Grand Scheme Media & Comedy 50:50 detail new virtual session

Saskia Schuster

UK-based Grand Scheme Media has revealed more details of its upcoming comedy TV session, which is being produced in partnership with Saskia Schuster’s Comedy 50:50 initiative.

The Introduction To Comedy TV session, which was postponed following Covid-19 restrictions, is now to be run as a concentrated 90-minute version via Zoom.

Two sessions, backed by UKTV and ITV, will take place at 11.00BST on Tuesday, 28 July and Wednesday, 29 July, and will explore how the TV comedy industry works and is described as “a primer in understanding the business”.

The session will explore UK channels and streamers’ approach to the genre, as well as content requirements and information on how to sell projects.

Comedy 50:50 was founded last year by Schuster, who was controller for comedy at domestic broadcaster ITV before moving to Drop The Mic prodco Fulwell 73 in February.

The initiative is aimed at addressing gender imbalance in the genre by implementing measures to achieve equal representation in writing rooms and production teams for women.

As part of the initiative, while at ITV Schuster stipulated that no comedy entertainment shows with all-male writing teams would be commissioned and that scripted comedy productions had to demonstrate best endeavours to employ women in the writing room.

For more info, click here.