First Ten Pages

On the Sitcom Geeks podcast, we talk about how crucially important the First Ten Pages of your sitcom script are. It's pretty obvious, really, but it's surprising how easy it is to make basic errors, focus on the wrong thing, or bore the reader/viewer with backstory. We talk about it here.

So, a new feature of the podcast, heavily cribbed from the brilliant Scriptnotes podcast, is where we discuss your First Ten Pages.

If you like, and don't mind us being hard on your script, send us the First Ten Pages of your sitcom. Here are some rules:

• Ten pages please. No more. No less. If it's doesn't meet this rule, we're not reading it. Soz.

• PDFs only please. Not .txt. Not .doc. Not .fdx. Not some other weird format. PDFs. Only. Please. Ta.

• You can add a cover page if you like, and it doesn’t count as one of your ten pages. So. Erm. Yup.

• Do NOT send a page of set-up, character outlines or anything like that. Or a CV. We're just reading a script. And that stuff should be clear from the script. So just the script. Please. Thanks.

• Please give us your real name. And a rough place of residence. A town, a county. That kind of thing.

• We'll only be reviewing First Ten Pages on air. Not offline, or emailing you to say what we think.

• Your script will be put up on a page like this so that everyone can read it for themselves and see if they agree with our assessment. If you don't want that, don't submit your script.

• If we decide to review your script, we'll email you to tell you and check that you realises that this you've understood all of the above, and realise that this isn’t a contest. There is no prize. We don't want to develop your sitcom. It's just of the sake of improvement and education. And fun. And that you won't flip out at anything that we say because you are the one who submitted your script. And that, most importantly, you will not claim that they James Cary or Dave Cohen have stolen your idea. Because they won't. They really won't.

NB: AT THE MOMENT, WE'RE NOT ACCEPTING ANY NEW FIRST TEN PAGES AS WE HAVE QUITE A BIG BACKLOG. SORRY ABOUT THAT. WHEN THINGS CHANGE, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW.

Scripts to download and read as you listen are all available if you click THIS LINK - and you'll get all of them as PDF

In Episode 11, we start the ball rolling by reviewing the First Ten Pages of a script Dave Cohen wrote a few years ago, It's Not The End of the World.

Ivy View by Those Three Girls.

Violet Falls by David Byrne & Mathilda Gregory

Cinematic by Lloyd Glanville

Best Laid Plans by James Cary

Mah Jong Pizza by David Drakeford

Selena the Cavegirl by Jim Spears

Misery Rail by Mark Le Lievre

SOS by Ben Moore

4 Arts Sake by Martin Locock

The Drama Department by Sheldon Southworth & Andrew Dickson

Big Wig by Kennedy Goodkey & Roger Haskett

Monster by Michael Richardson

Old Habits by Marc Paterson

Emplored by Josh Davies

Runners by Adam Lavis

Council House Swappers by Gareth Wilson

WA14 by Laurence Wyche

Temping by Stephen Quick

Jamoke by Tristan Wilson