a popular genre for many years. These shows often revolve around the lives of monarchs or aristocrats, and the comedic situations they find themselves in. Here are the top 10 sitcoms with Kings, Queens, or royalty in their title:

The King of Queens

The King of Queens follows the life of a delivery driver named Doug, his wife Carrie, and his father-in-law Arthur. The show is set in Queens, New York, and ran for nine seasons from 1998 to 2007.

The Crown*

The Crown is a historical drama that follows the reign of Queen Elizabeth II from her marriage to Prince Philip in 1947 to the present day. The show has been praised for its accurate portrayal of historical events and its stunning cinematography.

The Queen's Gambit**

The Queen's Gambit is a miniseries about a young orphan named Beth Harmon who becomes a chess prodigy in the 1960s. The show has received critical acclaim for its performances, direction, and writing.

King of the Hill

King of the Hill is an animated sitcom that follows the life of a propane salesman named Hank Hill and his family and friends in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas. The show ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2010.

The Queen and I

The Queen and I is a British sitcom that imagines what would happen if the royal family were forced to live on a council estate after a republic is declared in Britain. The show was based on a book by Sue Townsend and ran for one season in 1993.

The Royals

The Royals is a drama series that follows a fictional British royal family as they deal with scandals and political intrigue. The show ran for four seasons from 2015 to 2018.

King and Maxwell***

King and Maxwell is a crime drama series that follows the lives of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, two former Secret Service agents who now work as private investigators. The show ran for one season in 2013.

The Queen's Nose

The Queen's Nose is a British children's comedy series that follows the adventures of a young girl named Harmony Parker who discovers a magical 50p coin that grants wishes. The show ran for seven seasons from 1995 to 2003.

Kings****

Kings is a drama series that is loosely based on the story of King David from the Bible. The show is set in an alternate version of modern-day America where a monarch rules over a country called Gilboa. The show ran for one season in 2009.

The Windsors

The Windsors is a British sitcom that parodies the lives of the British royal family. The show has been praised for its absurd and irreverent humor, and has run for three seasons since 2016.

In conclusion, sitcoms with Kings, Queens, or royalty in their title have been a popular genre for many years. Whether they are dramas, comedies, or animated series, these shows often revolve around the lives of monarchs and aristocrats and the comedic situations they find themselves in. From The King of Queens to The Windsors, these shows have captured the imaginations of audiences all over the world, and will likely continue to do so for years to come.

Okay, Chat GPT, we have notes. Firstly those footnotes:

* Not a sitcom

** Also not a sitcom

*** Obviously not a sitcom

**** Oh come on now

Then we come to the three you missed, the most obvious ones that everyone just thought of:

Fresh Prince Of Bel Air

King Of The Hill, which you got, fair play

Queenie's Castle - okay, not everyone remembers a 1970s sitcom starring Diana Dors, but we do.

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

The Sitcom Trials according to AI

2023-04-12T02:48:00.000-07:00

(We asked Dall-E by Craiyon to draw The Sitcom Trials logo, and it gave us the above)

We asked ChatGPT for 500 words about The Sitcom Trials. This is what it told us...

The Sitcom Trials is a stage show that brings the best of British comedy to audiences across the country. This unique show is a combination of sketch comedy and theatre, with each performance featuring several mini-sitcoms that are written by up-and-coming writers and performed by professional actors.

The concept of The Sitcom Trials was first created by Kev F Sutherland, a veteran of the UK comedy scene. The show has been running for over 20 years, and it continues to attract audiences of all ages who are looking for a night of laughs and entertainment.

The format of The Sitcom Trials is simple but effective. Each performance features several short sitcoms that are between five and ten minutes long. These sitcoms are written by aspiring writers who are looking for a break in the competitive world of comedy writing. Each sitcom is then performed by a group of professional actors who bring the scripts to life on stage.

The audience is then asked to vote for their favourite sitcom of the night. The winning sitcom then goes through to the final, where it will compete against the winners of other performances. The overall winner of The Sitcom Trials is then awarded a prize, which can include anything from a script commission to a development deal.

The beauty of The Sitcom Trials is that it provides a platform for new and emerging comedy writers to showcase their talent. This is a rare opportunity in the world of comedy, where the competition is fierce and the barriers to entry can be high. The show has launched the careers of many successful writers, including Simon Blackwell (The Thick of It, Veep) and James Cary (Miranda, My Family).

The Sitcom Trials also provides an opportunity for established writers to try out new material in front of a live audience. Many writers use The Sitcom Trials as a testing ground for their ideas, allowing them to refine their scripts and gauge audience reaction before pitching them to producers.

The performances themselves are always hilarious and engaging. The professional actors bring a real energy and enthusiasm to the stage, and they are able to switch seamlessly between different characters and situations. The writing is sharp and witty, with a mix of both traditional and modern sitcom themes and tropes.

The Sitcom Trials has been praised by audiences and critics alike for its originality and quality. It has been described as "a masterclass in sitcom writing and performance" and "the perfect night out for comedy fans". The show has also won several awards, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award and the Sony Radio Academy Award.

In conclusion, The Sitcom Trials is a unique and entertaining stage show that brings the best of British comedy to audiences across the country. It provides a platform for new and emerging comedy writers to showcase their talent, as well as an opportunity for established writers to try out new material. With its winning combination of sharp writing and engaging performances, The Sitcom Trials is a must-see for any comedy fan.

