Get your work to top showrunners & industry insiders
DEADLINE: DEC. 15

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Special guest judge this year: Erin Keating, Development Consultant to IFC, previously worked at ComedyNet, BBC America, NBC and Comedy Central.

At least one winner this year will get their work reviewed by Gary S. Mann, VP Development at Comedy Central (previously at HBO). Also in the pool of potential reader/advisors for the winners is Brent Forrester, Consulting Proudcer on "The Office", previously Co-Producer and Writer on "The Simpsons", "King of the Hill", "The Ben Stiller Show".

And at least one winner in the essay category will get read and considered for publication by freshyarn.com, the premiere website and showcase for personal essays online. We know several people who have actually gotten agents and book deals from having their material featured on this site.

Previous winners have had their work seen by agents at UTA and Metropolitan, managers at Brillstein-Grey, executives at IFC, Fox, Comedy Central and Starz/Film Roman, producers and award-winning TV creators like:

ALAN ZWEIBEL ("Saturday Night Live", "It's Garry Shandling's Show")
BOB ODENKIRK ("Mr. Show", "Saturday Night Live", "Tenacious D")
JOHN RIGGI ("The Comeback", "30 Rock", "The Larry Sanders Show")
JAY KOGEN ("The Simpsons", "Frasier")
BILL OAKLEY & JOSH WEINSTEIN ("The Simpsons", "The Mullets")
WINNIE HOLZMAN ("Wicked", "Thirtysomething", Creator of "My So-Called Life")
BRYAN FULLER ("Wonderfalls", "Heroes")
JON KINNALLY ("Ugly Betty", "Will & Grace")
CINDY CHUPACK ("Sex and the City", "Everybody Loves Raymond")
BRENT FORRESTER ("The Office", "King of The Hill", "Undeclared")
ROB COHEN ("The Ben Stiller Show", "The Simpsons")

>> YOUR WORK <<
- Can be an original TV pilot
- A 'spec' script of an existing TV series
- A 'sketch packet' containing short sketches and/or monologs
- A comic essay
- A comedy performance of any kind (DVD or online link)
- An original production of sketches, short film, or animation (DVD or link)
- Multiple submissions OK
- Re-submissions from past contests OK (but please do a serious re-write!)

>> HOW TO ENTER <<
1. Print out this ENTRY FORM
2. Send us your work + entry form for each submission
3. $40 entry fee per submission -- enclose check to 'UN-CABARET' or pre-pay here
Send to:
UN-CABARET
137 N. Larchmont Blvd. #107
LA, CA 90004

Submitted material must be post-marked no later than
>> December 15 <<

The Winner of the 2008-2009 Other Network Comedy Contest is...
Richard Lucas ("Jim Hill's Double-Breasted Suit" Standup Performance)*

We also awarded honorable mentions to...
Mark Staufenberg ("Black Hitler" 30 Rock Spec)
Austin Hice ("Sweet Dee Blows a Dog" It's Always Sunny... spec)
Howie Kaplan ("Prince Barry" original pilot)
Abby Cohen ("Bad Habits" pilot for "Dr. & Mr." original pilot)
Matt Moskovciak & Ben Stadler ("Hope You Have a Dump Truck" video sketches)

We wish we had time to give individual notes because some of the submitted material was not bad. This year, again, there were some good premises, but for a tv script to make any impact on us, a showrunner, agent or producer, especially in the chaotic state of the industry/economy/galaxy, the execution also has to be really really strong.

The biggest general note we have: not funny enough. Not enough actual laughs. And structurally too many scripts petered out and didn't deliver any last act twists or really satisfying finish.

Here, for your rewriting pleasure are 8 rewrite notes for any comedy script. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra time to make your writing really shine, even - especially - if you're going to go ahead and just greenlight it for production yourself.

If you're serious about comedy, you should really put your ears on at least a couple of episodes of The Writers Room, a series of in-depth interviews with top showrunners about the craft and business of comedy.

Please make use of our free advice and resources for writers, performers and other creatives at the Un-Cabaret blog. And if you're in LA come visit our writing & performance workshops for a mind-expanding demonstration of the power of the spoken word to supercharge any writing.

