We're lazy students sitting on our arses. Maybe we should get off them this week and write that comedy....

[Ja'moke]

I like the idea for each episode been based around a different character. Also another funny idea would be to have one guy that is posting under 2 different names.

[lankinpark]

As an aside, I've been reading Outpost Gallifrey's criticism of the Tumblies and I think there should be a rivalry between the forum and another.

Yes. I'll take a step back from my format quibbles and make a few suggestions for details. This is a good one, whether it's a few throwaway references to this other place or a full-scale invasion by a troll.

And it goes without saying that we want the geek stereotypes kept to a minimum. Totally absent, in fact. They're normal people who happen to communicate using a perfectly normal and widespread means of communication. The forum is somewhere they go to discuss their particular interest, not somewhere they go to be on a computer.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

natural dialogue between the main character and who? People who aren't on the board?

I didn't meant to purt between, that was slightly confusing. I mean you'll be able to hear his internal thought processes hopefully and the kind of (depending on the character) thinking that each character goes through before they're posting.

It might be an idea to do something like that when he is replying. Eg, "So that's why...'go on, tell him he's wrong. You know he's wrong, that little twat is always wrong!'....it's a divisive issue.....*click*...'You coward'."

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Also another funny idea would be to have one guy that is posting under 2 different names.

Duly noted.

I'm going to try my best to cram as many of these forum idiosyncracies in it as possible.

[lankinpark]

I didn't meant to purt between, that was slightly confusing. I mean you'll be able to hear his internal thought processes hopefully and the kind of (depending on the character) thinking that each character goes through before they're posting.

It might be an idea to do something like that he is replying. Eg, "So that's why...'go on, tell him he's wrong. You know he's wrong, that little twat is always wrong!'....it's a divisive issue.....*click*...'You coward'."

I like the thought processes idea. I foresee lots of Victoria Wood-style "oh what's the word...?!" stuff.

[lankinpark]

I like the idea for each episode been based around a different character. Also another funny idea would be to have one guy that is posting under 2 different names.

Perhaps an episode based around trying to guess who's posting under this false name?

[ffogems]

"oh what's the word...?!"

But 'cunt' isn't allowed on radio 4.
That's the kind of humour you can expect from me.

The forum invasion should be narrated like a full-scale war, trolls firing diatribes and setting literary traps.

And the posting under another name could be investigated (following his trails through other forums) and revealed scooby doo style.

I think that if Total Nightmare is going to oversee this then he should get together with a couple of others and decide on a format, based on suggestions, and whatever it is should be final - no objections.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

They're normal people who happen to communicate using a perfectly normal and widespread means of communication. The forum is somewhere they go to discuss their particular interest, not somewhere they go to be on a computer.

That's really important to maintain, yes. The point of the show being is that the forum constitutes enough of these regular peoples lives to the point where they meet up with each other and become friends (or not).

The geek stereotypes and text slang will be present but it will flitter in and out- usually resulting in a regular telling them to spam off, or whatever. There will be no Ayaode.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

Which is why the forum needs to be about something that attracts a wide range of characters, while being a contained area at the same time.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Yep, you're right. If we can think of a good one that could help with the title as well.

It needs to be something linear enough that the members started talking about other things and the main topic became brushed aside, but is a topic that attracts a good range of people.

[Ja'moke]

How about its just a forum where people discuss their hobbies and interests?

[lankinpark]

Which is why the forum needs to be about something that attracts a wide range of characters, while being a contained area at the same time.

And nothing which already has reams of comedy based around it.

Not music.
Not comedy.
Not politics.
Not TV.
Not sport.

Not something like pigeon fancying or model aeroplane collecting which brings its own overbearing negative stereotypes.

But something which is inherently quite amusing (okay, it doesn't have to be, but it's always good to have as many sources of humour as possible), and of interest to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Gonna be tricky, this.

[Marv Orange]

Well i visit a forum thats been set up solely to distract you from work, there is no theme to the forum only that if you are bored at work come,visit and post.

I think we all pictured people posting from home, but there is nothing to say they are doing it from their work desks.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I think that if Total Nightmare is going to oversee this then he should get together with a couple of others and decide on a format, based on suggestions, and whatever it is should be final - no objections

He's sounded keenest on tightening up the script. I think what he'll do is wait until we've decided on a watertight format and then go from there. If Robot DeNiro is interested he could help TotalNightmare out. Read the script, pass on information- that'd be useful. You could be TN's 2nd.

That said, TN may well contribute ideas and he's quite welcome too!

I'm not in a rush- I think I'll spend the week coming discussing it with everyone and hopefully we'll progress to the point where we have something solid, and then I'll make the mark with my size tens.

[lankinpark]

Well i visit a forum thats been set up solely to distract you from work, there is no theme to the forum only that if you are bored at work come,visit and post.

It's an idea, but it does almost automatically lose the unemployed/student contingent. And probably prevents the sort of late-night obsessive bickering that would provide a lot of the humour here.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

How about its just a forum where people discuss their hobbies and interests?

I would like something specific, but that none of them even talk about. I only even want the characters to venture in that folder occasionally.

Don't ask me where I got the inspiration for this but the moderator episode should have him lamenting the fact most people go to their general folder and ignore the point of the forum.

[Marv Orange]

Could some PM an e-mail adress as i have some ideas for dialouge that aren't restricted by the current discussion, but i do not want to post them here.

[Robot DeNiro]

It might be an idea to do something like that he is replying. Eg, "So that's why...'go on, tell him he's wrong. You know he's wrong, that little twat is always wrong!'....it's a divisive issue.....*click*...'You coward'."