(We also asked the AI to create a photo of The Sitcom Trials starring Miranda Hart and Kev F Sutherland, and got the above)

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

Top 50 Sitcoms with the shortest titles

2023-04-02T01:54:00.009-07:00

Ever wondered what the Top 50 Sitcoms with the shortest titles were? Of course you haven't. Why would you? Still, we indulged this exercise in futility, but instead of wasting a human's time with it, we asked our friendly neighbourhood robot to write the list. Here's what they came up with.

ALF (American)
Are You Being Served? (British)
Bad Education (British)
Barney Miller (American)
Black Books (British)
Blackadder (British)
Cheers (American)
Coupling (British)
Crashing (British)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (American)
Dad's Army (British)
Dear John (American)
Dinosaurs (American)
Fawlty Towers (British)
Fleabag (British)
Frasier (American)
Friends (American)
Full House (American)
Gavin & Stacey (British)
Gimme Gimme Gimme (British)
Girls (American)
Goodnight Sweetheart (British)
Happy Endings (American)
Hi-de-Hi! (British)
Home Improvement (American)
How I Met Your Mother (American)
I Love Lucy (American)
Inbetweeners (British)
IT Crowd (British)
Joey (American)
Keeping Up Appearances (British)
King of Queens (American)
MAS*H (American)
Miranda (British)
Mom (American)
Mr. Bean (British)
New Girl (American)
Parks and Recreation (American)
Peep Show (British)
Perfect Strangers (American)
Scrubs (American)
Seinfeld (American)
Spaced (British)
The Cosby Show (American)
The IT Crowd (British)
The Office (American)
The Office (British)
The Young Ones (British)
Three's Company (American)
Will & Grace (American)

Okay, we have notes, ChatGPT. Four words is not a short title. It is, if anything, above average length. Pull your socks up, if you want AI to steal everyone's jobs.

So, asking Wikipedia for sitcoms, and hand-picking one-word titles, here's what you missed:

Abby

Airwaves

Alice

Amen

Angelo's

Animals

Awkward

Babes

Back

Badults

Barbara

Beast

Becker

Bedsitcom

Bedtime

Benidorm

Benson

Bette

Beulah

Bewitched

Billy

Birdgirl

Bizaardvark

Blessed

Bloomers

Blossom....

Oh god, we ended up wasting a human's time after all, didn't we?

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

History of British sitcom

2023-02-28T22:30:00.004-08:00

Factual inaccuracies ahoy, we asked ChatGPT for 500 words on the history of the British sitcom. Feel free to correct them on the inclusion of a soap opera, a game show, and anything else they've chucked in.

The British sitcom is a cornerstone of British television and radio. It has provided audiences with countless hours of laughter and entertainment over the years, and has been the breeding ground for many of the country's most talented writers and performers. In this essay, I will explore the origins of the British sitcom, naming at least five TV shows and five radio shows.

The British sitcom can trace its origins back to the early days of British television and radio. One of the earliest examples of a British sitcom is "Hancock's Half Hour", which aired on BBC Radio from 1954 to 1959. The show starred Tony Hancock as a fictional version of himself, and was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The show's success on radio led to a television adaptation, which aired from 1956 to 1961.

Another early example of a British sitcom is "Steptoe and Son", which aired on BBC television from 1962 to 1974. The show was created by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and followed the lives of two rag-and-bone men who lived and worked together in a run-down house in London. The show was a huge success and spawned several spin-offs and adaptations.

In the 1970s, British sitcoms began to reflect the changing social and political landscape of the country. One of the most popular sitcoms of this era was "Till Death Us Do Part", which aired on BBC television from 1965 to 1975. The show was a controversial satire of British working-class life, and featured a cantankerous and bigoted character named Alf Garnett, played by Warren Mitchell.

Another popular sitcom of the 1970s was "The Good Life", which aired on BBC television from 1975 to 1978. The show was created by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, and starred Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal as a middle-class couple who decide to give up their city life and become self-sufficient in their suburban garden.

In the 1980s and 1990s, British sitcoms continued to evolve and reflect the changing times. One of the most successful sitcoms of this era was "Only Fools and Horses", which aired on BBC television from 1981 to 2003. The show was created by John Sullivan, and followed the lives of two brothers who lived and worked in Peckham, London. The show became a cultural phenomenon and spawned several spin-offs and adaptations.

Another successful sitcom of the 1990s was "Absolutely Fabulous", which aired on BBC television from 1992 to 1996. The show was created by Jennifer Saunders, who also starred as one of the main characters, alongside Joanna Lumley. The show was a satire of the fashion and media industries, and was known for its outrageous and politically incorrect humour.

In terms of radio sitcoms, one of the most popular and enduring shows is "The Archers", which has been airing on BBC Radio 4 since 1951. The show follows the lives of the residents of the fictional village of Ambridge, and has become a national institution, attracting millions of listeners every week.

Another popular radio sitcom is "I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again", which aired on BBC Radio from 1964 to 1973. The show was a sketch comedy that launched the careers of several well-known comedians, including John Cleese, Graeme Garden, and Bill Oddie.

