Behind the scenes on Spotlight: TV Comedy – the finalists and shortlist for Screen Ireland’s writing development scheme
Posted: 29th June 2022
Last month, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland (Screen Ireland) announced the 11 successful projects and writing teams for the TV comedy round of the Spotlight New Writing scheme. Spotlight is Screen Ireland’s flagship writing scheme aimed at discovering and developing original and underrepresented new voices.
Here, Screen Ireland breaks down the judging and selection process, provides more details on the final teams and projects selected, as well as a shortlist.
The agency is also delighted to announce the theme for the next round of Spotlight and when applications are due to open.
The Spotlight New Writing Scheme was established in 2018 as an opportunity for new writers to develop a project with guidance and mentorship from leading industry figures at the start of their writing careers. The 2022 Spotlight scheme now runs in smaller, themed rounds across specific creative disciplines, genres and formats. This first TV comedy round received over 300 applications, a significant increase on the 2020 scheme’s total of 195 applications.
Actress Pauline McLynn, one of the judges on the Spotlight scheme, said about the quality of the applicants:
“Judging the Spotlight: TV comedy scripts this year was an honour for me. The breadth of ideas and the range of stories was astonishing and very welcome. The competition was fierce, so congratulations to all those selected to go forward!”
Meet the Finalists
The King of Tory Island by Shannon Welby
A fictional comedy-drama TV series set on the real-life Irish island. A chaotic young woman journeys to a remote island to claim inheritance from her deceased father - however it turns out he’s actually alive, and he’s the island’s King.
Paper by Diandra Xavier
A woman starts a campaign for the legislation of prenuptial agreements in Ireland.
The Importance of Eyebrows by Darren McMahon
A comedy about having cancer.
Old Goose by Martin Angolo and Gerard Staunton
Two brothers almost destroy the family pub and through various hair-brained schemes try to raise the reparation money before their parents find out.
Good-Bi by Eleanor Rogers
When Izzy comes out as bisexual, as an act of solidarity her two bisexual friends decide to date the gender they less commonly practice.
Stepping Out by Arianne Hutch
A young woman with Cerebral Palsy leaves her hometown of Dublin for London to chase a sense of adventure and new relationships.
Cabaret Cartel by Tania Notaro
A group of drag performers struggling to survive, find themselves indebted to a local drug lord which puts them in some dangerous situations and leads them on a chaotic journey of questionable morals self-discovery. This is breaking bad in drag.
C'mere to Me by Robert O'Sullivan
Alfred Hitchcock Presents meets Drunk History, ‘C’mere to Me’ retells stories from Irish history, mythology and folklore through the lens of that auld fella propping up the bar in your local who just won’t shut up.
Waking Ireland by Melissa Nolan and Melanie Phillips
Nobody does death quite like the Irish, especially now Waking Ireland are in business - Ireland’s new, professional (and quite mad) wake and funeral service!
I'm the Boss by Lee-Loi Chieng
A scorned assistant at a start-up is asked by their absent boss to take a client meeting when they decide to pretend being the CEO.
Scouting For Boys by Allie O'Rourke and Matthew Tallon
In the early 2000s a teenage girl goes undercover in an all-boys scout troop and experiences the world of masculinity for the first time.
Discover the shortlist
The TV Comedy round of Spotlight received a record-breaking 300 applications. Due to the high standard and competitive selection process, the Spotlight judging panel created a shortlist of projects that came highly commended for their originality and potential.
The Spotlight: TV Comedy shortlist is:
- Humdrum by Patricia Kelly
- Soup by Aisling Byrne
- Fall from Grace by Roisin Chapman
- Big Tech by Ben Butler
- Gurriers by Cal McGhee
- Surviving The Swans by Ruth Hurl
- TWIT by Kelly Shatter
- AFTERS by Niamh Murphy and Shane Kenneally
- Splitting by Elle Felicity
- The Junior Bs by Maria Kennedy
- Badgered by Amy Potter
- And 7 Sisters by Paul Marsh
- Arrangement by Lauren O'Leary
What happens next?
This year, the Spotlight New Writing scheme has partnered with the newly established National Talent Academy for Film and Television, who will facilitate the structured programme for the new screenwriters, including a series of virtual webinars and masterclasses. Mentors and contributors on the programme will include screenwriters and producers of ITV’s Holding, Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Karen Cogan, Extra Ordinary writer/director team Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman, Barunka O’Shaughnessy (Motherland, Hunderby) David P. Davis (Industry, Electric Dreams, Doctor Who) Michael Zam (Feud: Bette and Joan) comedy producer Ana Garanito (In The Long Run), Motherland and This Way Up producer Clelia Mountford and The Dry writer and producer Nancy Harris.
This July, at the Galway Film Fleadh, Screen Ireland will host a small networking reception to promote the current TV Comedy Spotlight writers – as well as past alumni from the programme – connecting the up and coming writers with producers from the Irish screen industry. The Spotlight: TV Comedy writers will also be given the opportunity to attend the Fleadh’s Screenwriters’ Masterclass with Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee.
Staging Spotlight’s Next Round
The next round of Spotlight will focus on theatre, encouraging playwrights and those with a background in theatre to apply. This round will open in Autumn 2022 and further details will be announced on the Screen Ireland website later this year.