A friend of mine had his script rejected by the BBC so he gave it to me and asked me to say what I thought. It started fairly slow, but I immediately liked the main character and had no difficulty reading through the entire script. It was well paced and quite entertaining with a slight injection of both mystery and humour. The main character was obviously Jewish, but I don't think the BBC would necessarily reject it for that reason, even though the person who signed the rejection letter had an arabic name. Maybe they thought he was too stereotypical. I asked another friend who works in BBC drama why they might have rejected it and he said that the policy is to only read the first ten pages. If a script, like those for many dramas written by established writers, has a slow build up, it won't be appreciated because of this policy. Thus, many new ideas are turned down and TV continues to show repeats and to commission remakes of "classics" rather than invest in new ideas.

This script was low budget with only five characters and two main sets; the sort of thing the BBC should be investing in. I don't mean they should definately have bought this particular script. It might genuinely not have been the kind of thing they are looking for, but good low budget dramas are easier on the licence payer and more can be made to bring fresh stories to the schedules.

Having read the thread about the remaking of old movies, which is often a very bad idea, it makes me wonder if all TV and movie producers are shying away from the new for some reason. Do they think that old clothes are more comfortable, or more safe?

I guess a similar thing happens in music, with sampling or just plain rehashing of old songs. Then there is the X-Factor and Britains Got Talent where new material is seriously frowned upon. I'll always remember how Amanda Holden told one young singer who dared to sing an original, "You must go back to singing the standards."

I guess familiar is comfortable.

It just gets boring after a while.

Don't give up with the script take it to all the Tv networks I wish BBC showed some plays currentley reading Boys From The Blackstuff I have not seen the TV play. Still shows that times still I havent changed with unemployment people still put their noses down on them. People don't want to know you if your on the dole.