In conclusion, the British sitcom has a rich and varied history that spans several decades and mediums. From the early days of radio to the modern era of streaming television, the British sitcom has continued to entertain audiences with its unique blend of humour and social commentary. Some of the most popular and enduring sitcoms

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

The Top 10 Most Hated Sitcoms

2023-02-01T03:15:00.005-08:00

Television sitcoms have been a staple of British and American TV for decades, with many shows achieving cult status and critical acclaim. However, not every sitcom has been well-received by audiences, and there have been several shows that have been widely disliked. In this essay, we will explore the top 10 most hated sitcoms on British or American TV.

"Joey" (2004-2006) - This spin-off of the wildly popular sitcom "Friends" starred Matt LeBlanc as the titular character, who moves to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. Despite high expectations, the show was widely panned by critics and viewers, who found it unfunny and lacking the charm of its predecessor.

"Mr. Belvedere" (1985-1990) - This American sitcom centered around a British butler named Lynn Belvedere (Christopher Hewett) who moves in with an American family and becomes their nanny. The show was criticized for its outdated gender roles and offensive humor.

"Hello, Larry" (1979-1980) - This American sitcom starred McLean Stevenson as a radio talk show host who moves to Oregon to become a school counselor. The show was short-lived and widely disliked for its weak writing and lack of laughs.

"Dads" (2013-2014) - This American sitcom centered around two successful video game developers whose lives are turned upside down when their fathers move in with them. The show was criticized for its offensive humor and racial stereotypes.

"Work It" (2012) - This short-lived American sitcom centered around two unemployed men who dress up as women in order to get jobs at a pharmaceutical company. The show was widely criticized for its offensive portrayal of transgender people and its reliance on outdated gender stereotypes.

"Heil Honey, I'm Home!" (1990) - This British sitcom centered around Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, who live next door to a Jewish couple in suburban Berlin. The show was cancelled after one episode due to widespread outrage and accusations of anti-Semitism.

"The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer" (1998) - This American sitcom was set in the White House during Abraham Lincoln's presidency and centered around a black butler named Desmond Pfeiffer. The show was criticized for its racist humor and trivialization of slavery.

"The Trouble with Tracy" (1971) - This Canadian sitcom centered around a young girl named Tracy who moves to Toronto to become a model. The show was widely panned for its poor writing and lack of laughs.

"That's My Bush!" (2001) - This American sitcom was a parody of George W. Bush's presidency and centered around his daily life in the White House. The show was criticized for its tasteless humor and lack of political insight.

"Emily's Reasons Why Not" (2006) - This American sitcom starred Heather Graham as a self-help author who struggles to find love. The show was cancelled after one episode due to poor ratings and negative reviews.

In conclusion, these 10 sitcoms are some of the most widely disliked in British and American TV history. Whether due to offensive humor, poor writing, or lack of laughs, these shows failed to resonate with audiences and were quickly cancelled or pulled from the air. Despite their lack of success, however, they serve as a reminder that not every TV show is a hit, and that even the most beloved genres can produce some duds.

(We asked ChatGPT for an article, and Craiyon for an image, about the Top 10 Most Hated Sitcoms. The above is what we got.)

★★★★ "You will not be disappointed" - The Public Reviews

Sitcom Trials 2002 Tour

2019-05-13T08:20:00.003-07:00

In a folder that I was very nearly about to sling into the recycling unopened, I've just found a delightful treasure trove of memorabilia from The Sitcom Trials first tour, which followed our Edinburgh Fringe debut of 2001. The tour, in the spring of 2002, was only 8 gigs long, but being the first I'd ever promoted was quite a little triumph for me and set the template for how I would go on to produce the, slightly longer, Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre tours of subsequent years.

These souvenirs are from the first four shows on the tour, in Leicester, Loughborough (both part of Leicester Comedy Festival), Cirencester, and Nottingham, and a London show at the Amused Moose, all of which starred the Edinburgh cast of Miranda Hart and Charity Trimm (who graced all our promotional materials, in a photo lifted from their own show with Sitcom Trials t-shirts Photoshopped in), Gez Foster and Dan Clegg. After these five gigs they decided they'd had enough of the show, which was much of a money maker once our meagre fee had been split five ways, leaving me to recruit and rehearse a new cast for the subsequent shows (in Glasgow, Reading, Gloucester and Warrington, now you ask). This I then did.

Amazingly this little period of Miranda's showbiz history hasn't featured heavily in her various autobiographies, and I confess I'd forgotten much of it (Cirencester, for example, was a Pointless answer I would never have got in a hundred guesses) but it's a pleasure to see I've hung onto these mementoes of that formative time in our various careers.

And this just turned up in the same box of trivia, a Sitcom Trials voting form from a long forgotten New Material Night, held at the Comedy Pub in London in march 2002. And winning on the night, with 25 votes to the others 6 and 4, was Peterford Golf Club by Shepherd and Farnaby. Waen Shepherd went on to become the legendary Gary Le Strange and have a regular part in The Inbetweeners, and Simon Farnaby has been a regular in Horrible Histories for some years and currently portrays a dead politician in Ghosts.

Whatever did happen to The Sitcom Trials?

Merry Christmas from The Sitcom Trials

2018-12-11T23:45:00.004-08:00

A very Merry Christmas to everyone who's been involved in, or come to see, The Sitcom Trials over the years. 2018's been our quietest year in a long time, but perhaps we can console ourselves with the Trials' rather tenuous link to Christmas adverts. Has anyone else spotted it?

That's right, Uncle Awesome, the central character in this year's Paypal Christmas Adverts - which I, for one, have been unable to escape online this month - is played by one of the winners of 2009's 10th Anniversary Sitcom Trials, Sam Pamphilon.

