A TALK BY CAROLINE RAPHAEL: COMMISSIONING EDITOR @ BBC RADIO 4 (report by Joyce Weaver)

Caroline is not an executive producer. She is involved in the review process and provides feedback to producers on promising work that’s been submitted. She also acts as an intermediary between writers and producers.

She was invited to give a talk to Yorkshire Playwrights on the 3rd of July 2003 in one of the rehearsal rooms at the Playhouse. Gary Brown presented most of the questions on behalf of members. Here is the rough gist of most of them, and an even rougher gist of most of her answers.

Q:- What is your favourite play?

A:- The Archers! Also Jimmy Clitheroe. I also like reading plays. I like the enormous potential of radio plays I feel there is far more scope here for new writers.

I was also involved in the Youth Radio Network- Radio 5. Lots of new writers eg Mark Lamar, Johnny Vaughan and Mark Thomas came in through Radio 5.

Q:- If you find a good script what do you do?

A:- I take it to a producer and push it- if this is an established writer, there’s far more chance of acceptance.

Q:- What is the process for new writers?

A:- Scripts are read by a script reader, (contact Kate Rowland) We receive on average 10.000 scripts per year. We read the first ten pages and if we like these we will pass it on the an external reader. If they like it I suggest it to a producer but I have no power to influence his or her decision either way.

Q:- What brief is there for the Afternoon Play?

A: There is enormous potential here, with a broad spectrum for 45 minute plays. Almost any type of play considered, so long as it doesn’t contravene taste and decency.

Audiences select time to listen to plays- go for the age group around at that time. I like plays by writers who like to mix media, actuality, - interview , drama, documentary plays. A play that went out mid afternoon won the Silver Sony Award- the radio equivalent of a BAFTA.

It was about a missing girl who was lost for 8 years. Her body was found off Beachy Head. The play involved diary extracts ans interviews with her family and friends.

Q:- How many plays do you receive a week?

A:- Around 300- I read them all and divide into genre- I like detective stories- romance- comedy etc.

Q:- What are the different requirements for say, an afternoon play and a Friday play?

A:- Friday plays are contemporary and 60 minutes long with less scope for new writers. They tend to be modern day stories with sophisticated themes with no room for naive ideas.

Q:- Afternoon plays used to be 60 minutes long why did things change?

A:- I and 4 other commissioning editors, decided to change it to 45 minutes after a survey of people’s life styles showed that 95% of women with children over 5 years old now go out to work. Another reason listening audiences didn’t stay tuned in was because they had no idea how long the play was going to last. We lost a lot of the listening audience after 30 -40 minutes they were switching off at 3 to 3.30pm when their kids came home from school.

People need to fit things in between 2 and 3.00pm. We decided to move The Archers to 2.00pm and ask the audience to stay on and listen to the afternoon play until 3.00pm. We felt that there was no point in broadcasting something that didn’t fit in with people’s lifestyles.

Q:- Some writers find 45 minutes is not long enough.

A:- We ask writers to be focused and economical with dialogue. No “Cradle to Grave”stories. Sony awards tend to go for the 45 minute afternoon plays.

Q:- The perception among a lot of writers is that the scope is shrinking.?

A:- A lot of this is due to audience’s reception. They either wont listen in or cannot commit time to listen to every episode of a serial. However, series are very popular for instance Dr Finley...

Q:- Tell us more about the late night slot -11 .00pm?

A:- There’s a 3 nights a week entertainment slot with scope for thought provoking material, also spoken word poetry, part poetry/part prose , stand up comedy and some dramatisation eg Little Britain, League of Gentlemen etc. All slots are fed by departments in various regional BBC centres. These departments have in house producers who commission 10% of new stuff.

The commission system has change radically. Radio drama used to be commissioned from London BBC which flourished- other regions didn’t. Things are now commissioned by the Network. For those departments including BBC Arts. I feel that this is a much fairer system and better integrated now with a centralised -controlled focus on drama.

Q:- But it’s not good for writers now, their best ideas only get the chance to be pitched twice a year. A lot of us feel that there is no relationship between the writer and producer anymore and no scope to develop any!

A:- we had to change the system because we were running out of money! We had to be more selective, people’s aspirations were going up and the budget is very limited- Regions were capped favoured writers got more commissions -(this came out wrong!) - I meet producers all the time who will only consider plays that have a good chance of being completed and produced.