We really want your scripts to be good. Give us something to get excited about.

The Winners of the 2007-2008 Other Network Comedy Contest are...

Jen Stansfield, "Itty Bitty Sketch Show" (original sketch packet)
Lauren Sarafan, "The Black Bag" (original essay)
Casey Geisen & Jamie Fox, "The Office: The Plumber" (spec script)
Jeff Madden & Paul Thomas, "Being Civil" (original pilot - produced)

Honorable mentions: Jeffrey Sanfacon "Good Looking vs. Evil", Hamilton Mitchell "Teen Messiah" and Christian Yee & Ross Hyzer "The Tucker Peck Campaign" for concept, Michael Elyanow "The Idiot Box" for dialog, James Ossi "Healing Marie" for aiming high, and for some real nice high points: Rob Sosin "Will Carlough's Awesome Movie Show", Lior Ben-Aharon "Big Bag of Funny", Jessica Levith, "30 Rock: Little-Jack", and Abby Schachner for "Jew Go Girl" which contained one of our favorite lines: 'One more thing. You may have to have sex with Hitler.' 'What!?' 'Or an underling. Use your discretion.'

General feedback for work submitted this year: It may be a coincidence but this year, just as the TV production system is unravelling, some of the strongest entries weren't TV scripts. A number of submissions had strong ideas, but the execution was lagging. Most scripts didn't have enough hard jokes or strong enough storylines. Witty banter and quirky behavior are great, but they aren't the same as comedy. If you really want to compete and get hired as a comedy writer, especially in this chaotic market, do yourself a favor. Write another draft and add some laugh-out-loud comedy. If you want some serious advice from the pros, check out the Writers Room series, an indespensible resource for any writer.

With sketch packets, you're better off submitting 3 really strong pieces than 6 pieces when only 3 are really great. You dilute your own impact. And finally, a surprising number of entries didn't include the name of the project, writer(s) and phone or e-mail contact on every page of the script or disc.

We regret that we can't give individual feedback, but we hope these general notes will help.

2007 Winners

This year brought a number of good original ideas with scripts that were maybe not quite up to the concepts. Our biggest note to scripts that didn't win: more laughs. More surprises. Take more chances. And do one more draft for funny.

Among the specs there were a number of well-written scripts for "Curb Your Enthusiasm". We chose the one that really stood out with a fully-realized Katrina storyline. Our general advice on specs: go farther with the storylines. We think a spec has to go beyond the original show to really get noticed.

There was a general escalation of 'sensational' elements this year. Several scripts referred to necrophilia, and one of the winners actually did it - but we'd like to clarify that it's the writer's commitment and humor we honor, not the heinous and illegal acts. Also, he just kind of tossed it off and didn't make a big deal out of it. And the winners are...

Joshua Snyder, "DARK PYTHON" (original comedy)
J. Stein, "SEXY JUSTICE" (original comedy)
Cary Ruby, "CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: The Slow Response" (spec)
Luc Des Groseillers and Patrick Dussault, "SOUTH PARK: Take it Like a Man" (spec)

2006 Winner
Carrie Doyle, "TEMPORARY INSANITY: Welcome to the Jungle" (original comedy)
R.T. Allen, "THE BRIDGE" (original drama)
Jeremy Shipp, "CAPTAIN SMITTY: Buried Treasure" (original comedy)
Vanessa Marshall, "PLUS ME" (original comedy)

2005 Winners
Ross Beeley, "ACTION MONK!" (original comedy)
Jarred Katz, "THE MISADVENTURES OF CHERI DARNELL" (original comedy)
Paul Rust, "THE GARVEYS" (original comedy)
Hollis Ludlow-Carroll, Michael Cheung, Matt Quinn, "CHARLES GRODIN: Celebrity Lawyer" (original comedy)

THE OTHER NETWORK continues to look for great new comedy talent so we can help create more bitter, jaded alcoholics. And maybe, just maybe, make some great TV! (Or at least some pretty fair webisodes!)

* DISCLAIMER: 2008-9 contest winner Richard Lucas studied with us at the The Comedian's Way Workshop. We didn't think that was any reason to disqualify him for doing really good work.