Sam Pamphilon and Steve McNeil won the 10th Anniversary Sitcom Trials, a season of which ran at the Leicester Square Theatre from October to December 2009, with their sitcom End To End. You can see it in this clip from Heat 3, judged by Iain Morris and Nev Fountain.

The Sitcom Trials' 20th anniversary is coming up in 2019 and, at the moment, it looks like we have no plans to revive or commemorate it. If anyone out there would like to make that happen, do please get in touch. (You'll find me, Kev F, on Facebook, Twitter, and email)

A Happy New Year when it comes everyone.

Kev F Sutherland
Creator and producer
The Sitcom Trials 1999 - ?

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

Announcing the First Irish Radio Sitcom Trials

2018-03-18T01:54:00.001-07:00

The Sitcom Trials is happy to announce the launch of the First Irish Radio Sitcom Trials.

RTE, and the production company Sideline, are running a competition called The Radio Sitcom Trials, looking for original half-hour radio comedy scripts in an attempt to encourage and develop Irish comedy writing talent. The deadline for entries is March 31st 2018. Enter here. Details and links are below.

Of course, as Sitcom Trials fans will know, it's not the first Radio Sitcom Trials, as in recent years, Vince Stadon and the Bristol Sitcom Trials team have produced shows in association with BCFM Radio, and BBC Radio Bristol and we did a series of shows with Bristol Community Radio as long ago as 2004. And of course the Sitcom Trials had its run on ITV in 2003, which is like radio but with pictures.

The Sitcom Trials Radio logo from the Bristol team's BCFM and BBC Bristol shows

The first BBC Radio productions to come out of Sitcom Trials shows (in our earlier incarnation as Situations Vacant) were the pilot shows Come Together, starring Ben Miller, Kevin Eldon, Arabella Weir and Mel Hudson recorded in the BBC Radio Theatre in 1997, and Meanwhile, starring Ronnie Ancona and Geoffrey McGivern, in 1998. They weren't radio Sitcom Trials, but they're always nice to cast our minds back over.

Ben Miller, Arabella Weir, Mel Hudson & Kevin Eldon in Come Together at the BBC Radio Theatre

Here are the details of RTE and Sidelines' production of The Irish Radio Sitcom Trials which we here at Sitcom Trials central are happy to support.

THE 1st EVER RADIO SITCOM TRIALS

COMEDY SHOWHOUSE 2018

RTE Radio 1 and Sideline Productions are seeking original half-hour radio comedy scripts in a new drive to develop and encourage Irish writing talent.

SIDELINE Productions, in association with RTE Radio 1, are actively seeking comedy writers that can deliver half-hour radio scripts set in a familiar situation featuring stand out memorable comic characters.

Supported by The Broadcast Authority of Ireland (BAI) and comedy website grintage.com, The Radio Sitcom Trials is a new initiative staged as part of the radio comedy festival COMEDY SHOWHOUSE. Now in its 3rd year, the 6-day festival takes place at the Project Arts Theatre from Monday, April 30th to Saturday, May 5th 2018 featuring two star-studded shows at 8pm each night.

The pilot for Fiona Looney’s all-female sketch series WAITING proved such a success that it is now being supersized as a 6-part series recorded over 3 nights starring award-winning actresses Deirdre O’Kane & Rose Henderson on Monday, April 30th, Tuesday, May 1st and Wednesday, May 2nd. Each night will feature new half-hour radio shows.

This is followed on Thursday, May 3rd for 3 nights by the much-anticipated return of the multi award-winning series COLM O’REGAN WANTS A WORD – starring the Cork-born author of the successful Irish Mammy books, best seller Bolloxology and a regular performer on stage, radio and TV. Colm is joined by two of Ireland’s best comedy actors Tara Flynn and Paul Tylak. The show has already won awards for Best Irish Radio Comedy in 2016 and 2017 plus the Celtic Media Award in 2017 for Best Radio Comedy Programme broadcast in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Again each of the 3 nights features Colm, Tara & Paul performing in brand new radio programmes with special guests.

To further boost the production of original Irish radio comedy now RTE Radio 1 and Sideline Productions are keen to find the next wave of scripted comedy writing talent.

THE SITCOM TRAILS is a new initiative to spark a new breed of radio comedy writers. We are seeking popular scripts with laugh out loud moments with a small cast of ‘larger than life’ characters that can grab the imagination of an Irish audience. We are not looking for monologues, sketch shows or plays written originally for the stage. Scripts created originally for TV could be modified and re-written for radio. It is important though writers grasp the dramatic beats, pace and structure of the comedy radio half hour format plus recognise the creative opportunities radio production offers to comedy writers. The running time can be between 25 and 30 minutes.

Search tips and articles on writing (radio) comedy at www.grintage.com.

The strict deadline for accepting scripts is midnight Saturday, March 31st and there is no exception. If the final scripts selected (4 max) are of a required standard they will be performed and read by professional actors in front of a live audience as part of the first ever Sitcom Trails on Saturday, May 5th, 2018 in the Project Arts Theatre Dublin.

The writers of any of the staged radio scripts will receive a one-off award of €250.

TO APPLY CLICK HERE

Media queries to info@sideline.ie

The Original Official Sitcom Trials has been running since 1999, on stage in Bristol, London, Edinburgh, nationally and internationally. It ran at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2013 and 2016, and enjoyed an 8 week run on ITV in 2003. The last Sitcom Trials tournament had heats in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, London and Cardiff with its grand final at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh 2016.

