BBC revives comedy producer bursary

The scheme will give two people a year of training at BBC radio, in such areas as podcasting, script editing and directing.

It previously ran from 1991 to 2002, and its graduates include Phil Clarke, now head of comedy at Peep Show producer Objective, and Channel 4 head of comedy Caroline Leddy.

Adverts seeking recruits will be placed in the press and online next month – and the BBC say they are primarily looking for people with life experience, rather than college graduates.

The head of BBC radio comedy, Paul Schlesinger, is overseeing the bursary, and said it would be fitting to rename it after Thompson.

He told MediaGuardian: ‘Harry was really interested in spending time with new writers.

‘We are looking for the next wave of producers who are like Harry – genuinely creative and a bit of the impresario, somebody who has the confidence, who is a script editor and who can also show run.’

Thompson, pictured started his career on radio, producing the likes of The News Quiz before moving to TV show such as They Think It's All Over. He died in 2005 of lung cancer, aged 45.

BBC radio has recently revived a similar bursary nurturing comedy writers, whose graduates have included Stewart Lee, Steve Punt, Rory McGrath and Red Dwarf creators Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. The current beneficiaries are James Sherwood and Stephen Carlin.

Published: 28 Apr 2008