Bob Servant creator Neil Forsyth has capped off a successful year by selling two new comedy pilot scripts to American television networks.
Neil said that Broughty Ferry’s most famous fictional son may also return for a third series if the current season is well received on BBC4 next month.
Dundee writer Neil scooped the two commissions after pitching to studio executives in Los Angeles earlier this year.
He said: “I went over in August and was hoping to sell one, but I sold two which is fantastic.
“I’ve been over three times this year and I do enjoy going around the studios. It’s quite nerve-wracking, and it’s incredibly thrilling when they take one of them. The American system is very cyclical, you go over in August and pitch ideas and hopefully get a pilot script ordered. Then in January, they decide which of them are going to be pilots.
“It’s quite a strange system. It’s fantastic working on the scripts and then a very small percentage of them actually ever become anything.
“You don’t necessarily get the creative payoff of making the show, but it’s great working with the Americans.
“Statistically, I think the reality is that I will sell scripts over there and make TV here. Obviously, the dream is that one day one of the American things goes all the way through to a series.”
The first script, which has been bought by NBC, is a comedy set in the US embassy in London and features the American ambassador to the UK and his family.
The second pilot is a collaboration with Pulling actress and writer Sharon Horgan, who came up with the original story idea.
Neil said: “That has been sold to CBS. Sharon and her American manager got me on board to write it with her.
“It’s a very American family sitcom and would be up against all the other American family network sitcoms so there’s a lot of competition.
“The ambassador sitcom would be really nice, because that would be made here. I wouldn’t have to uproot and move to LA for any huge period of time. That’s coming along well and NBC seem to be very pleased with it at this stage, so fingers crossed it can see the light of day.”
Neil said that cheeseburger magnate and failed politician Bob may return to the screens.
He said: “We’ll wait and see how it goes on BBC4 in February, everything will come off the back of that.
“There is interest in another Bob Servant book and I’ll possibly do it next year, it just depends on the timing with everything else.
“My concentration is fully on sitcom writing now, both here and the States and I’ve had offers to do other bits and pieces.
“The new episodes are definitely a bit closer to the books and they are the better for it.”
BOB’S ON THE RISE
Bob Servant’s second television series has also turned out to be a ratings hit.
More than 250,000 people watched the latest episode, starring Brian Cox and Jonathan Watson, making it the best-watched BBC Scotland comedy of 2014.
The first series, which aired last year, had an average of 175,000 viewers tuning in to each of its six episodes.
Ratings for both series are above the average for the Monday night TV slot it holds.
Neil said: “The BBC Scotland transmission was fantastic, it was very successful.
“It had great viewing figures which went up every week, which is very unusual for a comedy as they usually peak at episode one with all the publicity.
“Episode three will come out at more than a quarter-of-a-million viewers, which for a Scotland-only transmission is great.
“That’s well up on the last series and I think nearly double the average for that slot.
“The first series’ average in Scotland was probably around 175,000.
“And it did very well on the BBC iPlayer, with viewers in the rest of the UK getting a look ahead of the BBC Four transmission in February.”