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

The Sitcom Mission 2018 launches

2018-03-17T05:45:00.001-07:00

The Sitcom Mission, our fellow sitcom competition which spun off from The Sitcom Trials back in 2009, has launched its 2018 programme. Full details are here.

Declan Hill, Kev F Sutherland and Simon Wright, winning the Fringe Report Award for Best Encourager of Talent for The Sitcom Trials in 2008. Declan and Simon went on to produce The Sitcom Mission

In 2008 and 2009, Sitcom Trials alumni Declan Hill and Simon Wright produced two seasons of The Sitcom Trials, at The Hub in South London, the Leicester Square Theatre, and the Soho Theatre. Both had been regular contributors to the Trials, with Declan appearing in the 2005 touring show and Simon appearing in the 2003 TV series. In 2009 they developed their own show, not using the Sitcom Trials format, with a different emphasis on script development and the very successful Sitcom Mission was born.

This year's Sitcom Mission submissions dates are as follows.

Launch 🚀 - April 1st
Gold entry closes - April 29th
Silver entry closes - June 16th
Closing date - June 30th

The format will be the same as previous years so check out the website for entry info and GOOD LUCK 😉

https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/

The Sitcom Mission writes:

With an emphasis firmly on script development, The Sitcom Mission is an international sitcom writing competition, 'The X Factor for sitcoms'. It showcases 15-minute sitcom scripts in front of the British TV and radio comedy industry.

The Grand Finals have been judged by a who's who of British comedy commissioning, including Shane Allen (Channel 4/Head of BBC Comedy); Jane Berthoud (BBC Radio); Sarah Farrell (Comedy Central); Lucy Lumsden and Ben Boyer (Sky); Saskia Schuster (ITV); Myfanwy Moore (ITV); Gregor Sharp, Tilusha Ghelani and Chris Sussman (BBC TV); Paul Schlesinger(Hat Trick); and Iain Coyle and Tanya Qureshi (UKTV Commissioning).

One of the runners-up in 2011, In The Meantime, by Ciaran Murtagh and Andrew Jones, was optioned by Hat Trick Productions. Andrew says, "This is a great opportunity to have your work read and assessed by lots of very useful people!" Previous winners Thunderer by Bryn Mills, What Next? by Emma Edwards and Abigail Dooley, and Yo Valet by Snez Naik were also optioned by Hat Trick.

The Sitcom Mission has the central aim of getting a situation comedy commissioned either on TV, radio or online. We've evolved the competition and the theme now is script development. We're looking for writers who can take notes, are tenacious, thrive on feedback, love re-writing and adore the process just as much as the end result.

Each year we work with up to four writers (or writing partnerships/groups) in order to develop their sitcoms and take them to an industry showcase in London. We've got the ear of the independent production companies, and the four winners will get feedback from development officers at companies such as Avalon, Bwark, So Television, Channel X, Left Bank and others that are coming on board all the time.

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

Miranda: Sitcom comeback isn't imminent

2018-01-12T13:43:00.002-08:00

Hart denies press reports

Miranda Hart has denied reports that her sitcom will return for a fourth series later this year.

The Sun claimed that the BBC has persuaded the comic to commit to another run, six years after the last.

But she last night tweeted several denials to the story, one simply saying: ‘Not true.’ Although she didn't rule out the idea altogether.

In response to the tabloid’s initial story, Hart said: ‘Don’t know where this came from, it’s news to me. Have thought about it but that’s all…

‘I don’t know where it came from that there’s a new series of Miranda. I write and play her and she’s still on honeymoon!’

The Sun’s speculation rests on an unnamed source, who said: ‘Miranda has always been a huge hit on the BBC so getting her to sign up for another outing is a great result for them and viewers… All parties have come to an agreement and it’ll be back later this year if all goes to plan.’

Hart’s sitcom ran for three seasons from 2009 to 2012, achieving an audience of more than 11.5 million at its peak.

A two-part Christmas episode in 2014, in which her character married long-term love interest Gary, played by Tom Ellis, was meant to draw a line under the show,and was even entitled The Finale.

But the sitcom has been the subject of frequent comeback speculation. Ellis has previously spoken about ‘revisiting’ Miranda, catching up with the couple in their married life with children.

In 2016, Sarah Hadland, who plays Miranda’s best friend Stevie, said ‘there will be something’ when asked about a cast reunion, and last summer Hart and Ellis – who now stars in Lucifer – were said to have arranged a meeting to discuss a return to the sitcom.

Speaking on The One Show in October, Hart said: ‘The lovely Tom Ellis was saying… that he’d like to see Miranda and Gary married. Now he’s got me thinking!

‘There’s a thought there, to explore the comedy of marriage. Particularly early life marriage and how that would work. I’d quite like to see that.’

Since the sitcom ended, Hart has written books and performed in Annie on the West End stage. She had been set to revive both Frankie Howerd’s Up Pompeii! and classic gameshow The Generation Game, but pulled out of both. The latter will now be presented by Mel and Sue.

She presented the one-off Miranda Does Christmas for Channel 4 last month, as well as The Royal Variety Performance on ITV, which included her performing sketches alongside Hadland and fellow sitcom co-stars Patricia Hodge and Sally Phillips.

