"I wondered: What if the writer is funnier than the performer? I approached Pete Sinclair, who I'd written with for a long time, and said: What do you reckon? BBC4 commissioned a pilot. We developed the world of Rick Spleen and his relationship with his writer and the public. Spleen is trumped by everyone in his life. His wife is more successful than him. Magda, his Polish cleaner, is more logically intelligent."
"Had I not found success, that's what I would've been doing: deluding myself into thinking it will happen, or believing it's not my fault that it hasn't. Everywhere he looks, he's bashed about by people better than him. A lot of comedians like Rick don't have a sense of humour and can't laugh at themselves, which is really weird, but I think we pinpointed it quite accurately."
"I'm sure I share Rick's frustrations with the world, but he allows them to ruin his day and destroy his career. I make a conscious effort not to allow all that stuff to get in the way. It doesn't get any easier because the older you get, the more certain you are that your way is right. And that's a recipe for disaster."
The creator developed a comedy concept exploring the relationship between writers and performers, questioning what happens when the writer is funnier than the performer. This led to BBC4 commissioning a pilot featuring Rick Spleen, a mediocre comedian perpetually undermined by those around him—his more successful wife, intelligent cleaner, cooler daughter and boyfriend, and funnier writer. Rick represents a cautionary version of the creator's potential self had success not materialized. The show captures authentically British scenarios, like disastrous corporate events, while examining how unsuccessful comedians lack self-awareness and cannot laugh at themselves. The creator distinguishes himself by consciously preventing frustrations from derailing his career, unlike Rick, who allows them to consume him.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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