Comedy Capers

Spring Update

2009-04-16T08:42:00.003+01:00

So much for this regular posting lark. Nearly three months ago now since the last one. It was Winter then but now it's Spring and very nice it is too.

Had some sketches on radio and I'm keeping fingers crossed for another show that looks as if they will be using some of my stuff.

Have also started wasting time on Twitter. Why? God knows, addictive it is though and quite fun too. There's a radio play casting writers via Twitter and giving that a go.

Be sure to watch this space tomorrow but it's unlikely that there will be another update for a while if the last interval is anything to go by.

Dear Duff

2009-01-30T18:23:00.002Z

Dear Duff,

I'm at my wits' end and don't know who to turn to. I suspect that my wife, Georgina, is in fact an alien visiting Earth from a far-distant galaxy where no man has boldly gone before.

It's the little things she does that give it away, like for example, gripping the bars of the electric fire with her bare hands. She says that it's just to help her circulation during these cold January days but I think she's trying to fool me.

Last week I caught her in a secret lab down the back of our garden with all sorts of fancy bits of weird looking space equipment. When I asked her what she was doing she made some kind of hasty excuse and blustered out of there and got the tea on.
What do you think I should do?

Worried,
Andover, Hampshire.

Duff replies:

Dear Worried,
Get the fuck out of there before something awful happens to you! Once you get over the loss I'm sure that you'll see Georgina for what she really was - an alien emissary sent from a distant galaxy as a prelude to enslaving mankind for ever.
Why don't you sign up to one of the many online dating sites and find yourself a new sweetheart.
You've had a very lucky escape if you ask me.

Now where was I?

2009-01-30T18:14:00.004Z

The end of the month already and Winter's nearly over...well- sort of ish.

Sold some gags so that's all right but a lot of work for a small return..still better than a poke in the eye etc etc.

Started doing an agony aunt thing over on The Spoof in the Viz style. Not particularly original but it does amuse me. See sample to follow in next post.

Still banging on and things are looking interesting on a few different fronts. Will hear soon about the radio thing so finger crossed. one of the jokes I wrote that cracks me up:

You say potato - I say Solanum tuberosum, widely cultivated for its starchy edible tubers. I'm a literalist.

On and on and on and on and......

2009-01-14T18:38:00.003Z

So much for keeping this up on a daily basis.

Got feedback on the jokes and got one through. Typical though it's IMO quite a weak one and other belters seem to have been missed. Just shows that everyone's view of what makes a good joke is different.

Lots of pressure with the day job as "things" very slow to kick off after the holidays. Fingers crossed though.

Have had some very positive comments on The hard Shoes and Yer Man so keep on keeping on with those.

Life on Mars parody stalled but Radio show back on in a few weeks and will be submitting stuff there following request from producer.

Getting on with it

2009-01-06T17:35:00.004Z

I'm now in a "get a gag out of everything that I see or read mode" It's this text joke service I'm working on and I now have an inkling of how Bob Monkhouse must have felt. It's really good practice though and I've come up with a couple of real top notch ones.

Still working on a variety of things and I'm about to dip my toe once more in the dreaded world of sitcom. I have an idea that's a bit left field and I'm plotting it in my head at present before trying to get something down.

I still have a feeling of high hopes and I'm hoping it lasts a while longer.

One that amuses me but I don't think fits the brief.

What's the definition of a wigwam? It's a sharp blow to the hairpiece.

Juggling schmuggling

2009-01-04T10:50:00.003Z

4th January and still hanging in there. Most writing so far has been jokes for text service. I find that once you get on a roll then it comes fairly easy. I can normally come up with 20 at a sitting without too much effort. Remains to be seen if they are the sort of thing that's wanted. my sort of take on the brief is:

I once asked my Nan what music Torvill and Dean danced to. Bolero, she said but I thought it was quite good.

Back to reality with a bump tomorrow though as the "day job" kicks back in. The current financial situation globally means that it won't be easy so if somebody wants to commission me to come up with a new comedy hit and pay me loads of dosh then please feel free to contact me.

2009-01-01T11:20:00.000Z

A new year and a new me then. So far so good though it's only 11.21am as I type.

My first task is to finish off the Life on Mars parody. I really like this and it's been well received by nearly all who have read it. I had a thought that I will send it directly to Kudos after all imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Have knocked out 30 or so jokes for the text service and I wait to hear if there's anything of interest to them. They're a collection of sharps, groaners and a few wackys in there too.

I intend to write for at least 30 mins on very busy days and 1-2 hours when I have the time.

2008

2008-12-31T18:06:00.000Z

Not a bad year. Not as good progress as I had hoped for but I had a fair bit of radio success and I want to build on that for 09