Hart will also appear in the upcoming Hollywood film The Nutcracker And The Four Realms, playing Dew Drop Fairy.

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

A quiet year from The Sitcom Trials

2017-12-03T01:47:00.003-08:00

Hello everyone, and hasn't The Sitcom Trials been quiet this year? I can only apologise.

I can't help noticing this blog has only featured two posts all year so far, and one of those was an advertorial. Such a change from 2016 when we ran our biggest ever tournament, straddling the country, with our most successful final and the highest quality of entries any of us had seen.

After such a successful final, everyone's buzzing and talking about how we should do this again. Then what happens? Well, in my case I get the bill and realise that, try as I might, I've never managed to turn a profit from The Sitcom Trials. I also look at my workload and see how much time it takes, and the showrunners of all the various heats do the same.

So it was that, through 2017, I toured Socks Do Shakespeare, and the various members of the Sitcom Trials teams went on to great individual success, boosted no doubt by our experience with the 2016 Trials.

There's been talk of a few things that might revive The Sitcom Trials for 2018, including a probable podcast and the ever-tempting prospect of crowdfunding another tournament. And, if there's interest, any of these things can still happen.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone who's checked in sporadically through the year to hear what's new, and a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year when it comes, to us all.

Kev F
Creator & Producer
The Sitcom Trials

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

Cloud Computing in Simple Terms: Why Store Data With NuoDB?

2017-09-25T15:20:00.003-07:00

The cloud was once a buzzword known only to a select few. Now, it's fully integrated with the collective consciousness, making a name for itself in ads, product descriptions and casual conversation. Many people, however, remain unaware of what the cloud actually means, and telling them that it's a type of distributed computing doesn't always clarify the issue.

The Cloud Explained

The cloud is just a more specialized form of computer network. Like any regular office or enterprise network, it consists of connected computer hardware. The main difference, however, lies in the way it's put to use and how it fulfills its purpose.

Traditional network architectures are built around machines that use data connections to augment their efficiency and capabilities. With the cloud, networking is integral to functionality. Purpose-built cloud apps work to get the most out of networking by storing information more efficiently, running programs with the aid of increased computing power or ensuring that data is always available to remote users. Although you can theoretically create a cloud computing implementation in the same data center or local server pool that you'd use for a regular network, the software tools that you include in your deployment make a big difference in its functionality.

Different Kinds of Cloud Computing

Distributed computing in the cloud takes various forms. For instance, you can set up a media server implementation that lets users stream content such as films or music. Or you can create an app that allows multiple team members to access documents remotely and share their edits. Cloud implementations power everything from mapping software and social networks to basic remote storage tools that let subscribers save local space on their personal and office machines.

Why Are so Many Companies Using the Cloud?

It's worth noting that the cloud can handle most of the programs that you might run on a local server and vice versa. This begs the question: If you could just use a local machine, then why would you make the switch?

Distributed computing has a number of advantages over more traditional alternatives. Chief among these is the fact that since cloud software has its roots in internet-connected network architectures, it's much easier to create apps that people can access from anywhere. Cloud-based storage appeals to those who want to save space on their devices, share information and retain the ability to access their data no matter where they are. Running enterprise or consumer-ready software in the cloud gives businesses the power to deliver full-featured, instantly available apps with native collaboration and sharing built in, which helps companies stay competitive in an increasingly data-hungry modern world.

NuoDB: How Does Cloud Storage Work?

Of course, the cloud isn't perfect, and one of its unique problems lies in the realm of data storage. Traditional cloud database architectures like SQL make it impossible to scale up on-demand. Although alternatives like NoSQL resolve some of these issues, they force you to insert your data management code into the application layer or adhere to a small subset of usage cases, which can pose huge problems when you want to add new features. NuoDB helps you solve these problems with a novel approach known as NewSQL.

NuoDB's technology permits intelligent, shard-free scaling that minimizes storage complexity and actually leverages distributed computing to run faster as new servers are added. Unlike many implementations, it's also made to scale predictably, comply with SQL and free you from having to work with a single vendor to get the flexibility that your cloud deployments deserve. Learn more about the advantages by visiting nuodb.com.

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

Sitcom Trials stars at Edinburgh 2017

2017-08-07T03:29:00.002-07:00

Every year there are stars who've passed through the ranks of The Sitcom Trials shining bright at the Edinburgh Fringe. 2017 is no exception. Here are 5 of the best (if you know of more please tell us).

Kate Bowes-Renna

Kate, along with Vanessa-Faye Stanley, won last year's Sitcom Trials So You Think You Write Funny final at the Gilded Balloon, and now she's back to claim her prize. Her satirical one-woman comedy All Hell Toupee sees Kate (who you may recognise from everything from Downton Abbey to Love Actually) performing a dazzling array of characters, in a variety of hairpieces. We are all hiding but what happens when the mask, or in this case the toupee, slips? Find out August 7 - 13 at the Gilded Balloon.

Aaron Twitchen

Aaron was a star in the 2016 Sitcom Trials tournament, running the Birmingham heats of the show, and performing in the final. This year he brings his first solo show, Curtain Twitchen, to Edinburgh, combining aerial circus skills with stand up. Mixing stories of friendship, love and wine with jaw-dropping stunts on the aerial silks in a gossipy cabaret explosion, Aaron Twitchen takes comedy to highs you've never seen before... literally. At C Venues from the 6th to the 28th.