Okay, so you're hearing his thoughts, I get it now.  Still not keen though -I think the thoughts of the narrator and the posts of the narrator may make it more confusing for the listener rather than less.

and you say that you want the main character to change each week?  I know from bitter experience that commissioning editors don't like that sort of thing.  They want the format to be the same each week, with the same lead characters etc.  And that's what the audience wants as well to be fair.  Would you like it if in Peep Show one week your heard Mark and Jez's thoughts, than the next week Johnson and Superhans, then the next week Big Suze etc.  It would be too confusing, you'd never get to really know any of the characters.  You need a consistent viewpoint.

I also think that the suggestion that I've quoted above is essentially the only type of joke you can do with the 'hearing the thoughts' idea.  True, Peep Show has used that format to great effect, but I think that's because we see Mark and Jez doing a lot more than sitting in a room reading and making posts.  I don't see what jokes you will be making other than "I agree with you" (I don't really agree with you).  

Don't forget that the narrator won't know the people in real life, so you won't be able to do jokes like "Oh yes you are brave" (apart from when you sat on a wasp and cried for a week).  In fact it would be funnier, if you wanted to do something like that, to have a character posting about how brave they are, then the hero posting "cough" and a link to an earlier post in which the first character is describing the wasp sitting incident.

[Marv Orange]

It's an idea, but it does almost automatically lose the unemployed/student contingent. And probably prevents the sort of late-night obsessive bickering that would provide a lot of the humour here.

Well to get a little pedantic, student do visit there and so do the unemployed. It basically a bunch of people kicking back on the internet and having a bit of a laugh.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

And nothing which already has reams of comedy based around it.

Not music.
Not comedy.
Not politics.
Not TV.
Not sport.

Not something like pigeon fancying or model aeroplane collecting which brings its own overbearing negative stereotypes.
But something which is inherently quite amusing (okay, it doesn't have to be, but it's always good to have as many sources of humour as possible), and of interest to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Gonna be tricky, this.

That's the right idea I think. Use that template to think up some ideas.

[lankinpark]

I think something overarching which brings people together in a community, but isn't the actual topic of discussion. And the first one I can think of which would attract a diverse collection of people is a religion.

D'you think if we made it a Doctor Who forum the BBC might green-light it purely as a self-promotional tool?

[ffogems]

You could email me if you like, and I'll put them in a nice new folder.

And probably prevents the sort of late-night obsessive bickering that would provide a lot of the humour here.

"Nathan Barley was alright, y'know"
"He doesn't know what he's saying, he's just tired"

Thank you God for the word 'edit'

[Marv Orange]

Ahh man I prefered the peado line.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

You could email me if you like, and I'll put them in a nice new folder.

And probably prevents the sort of late-night obsessive bickering that would provide a lot of the humour here.

"Nathan Barley was alright, y'know"
"He doesn't know what he's saying, he's just tired"

Thank you God for the word 'edit'

Oh, I saw....

[Lee]

Don't know if it's already been dealt with, but I'd be quite happy to lend my hand with editing/music/etc if it's necessary. And of course I'd be up for proof-reading and adding my own ideas if you like. I've written some stuff in the past, bits of it were even funny, so I'm up for it.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

and you say that you want the main character to change each week? I know from bitter experience that commissioning editors don't like that sort of thing. They want the format to be the same each week, with the same lead characters etc. And that's what the audience wants as well to be fair. Would you like it if in Peep Show one week your heard Mark and Jez's thoughts, than the next week Johnson and Superhans, then the next week Big Suze etc. It would be too confusing, you'd never get to really know any of the characters. You need a consistent viewpoint

That's a different show though, to be fair. Just imagine the people pitching Help! to the BBC. I bet that didn't go down too warmly on paper.

I think it would work because you'd still have all the same characters in there, but they'd be posting. Every episode, the show would just focus on one of them. It would be set in their house/flat/room. Plus, you might not even need to hear their thoughts, particularly if they're speaking out loud.

It's 30 minutes per episode after all which is plenty of time to establish a character. Once the audience gets used to the format they'll start looking forward to the next episode. You can start with a bland everyman character like Jack from Lost and then introduce the ones with more idiosyncracies. And then when it gets to the moderator there'll be surprise.

I thought the show would be tough to pitch to (for example) Radio 4 because of the demographics of their listeners but you've got to agree that much stranger things have landed on Radio in the past and I think this is the kind of thing they'll be looking for. Some genuinely funny moments inspire the audience to take to any format of show.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Don't know if it's already been dealt with, but I'd be quite happy to lend my hand with editing/music/etc if it's necessary. And of course I'd be up for proof-reading and adding my own ideas if you like. I've written some stuff in the past, bits of it were even funny, so I'm up for it.

That's grand, I'll add you to the list. Feel free to add anything, all suggestions are welcome, we've had some cracking ones so far, they've really taken the idea on dramatically, and that's just from today.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

D'you think if we made it a Doctor Who forum the BBC might green-light it purely as a self-promotional tool?

Sarcasm aside,  a forum about an old TV game show (a fictional one, so we can use the humour) is a possibility..?

[Robot DeNiro]

I think it would work because you'd still have all the same characters in there, but they'd be posting. Every episode, the show would just focus on one of them. It would be set in their house/flat/room. Plus, you might not even need to hear their thoughts, particularly if they're speaking out loud.

Fair enough.  I am going to stop now, as promised two posts ago.  The format should be decided by two or three people, rather than by committee.  It is probably worth those two or three people writing a few scenes using variations on the format to see which works best in terms of storytelling and comic potential.  It can be quite hard to make the right decisions when everything is hypothetical and you have nothing down on paper.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

That's most likely what'll happen, I guess. Still if you have any good ideas make sure you share them, at this stage the more suggestions, the merrier. Even if they're fundamental changes to the format I'm open to persuasion. I'll be back tomorrow but keep it rolling. It'll be good to read some stuff from TotalNightmare and Mr. Analytical if they're around.