BBC Writersroom’s annual window for unsolicited scripts (TV, film, radio, stage or online) will open between 11am on Monday 7th December 2020 and 5pm on Wednesday 6th January 2021.

Script Room is not looking for projects to commission or produce- they are looking for writers to develop rather than specific projects.

The Script Room open calls are not competitions but a means by which the BBC seeks out the best writing talent. They look for writers with the strongest potential to be developed and produced for BBC broadcast. You could be new to writing or new to the BBC but equally, you may be a playwright looking to write for TV, or you’ve written for radio and would like to try your hand at writing for CBBC. They understand that carving a career as a writer takes time and that each writer’s development needs will be different.

They will also consider whether scripts have real potential to be developed further towards production. If they believe a script could be developed further by a BBC department, they will send it to them with the writer’s knowledge. Original scripts written on spec’ are produced extremely rarely, and writers should not send them in with the expectation that they will be produced. However, original spec’ scripts are the means by which writers get noticed, so you should always write your script with the same level of commitment as if it were for production.

At the end of the process, a group of writers (usually between 10 and 15) will be selected to join the Script Room writer development group for 2021.

Criteria 

• One drama or comedy-drama script of at least 30 full pages in length for TV, Film, Radio, Stage or Online* with your personal details removed.
• Your script should be saved as a single PDF document of no more than 10MB in size, with your name removed from the document.*If you are submitting a sample script for Children’s TV or Online, you are welcome to submit 2 x 15 minute episodes as a single PDF document.
• Please remember to remove your name and contact details from every page of your script. All scripts will be read “blind” i.e. without a name attached, until after the full-read stage.
• Scripts must be at least 30 pages in length. It’s extremely hard to judge a writer’s abilities with a view to BBC broadcast slots if their work is shorter than this. Increasing the spacing or font size of a short script will not make your script eligible. Font sizes should generally be 11.5 or 12.
• They cannot accept scripts submitted to previous Script Room windows.
• Scripts submitted for other BBC Writersroom opportunities are eligible.
• They no longer accept printed submissions via post. If you have no access to the internet, you will need to contact the BBC to discuss other options. The safest and most secure way to get your script to us, and ensure that it gets read, is to use the E-Submissions system. It is simple to use and will reach us instantly. All you need is an email address and access to the internet in order to use it.

The link to submit your script via the BBC E-submissions system will activate at 11am on Monday 7th December 2020 and deactivate at 5pm on Wednesday 6th January 2021. You will only be able to submit your script during the time the window is open.

A phone line to our team will be available for the majority of the open submission period, excluding weekends and public holidays. Call via the main BBC switchboard on 020 8743 8000.

They cannot guarantee that we’ll be able to help you on deadline day, as the line and email are often busy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/script-room