Welcome to BBC Writers

Dealing with Rejection
Being a writer unfortunately means dealing with rejection. Following the results of our latest Open Call, writer Paul Hunt sums up his experience of dealing with multiple rejections before gaining a place in our Scripted development group.
Writing for Doctor Who
Sharma Angel-Walfall discusses her writing career and what it was like to write for such an iconic show.
Reunion
Creator, Writer and Executive Producer William Mager introduces his new drama.
Meet our third Writers' Access Group
Meet the ten writers who we've been working with as part of our third Writers' Access Group for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent writers.

Our Groups

Channel 4 New Writers Scheme
Deadline: 6pm on Wednesday 25th June 2025
A development scheme open to unrepresented new writers looking for their first writing credit and aimed at those currently underrepresented in the TV industry.
Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award
Deadline: 12 noon (Eastern Time) Tuesday 1st July 2025
The competition is designed to motivate non-American novice writers under the age of 30, and offer them the recognition and encouragement that might lead to a successful career in television scriptwriting.
Papatango | Playwrights’ Studio
Papatango have announced a brand-new, completely free offer for playwrights which includes digital workshops, open-access funding, one-to-one advice, in-person events, and representation on a searchable industry database.

About BBC Writers
Find out more about our work and our offices across the UK.
How We Find and Develop Writers
The Head of New Writing for BBC Drama Commissioning and BBC Writers explains our work with writers and how BBC Writers and Drama Commissioning work together.
Open Call
Our Open Call is our main open submission opportunity for all writers aged 18 and over and resident in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
Successes
Hear about some of our success stories, including competition and award winners, commissions and events. Download and read our Annual Report.

Virdee
Love cost him his family. Now a killer threatens his city. With a turf war brewing in Bradford, DCI Harry Virdee’s world is on fire. How far will he go to save it?
Blue Lights
For police recruits in Belfast, the pressure is immense. Facing criminal gangs and divided communities, they don't know who to trust. The odds are, they won't all make it.
Domino Day
Domino isn't looking for love - she's hunting for victims. Haunted by her need to 'feed' on others, her magic might destroy her and everyone around her. Sexy, supernatural drama.
Grime Kids
East London, 2001. Tired of being nobodies, five friends start a UK garage crew, dreaming of fame. Can they find their voice in the birth of a music revolution?
Lost Boys and Fairies
Family is made from love. A heartbreaking, joyous and musical tale of gay couple Andy and Gabriel's journey to adoption.
Nightsleeper
Time is running out. When hackers send a train hurtling towards death and destruction, can two strangers stop it before it meets its final destination? Adrenaline-fuelled thriller.
Vigil
The deeper you go, the darker it gets. Military investigator DCI Silva fights to uncover conspiracies of silence - but who can she trust? Tense drama starring Suranne Jones.
Wreck
Welcome aboard the ship of nightmares. Searching for answers about his missing sister, Jamie joins the crew on a mysterious cruise liner. Conspiracy, comedy and a slice of slasher. By Ryan J. Brown.

Watch interviews and get top tips from established writers and other Industry professionals. Watch more interviews

Scriptwriting Glossary
The world of scriptwriting is full of terms and phrases which may be confusing. We've created a list of definitions that we hope will help writers on the way to grasping what they all mean.
Scriptwriting Essentials
Watch a series of eight videos covering the essentials of writing a successful script, from introductions to rewriting.
Podcast
Download and listen to our free podcast, including interviews with some the UK's leading screenwriters.
Medium and Format
Guidelines and Examples: find out what we look for and see examples of formatted scripts.