How it works

A series of lectures from high-profile writers, producers and directors. The expertise and guidance of your own script editor. Workshops with other leading industry professionals. These are the tools at your disposal. You’ll use them to craft an original one hour drama or drama serial; we option your script for six months and set up a meeting with our Drama Commissioning team to discuss other opportunities to work with us.

There will be two key weekends in the course.

The first offers the chance to get the inside track on writing for television from expert industry figures. Time will also be set aside to chat through your ideas with our assigned script editor. You’ll then go on to develop your script, submitting a second draft in time for the second weekend.

This will see actors read a section of each script on the first day, followed by discussion and analysis on the second day. We’ll finish with a workshop, course overview and a look at our specific requirements in terms of series and serial television drama.

The course also includes a drinks evening at our offices in London where you can meet industry producers, script editors, literary agents and other useful people to know.

You’ll be paid for taking part and producing two drafts of a one-hour script. The first option on this should be granted to Shelley Productions for Channel 4 to acquire all rights. We’ll let you know within six months of delivery whether we intend to exercise this option.

Click here to see what past successful 4Screenwriting participants got up to. 

2024 Cohort 

*Applications are now closed for the 2024 cohort

HOW TO APPLY:    

Channel 4 Screenwriting - Philip Shelley, Script Consultant (script-consultant.co.uk)

NOTE: YOU CANNOT SUBMIT THE SAME SCRIPT YOU HAVE SUBMITTED IN PREVIOUS YEARS. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE A WRITER WHO IDENTIFIES AS DISABLED, YOU ARE WELCOME TO SUBMIT THE SAME SCRIPT A SECOND TIME.

ELIGIBILITY:

Only writers who do not have a broadcast credit as a television writer or theatrical release as a feature film writer may apply (although produced short films – 20 minutes or less – are exempt). 

CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS:        

Monday 2nd October 2023.

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