Topical plays have a far higher chance of being produced if pitched and written whilst the subject matter is still in the news. Writers with a good track record have more chance of a commission.

Q:- Don’t you understand how frustrating it is to miss out on 2 time slots a year?

A:- There is nothing worse than going off at halfcock- The plays we commission have to fit in with factual stuff and the controller as the final say. Drama has to compliment other stuff on Radio 4- we sometimes take things and have to change slots around. There are only 50 or so Saturdays plays a year. We have just commissioned plays which will be going out between April and September 2004.

The only slot not done this way is the classic serial this is done much quicker.

Q:- Is control of your remit down to your own personal taste?

A:- No not always, I make short lists of plays which I think are suitable and then I sit down with the controllers of Radio 4 - we step back and consider what range of programmes audiences will like. Sci-if appeals to many.

Q:- There is far less work taken now and writers can only submit twice a year.?

A:- Slots have changed. The range has got bigger. We have written commission guidelines- we list everything we’ve bought. We don’t want plays about World War 2 or anything about Russians, leave well alone! I will try to get the guidelines onto the BBC website and also publish on there what the BBC wants in an offer

Q:- Given the volume of scripts you receive, how can writers cultivate producers?

A:- Get the Radio Times. Study producers work. By all means ring me I can contact the producer for you and mediate but I have to say right now I try not to get too involved in this process.

Q:- Are there any specific areas or genres that you or the producers/ controllers like? For instance portrayal of recently dead people?

A:- You would need to talk to a producer about portraying someone who was in the public eye who is recently dead you would also need to talk to the subject’s relatives and loved ones so as not to invade their privacy and cause them needless distress.

Q:- Is it best to approach Manchester Radio 4 to submit a script?

A:- Go to a regional department in your area which is right for you.

Q:- What’s the difference between a producer and director ?

A:- They are essentially the same thing- there are 4 or 5 based in Manchester which is well served but internal politics may decide whether or not work gets commissioned.

Q:- Are there any areas not explored?

A:- Bestiality, plays about contemporary farming don’t usually work.

No violence, rape etc we don’t like scripts that cheapen the subject, but we do, do plays about gay relationships however, provided they don’t breach the boundaries of taste and decency.

Q:- Any particular subjects you commission?

A:- It’s the D Day Anniversary next year we are commissioning wartime dramas to coincide with that. (The Radio 4 commissioning brief which Caroline Raphael kindly supplied us with says: "'Please note that work to commemorate the D-day anniversary in June 2004 is already in development and further ideas are not requested at the moment.")

Q:- What’s the attitude to the work of minority writers?

A:- Number crunching comes before the consideration of where a writer comes from. It would be illegal to specify work on the grounds of ethnicity. Black and Asian writers write on a whole spectrum of subjects. For instance Benjamin Zephaniah wrote about child abuse and being locked in a cupboard...

Q:- Is there any scope for soaps?

A:- None whatsoever! In order to build up loyalty, a soap needs to be on regularly- for instance The Archers- we wont take on any more to avoid being accused of “dumbing down”. Other reason lack of audience commitment -( therefore over my dead body!)

Although we did put on a 15 minute drama series called “Inner Voices”. There’s also a series - “Just New Writers” and BBC Scotland are doing 15 minute drama slots for new writers. Also the BBC World Service are running an Asian soap.

I would advise approaching producers to ask the Network if they like your ideas.

Q:- How much comedy is allowed in comedy drama?

A:- I like the idea of producing things in front of a live audience- but that’s just my personal taste- the producer/controller may not see the point of it. But there is scope fro new writers to try out ideas.

Q:- How can 2 people decide what’s funny? Surely scripts need a wider appreciation?

A:- It used to be 1 person- we get a huge amount of feedback via letters, as well as emails and a panel of people listens to reviews from within the department. They are good at giving things a second chance. A lot of things take time to grow and develop. They look at appreciation figures. A brand new series may get 50 - 60% a second chance gives it time to thrive.

Northern Exposure featured 64 new writers. With Alex Chisholm feeding work through to the BBC via Manchester, a lot of new work will be looked at, reviewed and developed.
The general consensus is that the doors are a lot more open than they used to be.