Hello! I am writing a screenplay this year but I am already thinking ahead to next year. I have always wanted to start a radio talk show for me to talk about whatever I wanted to talk about. Could I write that for script frenzy?? I.E.: Would that still count as a script?

-Mary Kate

Hmmm... I've never heard about script for a talk-show. They usually run without script (and those that have script are usually bad). For the talk show you write a show concept that you give to the producer or editor (depends on how the station is organized) as a proposal. It describes what the show is all about, what are your tech needs and so on...

If the talk show was not a real talk show but a parody, then it would be scripted. In the UK there have been several spoof comedy "talk shows" on the radio, over the years. And even then, some of the shows use a fair amount of improvised speech. Examples are:

- Alan Partridge; "knowing me, knowing you". (Steve Coogan)

- "Do Go On" (a spoof version of "start the week", with Griff Rhys Jones and Graeme Garden)

- "Down the line" (a spoof phone-in talk show - mostly improvised)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/downtheline.shtml

But if you don't want to write comedy, then (as mentioned) a "talk show", with presenter/host and guests will be mostly unscripted, There may be a few scripted links written for the host - and questions will probably be pre-written - but the guests' speech will be improvised.

However, if the show isn't about interviewing guests, but consists of a single presenter airing his/her opinions, then that would be scripted. That probably wouldn't be called a talk show - as its more a set of broadcast essays (e.g think of the late, great, Alistair Cooke)