Rosie Holt

Rosie won 2013's Sitcom Trials So You Think You Write Funny final at the Gilded Balloon, and this year returns on a double bill with Christian Talbot - Holt and Talbot Can't Stand The Sight Of Each Other. Thrown together through financial necessity, can they stay civil to each other for an entire month of shows? Find out at Sweet Grassmarket from the 7th to the 27th

Draycott & Trimm

Charity Trimm was the star of The Sitcom Trials' very first Edinburgh run, back in 2001, alongside her then comedy partner Miranda Hart. Anne-Marie Draycott starred in The Sitcom Trials' fondly remembered ITV series in 2003, then in the Trials' last month-long run at the Fringe in 2004. Now, writing together, Draycott & Trimm have created Class Mates, a comedy which takes one community centre, three evening classes, six skill-seekers and stands back. Performed by A Dash Of Theatre at The Space On The Mile, Aug 7 - 25.

McNeil & Pamphilon

2009's Sitcom Trials winners are a bit too successful with their TV show Go 8 Bit to be bothered with spending whole months in Edinburgh right now, but Steve McNeil will be up on August 11th to do a one-off WifiWars.

Let's close with these words of advice he offers to all folks putting on a show this month:

Good luck Edinburgh chums! Just remember:

1. student reviewers' opinions are utterly worthless and you are the only person who'll ever read their thoughts about you from start to finish. people you know *might* glance at the stars, but they're already thinking about themselves again

2. audience sizes are only occasionally proportional to merit

3. all deep fried food is delicious

4. waterproof shoes

5. stick with it - if McNeil & Pamphilon can get on TV, literally anyone can

6. no real people have ever heard of Chortle

7. climbing arthur's seat is a dreadful idea. have a biscuit instead

8. spend every free moment with people you like. you won't meet up back in London except at gigs because you're not weird

9. umbrella

10. Would love to have some friends at WiFi Wars on the 11th August at the Dome, it's a big one for us - we've got Angry Microwave in

xxx

The Sitcom Trials is taking a break at the moment but could return at any time. Stay tuned.

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

McNeil & Pamphilon's Go 8 Bit gets 2 new series

2016-12-14T12:38:00.003-08:00

2009's Sitcom Trials winners, Steve McNeil & Sam Pamphilon's TV show Go 8-Bit has been given two new series. Merry Christmas lads.

Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit is returning for two more series, Chortle can reveal.

Team captains and format creators Steve McNeil and Sam Pamphilon are also back for Dave's gaming panel show, which has extended its run for six to ten episodes per series.

Gaming journalist and comic Ellie Gibson will reprise her role as O Briain's sidekick on the show, which was one of the channel's five highest rated programmes of 2016.

Based on McNeil and Pamphilon's 2013 Edinburgh Fringe show, the first series aired in the autumn, with guest players including Russell Howard, Bob Mortimer, Jason Manford, Susan Calman and Ed Byrne.

The new episodes, due to air sometime in 2017, once again promise battles on classic games and new titles, as well as physical challenges.

O Briain said: 'What bittersweet news. The more time I spend making this fun exciting show about video games, the less time I have to play fun, exciting video games, and I'm already pretty bad at video games.

'In fact, the more I make this show the less qualified I am to be a guest on it. Now there's an irony.'

Go 8 Bit became a regular live comedy night in London and was in television development for two years.

The new episodes, which will be recorded in Elstree Studios from the end of January, are once again directed by Steve Smith, produced by Darren Sole and made by DLT Entertainment. They were ordered by Dave's director of commissioning Richard Watsham and the channel's general manager Steve North.

Iain Coyle, UKTV's senior commissioning editor and executive producer said: 'I’m so made up we’re making more of these. It’s been a real breakout hit for us and I’m so delighted it’s been embraced by the gaming community and Dave viewers alike. I guess that means my kids are gonna carry on pushing for that revolving sofa.'

Executive producer Donald Taffner Jr, added: 'Our team did a fantastic job of adapting a live Edinburgh Fringe show into the first video-game driven TV show that has been embraced by viewers of all ages and critics alike. UKTV took a chance on this format when others did not. They have been a great partner and we all look forward to producing the next two series and beyond.'

Reviews of the first series were generally positive, with Den of Geek describing Go 8 Bit as 'a decent mix of laughs and controller bashing confrontation', while the Guardian said: 'O Briain can host the heck out of a panel show, so it shouldn’t work but somehow it does.' Here is Chortle's review of the first episode.

- by Jay Richardson

Posted: 14 Dec 2016

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.

Merry Christmas & thankyou from The Sitcom Trials

2016-12-05T02:36:00.000-08:00

Seasons Greetings to everyone who participated in and enjoyed 2016's mammoth Sitcom Trials year, and a very big thankyou to all.

From the one-off Hull Sitcom Trials in March, through the deluge of script entries for the So You Think You Write Funny competition, via the Heats, readings, workshops, and more Heats in Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and London, to the Grand Final in Edinburgh, it's been a tremendous year, seeing 30 sitcoms showcased in 6 Heats across the country, and the highest quality of contribution and effort I can remember.

Extra special thanks have to go to the producers and team leaders across the country, without whom we'd have had no shows to begin with. So thanks to Aaron Twitchen in Birmingham, Sean Mason in Manchester, Colin McQuaid in Glasgow, Charlie Smith and Dan Mitchell in Cardiff, myself (Kev) in London (yes, you're allowed to thank yourself), all the teams of actors, writers, directors, and assistants who put every performance together, to our judges, and to the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh for the final.

