Not a new thought but: The amount of unpaid work a freelance writer expected to do to get a TV show commissioned (or even glanced at) is just unsustainable if you don’t come from a wealthy background or have pre-existing financial security. We’re missing out on brilliant stories & brilliant people

The bus to Hell now takes contactless.

Upcoming comedy writers! I'm now booking in script consultations for Feb-Apr. If you're looking for notes on a script, drop me a line: gemmaarrowsmith.com/scriptnotes I aim to deliver the kind of constructive, uplifting notes that make writers excited to write their next draft.

But if TV adverts are made with AI, there’ll be literally nothing for all the Edinburgh Fringe sketch comedians to do.

Hey, creative people! Just a heads up that you will be told "Wait, be patient. Your time will come" right up until you're told "You've had your time. Best step aside." It will even weirdly overlap in the middle. Ignore both because they are both complete bullshit.

Went to @robinince.bsky.social’s Uncanny Hour this evening as I couldn’t resist the title: “The Greatest Movie Monsters w/ special guests David McAlmont, Mark Gatiss & Alice Lowe” 🤩 Made sure to have a pencil & pad at the ready to jot down all the book & film recommendations. Came away with 22 recs

Victoria, it's only the first episode of As Seen on TV. It doesn't really need to be anything spe- www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v-q...

I dunno! I used to say something when my name got missed out but honestly, it happens so often that I don’t worry too much about it anymore. Just one of those things. 🤷‍♀️

I did a few voices for Things You Should Have Done like the Alexa, the 999 dispatcher and a couple of other bits. Listen out for me! I'm not in the credits but I promise it was me, I remember doing it.

In 2019 I was commissioned to write a bunch of sketches for a TV show which was all green lit & going into production. I chased up it up in 2020 & no-one replied. Several emails bounced back as most of the production team had left the company. I’m seriously starting to think it’s not going ahead.

Four fictional characters who would definitely defect to Reform.

YAY! lovely reminder here from gemma! telly is officially 100 years old.🎂 i've worked in broadcast, long-form television for almost half of its life. i would add to this report that john logie baird was a scot, and one of the engineering inspirations for "scotty" on star trek by gene roddenberry.🥳

Hurrah for @mmaarrow.bsky.social for making the pilgrimage to Frith Street, just South of Soho Square, to mark John Logie Baird's first public transmission of TV, 100 years ago today!

Television is 100 years old today! 🎉

That way.

Ah, I see they’ve installed the new Borg regeneration alcoves in St Pancras station.

Have I discovered the world’s best book in a charity shop? Tough to say for sure, but I reckon it’s a contender.

Oops! Crowley Time is coming back to @machcomedyfest.bsky.social this May! 6pm, Sat 2nd. Come on a futuristic comedy space beano in a beautiful historic venue! Guest stars TBC, and that dancing fool @odinnoh.bsky.social will provide live sound and music! Tickets: machcomedyfest.co.uk/show/2026/cr...

Just seen the new documentary Becoming Victoria Wood at the @curzon.com Bloomsbury. As you might expect from the title, it focuses on her early life & career. Genuinely superb and full of details & photographs I’d never seen before, even as an ardent fan of her work.

Omg, mate, same with sitcoms. Totally get where you’re coming from.

It gets lost under all the audience laughter but Ralph saying "Sorry. I mean, tomato sorry" at the end of the drinking game sketch made me laugh so much when I first saw it I couldn't breathe. youtu.be/CjM89wRMY9I?...

Advert buyouts often used to get performers their deposit on their first home. This one covers a fraction of one month’s rent. It’s called a buyout because it’s supposed to buy you out of being in competitors’ adverts for ~3 years. So this is valuing the performer at just under £7/month.

Anyone else grow up with Jane Asher’s Fancy Dress book on their bookshelves? I spent ages looking through its pages! Tag yourself: I’m the woman dressed as a pair of trousers.

He's done his time. Leave him alone!

Writing advice:

We can announce that season 2 is coming later this year! 📺 More delving into the Leyline High episode archive 🎞️ More clips 👹 And more investigation of the Leyline High curse!

WOW! Absolutely over the moon that CROWLEY TIME WITH ME, TOM CROWLEY won the inaugural Best Podcast award at the #GoldenGlobes 2026! Thank you to the panel, to my many guests, to all my listeners, my parents and God. We did it! 🏆

As a comparison of completely different TV landscapes: The 1st series of Play for Today in 1970-71 had 23 original episodes (& then an additional 11 shown under other strands like The Wednesday Play bringing the total to 34 eps) The 1st series of the Channel 5 relaunch of Play for Today had 4 eps.

Thank goodness celebrity interview podcasts are finally getting the recognition they deserve. 🌟

Because nothing in the world of telly makes sense anymore, the first 2 series of BBC show Red Dwarf are now available to watch on Channel 4. And accompanying them is this strange composited image which includes Chloë Annett who wasn’t the first 2 series. 👍

I'm always bleating on about Play for Today & similar anthology formats & how important they are for television- so this is a public service announcement that there are 13 archive episodes of Screen Two currently on iPlayer: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

2026: engage.

Top tip for tonight: If you hit play on Who Framed Roger Rabbit at exactly 11:36pm, you will miss the chimes of midnight because you will be engrossed in one of the best films of all time. 👍

Very interesting read! And further fuel to the argument that podcasts are mostly seen as a medium for chat/interview/unscripted. Turning scripted audio drama & audio comedy podcasts into videos defeats the whole purpose of conjuring a fictional world through sound.

COMMISSION SOME SITCOMS, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

Please enjoy this festive Christmas Reith.

Today is the day a very special man was born, sent to us many years ago to tell fantastic tales and bring messages of peace and understanding. Happy birthday Rod Serling!

Not long now until you-know-who comes down the chimney. That’s right-

We’ve received a bunch of messages about the music in the podcast so here it is! The music of Leyline High is available NOW on @bandcamp.com including the chart-topping Christmas hit “Time for Christmas Time” and charity single “Don’t Raise the Dead” 🎶 thomasnelstrop.bandcamp.com/album/rewind...

🗣️NEW 🎄CHRISTMAS🎄 EPISODE! podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/9...

Want to try my sketch podcast Crowley Time but not sure where to start? Well here it is, a brand new Best Of with a difference! Finally, me, Tom Crowley, is made to answer for his crimes by the highest authority: aliens. Available on your podcast app and at crowleytime.com now!

Our Xmas episode will arrive in your podcast feed at 3:30pm today! (Home time) Let us know YOUR favourite Leyline High Xmas special. Was it the one from 1989 where the chemistry teacher is buried with a stake of Holly through his heart- but then comes back to life because of a Xmas Zombie virus?

Legend has it that this moment in the Morecambe & Wise Christmas show 1977 broke television sets up and down the country because of how much star power was onscreen. 🤩

Do you have a favourite Leyline High Christmas special? Maybe it’s the one from 1978 where the nativity play set is home to a magical portal and everyone passing through the manger doors is transported back in time to 0 AD. (Barry gets into terrible trouble with some Pharisees.)

Thanks for listening! Our Christmas episode is out tomorrow- in which we discuss our favourite Leyline High Christmas specials. 🎄

Cutting pres from CBBC is baffling. There's so much talk about young viewers abandoning trad TV for YouTube & TikTok; content which is overwhelmingly direct address to camera, talking directly to the viewer. Pres seems to be the thing that could compete with that the most. youtu.be/5jiBoupSt30?...