Dan Hobson and Jon Bridle
Graduates Dan Hobson, who studied BA (Hons) Creative Writing with Film Studies and Jon Bridle, who studied BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing recently shared the secrets of their success with current students by holding a masterclass at the University on tips for writing off beat, fast paced comedy.
The two now write for the BAFTA award winning That Mitchell and Webb Look and E4's School of Comedy.
From radio to TV
Whilst they were studying here at Derby, the University's legendary radio station of the time "Bedlam FM" was an instant platform for their creativity in comedy.
After graduating in 2001 they won a BBC talent competition, which helped launch their careers writing comedy for radio and TV.
Dan said: "Studying at Derby gave us the room and opportunity to practise...before attempting to show off our material in the real world."
Jon added: "The great thing about Derby is that you're mixing with professional writers who are teaching for the love of the subject. This atmosphere of enthusiasm for writing of all kinds inspires you to try things you'd never have even considered before."
'They were the talk of the campus'
Carl Tighe, Senior Lecturer for the Creative Writing programme said: "We remember Dan and Jon on Bedlam FM - they were the talk of the campus. We knew they had talent - and we were over the moon when they won the BBC competition. Mitchell and Webb are not only superb comedians - they clearly have excellent taste in scriptwriters."
