鲍鱼tv

Beep written by Bryce Hart was broadcast on 鲍鱼tv Scotland and 鲍鱼tv Two as part of the 鲍鱼tv's Festival of Funny.

Watch Beep now on 鲍鱼tv iPlayer 

Beep is set in Glasgow and focuses on the dynamics and secrets of a working class family as they visit their Dad Tommy, who lies helplessly in hospital, in a coma.

On the day of his wedding anniversary Tommy is visited by his wife Liz and dysfunctional family members, including his emotionally challenged son Martin, sleep deprived daughter Hannah and lonely nephew Nigel.

Boasting a cast of exciting talent, including Siobhan Redmond (The Replacement, Unforgotten), Paul Higgins (The Thick Of It), Victoria Balnaves (Shetland, Garrows Law), Grant O’Rourke (Outlander), Kevin O’Loughlin (The Ginge, The Geordie and the Geek) and BAFTA nominated Lois Chimimba (Trust Me, Doctor Who). Beep was filmed exclusively on set and location in and around Glasgow.

We caught up with Bryce to find out about the show's journey to the screen. 

You have been involved with the 鲍鱼tv Writersroom for several years. What was your first introduction to us?

In 2016 I was working in production as a researcher and managed to convince a producer I was working with to read one of my scripts. It was a day when it was just the two of us out filming so I knew he’d probably feel he had to agree, knowing that the rest of the day would be pretty awkward if he’d said no. But thankfully he did actually read it and liked it. He took it to the 鲍鱼tv and it went into development for a few months but ultimately didn’t get made. The commissioner at the 鲍鱼tv passed it over to the 鲍鱼tv Writersroom who read it and invited me to interview for the Comedy Room development group and luckily I managed to get into it.

How did being part of the Comedy Room help develop your career?

The Comedy Room was an incredible slice of luck for me to get on as it gave me the one thing any writer needs, which is access to the people you need to impress. In our second meet-up we were all put in a room with what seemed like every comedy producer in London. Although I did what most people do at these things, mainly stand in the corner and drink free beer and talk about how I wish I knew how to network, over the course of the scheme I did learn how to network and to build relationships with producers. It’s really simple. Just don’t talk about your work. Talk about comedy. It’s not an official rule but it took the pressure of me – as well as whoever was listening to me.

As well as that, we were given the opportunity to submit material for a whole range of shows and I very quickly managed to get some credits under my belt, which was huge. Mainly it was for things I’d never considered doing before, like radio or children’s TV. I didn’t think I’d be right for these things but teaching yourself to write for different mediums and audiences is a really useful thing to do. Adapting your voice to fit an existing show is really handy when it comes to getting jobs in writers' rooms.

I was lucky as well that the 鲍鱼tv Writersroom regionalised at the same time I was on the scheme so all of a sudden there was a Scottish office. I emailed and asked if I could come in for a coffee (generally good advice – people are always keen to get away from the office – when offices were a thing) and there I met Angela Galvin and Audrey McFadden. They have played such a massive part in my career from that day on and soon got me my first script commission for 鲍鱼tv Three’s The Break and put me up for a writer’s residency at in Glasgow, writing on 鲍鱼tv Scotland’s Scot Squad.

Angela and Audrey basically became my unofficial agents until I got my actual agent, who they introduced me to. So everything really goes back to the Comedy Room and meeting them.

So you are about to have your first network pilot broadcast. Can you tell us how did Beep come about?

Back in 2018 I was invited to interview for the Scottish Comedy Writer’s Programme run by 鲍鱼tv Writersroom Scotland. You had to submit a spec' script which was going to be read by comedy commissioners so I was determined to write something new for it. Beep was an idea I’d been playing with in my head for a while and I used the deadline for the Comedy Writers' Programme to get the first draft done.

I managed to get selected for the programme and through it I met at Happy Tramp North, who is the exec on Beep. Happy Tramp were the perfect home for Beep and working with Neil and the team there was a real joy. We developed the script over the next few months and quickly went to a table read which went really well, despite me spending most of it shaking in the back row. A pilot was then commissioned off the back of that.

Was working with Happy Tramp North your first experience of working with an independent production company?

No I’d worked for the best part of a year at the Comedy Unit in Glasgow as a staff writer, which was the best job in the world. To get up in the morning and not dread going to work was a new feeling, mainly because I was mostly terrible at every other job. Also their office was a five minute walk from my flat so, perfect really.

I also worked in TV for six years in production, as a runner and then as a researcher on various shows. It’s a useful path I think for people wanting to break into writing as it gives you that insight into how the industry works - and I also have a very detailed memory of how a lot of people take their tea, so when this all blows up and I have to go back to it, I’ll be able to pick up seamlessly from where I left off.

Was the development process for Beep plain sailing?

The development process was challenging in terms of logistics. Beep is mainly set in one hospital room but that room is essentially a family living room and the ‘world’ outside (the corridors and neighbouring rooms) had to feel like a little world of it’s own. Nothing like that existed already in Scotland so we had to have a set built, which was incredibly exciting but naturally took a bit of time.

The pilot was commissioned in May 2019 and we were finally set to film in April 2020. And then...yeah. (The pandemic happened just to be clear).

So then I just panicked for six months but we finally managed to film in November last year. Making my first pilot during COVID was a weird experience. I still couldn’t really tell you what any of the crew look like from the eyes down. But it was great to get lost in the little world we had created and get some respite from the reality outside. We had the best crew in the world basically.

But other than that it was a breeze. I was working with fantastic people at Happy Tramp. Neil was a constant source of support and encouragement throughout – and helped pick me up when the show seemed to be on constant pause during COVID. I was also really fortunate to work with two amazing producers (Ali Marlow and ) on the show. Creatively the development couldn’t have gone any better and I’ve met people who I hope to work with for the rest of my career.

I’m also eternally grateful to the 鲍鱼tv for sticking by the show. Their support never wavered really and that meant a lot.

So when can we watch BEEP?

Beep will be on the 鲍鱼tv Scotland Channel on Friday the 12th of March at 10.30pm. It will also be going out on 鲍鱼tv Two as part of the 鲍鱼tv’s Festival of Funny on Sunday the 14th of March at 9.45pm. And of course it will be on 鲍鱼tv iPlayer (watch Beep now on 鲍鱼tv iPlayer). We’d love to make more so I’m not saying watch it three times but I am also saying that.

Any tips advice for writers when you have an idea rejected?

Just keep going. It sounds glib but it’s not. Rejections hurt and it’s fine to take a few days to lick your wounds but ultimately, writers write and soon you’re back in front of the laptop. Also, if the person who is saying no is explaining why it didn’t work for them and where to improve, try to take their notes on board. Some of the best advice I ever got was during rejections. And if they’re giving you that advice, it’s because they want you to come back fighting. I have definitely had lots of moments of sitting up at 4am, writing a spec' script that no one has asked for or is paying me for, wondering if anyone will even read it and feeling so far away from where I want to be. So no one is alone in feeling that. Keep going.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently a writer and associate producer on the UK remake of the French Netflix show ! and have a few other projects in development. And hopefully there’s more Beep to come!