Submit the first 10 pages of your comedy script for a chance to have it read by top flight comedy talent for a live audience

Working class women are almost five times less likely to secure a creative job than men from privileged backgrounds. Are you a UK based woman from a working class background, who was either brought up or is currently based outside London? Have you started writing TV or radio comedy and would love a chance to get help from an industry professional?

Female Pilot Club is partnering with BBC Comedy to run a script mentorship initiative that could help you get to the next stage. Our wonderful sponsors helping make this event possible include Baby Cow Productions, Hat Trick Productions, Yellow Door Productions, CPL Productions & Black Dog Television. We welcome eligible women to apply by November 15. It's free to apply, and five writers selected will receive a small payment for participating. You only need ten pages of your script and a short description of your comedy series idea. If you're chosen, we'll pair you with an industry mentor to help you polish your ten pages in preparation for a live read-through by top flight comedy talent at a London showcase event in 2025.

Since 2019, Female Pilot Club has staged live readings of brilliant female-written comedy scripts by top flight comedy talent for public and industry audiences. Our finalists have gone on to attain representation and have their scripts optioned by production companies. We believe nothing proves good comedy like the sound of laughter!

Submission window:

October 2 - November 22, 2024

DEADLINE EXTENDED

Meet the Mentors

Five brilliant mentors will participate in selecting our five Finalists and supporting them with mentorship in preparation for the showcase event.

Georgia Pritchett is a multi-award-winning comedy and drama writer who has five Emmys, five Writers Guild awards, a Golden Globe, a Producer’s Guild award and a BAFTA. She was a writer and co-executive producer on HBO's critically acclaimed shows Succession and Veep and show-runner for The Shrink Next Door. Georgia has written extensively for Miranda Hart and Tracy Ullman and the shows Have I Got News for You, Smack the Pony, Not Going Out and The Thick of It. She created, wrote and show-ran 2DTV for ITV as well as Quick Cuts, Feel The Force and BBC's Life of Riley. Her memoir My Mess is a Bit of a Life was released in the summer of 2021 to rave reviews.

Athena Kugblenu is a comedian, writer, podcaster and voice artist. She's appeared on Mock the Week, Comedy Central: Live and has her own stand up comedy special Magnifying Class available on BBC Sounds. A past recipient of the BBC Felix Dexter Bursary, her credits include children's shows (Jojo and Gran Gran, Odd Squad), sitcom (The Cleaner), topical, (Daily Mash, The News Quiz) and sketch comedy (DMS Are Open, Famalam, The Now Show, Dead Ringers, Horrible Histories...). Her first book, History's Most Epic Fibs was published in September 2024 and will be followed by her second, History's Most Epic Fails, due in 2025. She currently co hosts and co writes Bust or Trust, an award winning comedy podcast for kids.

Alice Lowe is an actress/writer/director who has starred in TV and film, whilst going on to write feature films, such as Sightseers, the winner of Empire`s Best British Film, Prevenge, her Venice and Toronto premiering directing debut which she made at 7 months pregnant, and now Timestalker, reincarnation romcom released in Oct 2024. She`s worked across several different media and genres such as radio, audio, comedy, horror and sci-fi, and starred in children`s shows such as Horrible Histories and Paddington.

Emily Lloyd-Saini has most recently starred as series regular Winnie in BBC Three’s BAFTA Winning sitcom Juice. Her other TV credits include the role of DI Ryle across two seasons of Sky’s hit comedy Code 404, guest roles in Catastrophe and Motherland and she is a series regular in Horrible Histories. She’s currently filming new Series of Horrible Science and feature film Mothers Pride, both due for release next year. Emily also appeared in Amazon Prime comedy feature The People We Hate At The Wedding opposite Kristen Bell. Emily’s writing credits include co-writing the BBC Three series Juice (S2 being written now) and commissions for The Stand Up Sketch Show on ITV2, Class Dismissed and Horrible Science. Her debut Edinburgh stand-up hour, Is This Part of the Show?, was nominated for Funny Women’s Best Show. Emily has since gone on to perform stand up on BBC’s Big Asian Comedy Night and Rob Delaney’s Stand Up Central on Comedy Central UK.

Kerry Howard is a talented comic actress, appearing in BAFTA award winning Him and Her, for which she was nominated for the Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme. She had her first big break in the BBC remake of sitcom Reggie Perrin. Other credits include Witless (BBC Three), Young Hyacinth (BBC One), Ted Lasso ( Apple TV +), The Outlaws (BBB One), The Trouble With Maggie Cole (ITV), Finding Joy (Acorn TV), Two Weeks To Live (Sky), Four Weddings and a Funeral (Hulu), We the Jury (BBC Two), Beyond Paradise ( BBC One) and Drifters ( E4). Most recently she has featured in BBC's Black Ops and Waterloo Road, and Jack Absolute Flies Again at The National Theatre. Film credits include Netflix film Love At First Sight, I Give It A Year, London Town, A Gert Lush Christmas, The Wedding Video, How to Disappear, Dreamers and Bad Apples. Kerry created and wrote Both Sides Now with Russell Tovey, a dark comedy for Sky.

Submission Guidelines

Chosen Scripts

Five Finalists will have the first 10 pages of their scripts read to a live audience by top flight comedy talent in 2025
Finalists will receive support from Mentors to further develop their scripts in preparation for the show
Finalists, Semifinalists and Quarterfinalists will be all recognised across all FPC platforms

Script Call Brief

We are seeking the first ten pages plus a short synopsis for original comedy pilot scripts intended to be either 30 minute TV or radio series. We are looking for straight laugh-out-loud comedy pilots -- not comedy/dramas. Stories with a unique personal lens or local appeal are preferred, as well as stories that bring to light new perspectives, particularly reflecting the backgrounds or experiences of the writers themselves. We have a strong preference for scripts that feature six or less main characters.

Requirements

You were either brought up in or are currently living outside of London in the UK, and you are a UK resident
You identify as having come from a working class background
Submit the first ten pages of your TV or radio pilot episode
Script must be based on original ideas that belong to nobody but you
Script must be written in industry standard screenplay or radio format to be considered
Title page must include your full name, contact details, series title and episode title
Write a synopsis for your series, no more than one page in length

How to Submit

Include the following things in your email to femalepilotclub@gmail.com

Subject line: FPC 2025 SCRIPT CALL
In the body of the email, confirm your eligibility by sharing your current location or where you were brought up outside London
Attach a synopsis for your series, no more than one page in length and name the file as follows: LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_SERIES TITLE_SYNOPSIS
Attach your 10-page script as a PDF and name the file as follows: LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_SERIES TITLE
In the PDF: title page must include your full name, contact email, series title and episode title

By submitting, you are confirming that you meet all eligibility requirements; if we find that you do not, your script will not be read. See Terms & Conditions for details.

Click here for full Terms & Conditions

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Script not quite ready?

We want to help! The FPC Script Consultancy offers feedback and development support to take your script to the next level.

LEARN MORE

Working with FPC on your script does not guarantee its placement in our script calls.