Congratulations to the finalists Baby, Rachel, Vanessa & Kate, Paul & Mat, and Sean & Ashleigh, and to Like-A-Looks for the win.

I've made no plans for The Sitcom Trials for 2017, but if anyone wants to discuss it, whether they want to put together an informal Trials event or talk about more ambitious plans, you'll get me on kevf@sitcomtrials.co.uk

A Very Happy New Year when it comes

Love from

Kev F Sutherland

Creator and Producer

The Sitcom Trials

http://sitcomtrials.co.uk

To see all 30 sitcoms in contention across the 6 Heats of the Sitcom Trials #SYTYWF 2016, check out the videos below.

Heat 1 London Video
Heat 2 London Video
Heat 3 Birmingham Video
Heat 4 Cardiff Video
Heat 5 Manchester Video
Heat 6 Glasgow Video
Edinburgh Fringe Grand Final video

For news of forthcoming Sitcom Trials events, and your opportunity to take part or just watch, stay tuned to the Sitcom Trials blog, Twitter and Facebook.

#SYTYWF Grand Final 2016 - the videos

2016-08-29T01:11:00.001-07:00

The video highlights from the Grand Final of The Sitcom Trials So You Think You Write Funny are now on Youtube, please click and enjoy the 4 minutes of fun that give you a taste of the night.

The 5 sitcoms in contention, in order of appearance, were

Like-A-Looks by Vanessa-Faye Stanley and Kate Bowes-Renna
Final performance in full
London Heat performance in full

Sonny & Me by Baby Isako
Final performance in full
London Heat performance in full

Aquarius Cafe by Rachel Sambrooks
Final performance in full
Birmingham Heat performance in full

Agent of Lovcraft by Paul Hunt & Mat Troy
Final performance in full
Cardiff Heat performance in full

and The Graduettes by Sean and Ashleigh Wilkie
Final performance in full
Glasgow Heat performance in full

To see all 30 sitcoms in contention across the 6 Heats of the Sitcom Trials #SYTYWF 2016, check out the videos below.

Heat 1 London Video
Heat 2 London Video
Heat 3 Birmingham Video
Heat 4 Cardiff Video
Heat 5 Manchester Video
Heat 6 Glasgow Video
Edinburgh Fringe Grand Final video

For news of forthcoming Sitcom Trials events, and your opportunity to take part or just watch, stay tuned to the Sitcom Trials blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Sitcom Trials #SYTYWF - and the winners are..?

2016-08-24T02:28:00.002-07:00

The various casts of The Sitcom Trials So You Think You Write Funny Grand Final 2016. (Back row) Sonny & Me, Like A Looks, (middle) Agent Of Lovcraft, (front) host Kev F, Aquarius Cafe. (We're missing The Graduettes who, sadly, had left before we called the last-minute photoshoot). Photo by Nick Steel.

Thanks and warmest congratulations to everybody who took part in and attended the Sitcom Trials So You Think You Write Funny Grand Final at the Gilded Balloon on Tuesday August 23rd 2016. A splendid night was had by all, and as you can see, a lot of performers (and writers, also out of shot) put a lot of effort into bringing together this production.

As always, we presented five brand new sitcoms live in stage, and the audience voted for their favourite and only saw the ending of the one that they chose as their winner. Plus, with this being the culmination of a six month long tournament, following heats across the country, with the prize on offer of their own show at the Gilded Balloon next year, there was a panel of judges who, independently of the audience vote, chose the ultimate prizewinner.

The 5 sitcoms in contention, in order of appearance, were Like-A-Looks by Vanessa-Faye Stanley and Kate Bowes-Renna (winner of the 1st London Heat), Sonny & Me by Baby Isako (winner of the 2nd London Heat), Aquarius Cafe by Rachel Sambrooks (winner of the Birmingham Heat), Agent of Lovcraft by Paul Hunt & Mat Troy (winner of the Cardiff Heat), and The Graduettes by Sean and Ashleigh Wilkie (winner of the Glasgow Heat).

The judges were Rosie Holt (the previous winner of The Sitcom Trials SYTYWF), Nick Steel (Bath Comedy Festival), Kate Lennon (Funny Women) and Karen Koren (Gilded Balloon).

And the winners were...

Winner of the audience vote, and therefore the team who got to perform their final scene: Sonny and Me.

Winner of the judges vote and the ultimate prizewinners: Like-A-Looks.

Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all the performers who had to contend with a slightly late start and overlong warm-up from myself (Kev F, your host and producer), followed by the music bleeding through from the show next door, which was a challenge to which everyone rose maginificently. In the end the whole event only overran by 10 minutes, and a splendid time was had by all.

Oh yes, and the prize for the best audience sitcom suggestion in The Pitch Fest was a drawing of Mrs Brown by Kev F (of which, sadly, no photo was taken).

The Sitcom Trials will be continuing at venues across the country, follow it on the blog and via Facebook and Twitter for details of how to take part.

Kev F Sutherland, creator & producer, The Sitcom Trials

If you would like to create the next great British situation comedy, The Sitcom Trials is an opportunity for your sitcom to be seen live.

Details of new shows, and our ongoing competition, are to be found here at sitcomtrials.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook.

See the Best of The Sitcom Trials videos, here.