The Offcuts Drawer - Successful Writers Share Their Best Worst Ideas
Episodes
Charlie Higson Pt 2 - Screenwriter, Novelist & Actor
14 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is part 2 of my interview with Charlie and in this episode his offcuts include an episode of Dr Who, a horror version of a Disney cartoon classic...
Charlie Higson Pt1 - Screenwriter, Novelist & Actor
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Screenwriter, comedian, showrunner, actor, novelist, podcaster, musician, singer... Charlie shares so many projects from his long and varied career th...
Jonathan Lynn - Screenwriter, Director & Playwright
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The creator of Yes Minister shares clips of his abandoned screenplays and theatre scripts along with tales of his work in Hollywood and beyond, as he ...
Bernadette Strachan - Novelist & Playwright
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bernadette, who writes under - at time of recording - seven different pen names, shares some of her discarded projects including a novel about a cat i...
Christopher Douglas - Comedy Writer & Actor
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The writer & voice of BBC Radio 4's Ed Reardon shares the comedy scripts that missed the mark, got rejected by the commissioners or still remain u...
Piers Torday - Children's Author & Playwright
06 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A former television writer now an award-winning children’s novelist and playwright, Piers’ offcuts include an attempt at a romantic novel, a socia...
Adele Parks MBE - Novelist
23 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Top Author & Writer Adele Parks shares clips of her writing that never made it to publication, plus some of her earliest literary attempts and and...
Lucy V Hay - Author, Novelist & Script Editor
09 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Novelist, blogger & script editor Lucy V Hay shares her writing that failed before she became a published novelist, and screenplays that have yet ...
Dan Maier - Comedy Writer
26 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TV, film and radio comedy writer Dan Maier reveals a cornucopia of different formats for his offcuts that include a radio sketch written for a famous ...
Louise Candlish - Author & Novelist
12 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Best-selling thriller novelist and author Louise Candlish shares her writing offcuts which include: a deleted chapter from one of her most successful ...
Paul Burke - Advertising Copywriter & Novelist
28 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Advertising copywriter and novelist Paul shares rejected scripts that include a screenplay about a cab-driving priest, a dog that could still become a...
Lynn Ferguson - Screenwriter & Storyteller
15 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and storyteller Lynn Ferguson shares a mixed bag of offcuts that include a London love story, a nightmare foxhunt, a ghostly family reunion and...
Ian Martin - Screenwriter
31 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Swearing consultant", screenwriter and producer Ian Martin shares a combination of film scripts and short stories that include tales of gory ghosts,...
Lisa Jewell - Novelist
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Best-selling thriller writer Lisa ("Then She Was Gone", "The Family Upstairs", "Watching You") shares clips that didn't make it into her books, and ta...
Caimh McDonnell - Novelist & Screenwriter
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Dublin Trilogy" novelist and former comedian Caimh (CK) McDonnell shares his sitcom set aboard a ferry, a pre-Fleabag Fleabag and a comedy about what...
Georgia Pritchett - Screenwriter & Producer
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A rap musical set in a US prison based on a Noel Coward play, a sitcom about IVF and a story about JFK faking moon landings - just 3 of the offcuts fr...
Miranda Kane - Writer & Performer
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Raconteuse Miranda shares the bits of writing that didn't quite make it, along with tales of her former life as a sex worker, in a show that's definit...
FEED DROP - In Writing With Hattie Crisell
24 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is not a normal episode of The Offcuts Drawer but a taster of the excellent podcast In Writing With Hattie Crisell. Journalist Hattie visits the ...
Isy Suttie - Writer, Actor & Comedian
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An investigation into the Mole-man of Hackney, standup material about pond-dipping and a bit of angst-filled teenage poetry are just some of the offcu...
Val McDermid - Crime Novelist & Writer
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Scotland's "Queen of Crime" shares some stonking bits of early writing, including her attempt at a bonkbuster and the short story that prefigured her ...
Francesca Simon - Children‘s Author
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The "Horrid Henry" creator gives us an out-take from her successful opera, unpublished articles and some other children's book ideas that despite her ...
Robert Popper - Writer, Producer & Performer
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Friday Night Dinner" writer Popper shares some truly bizarre offcuts including the fake CV that landed him his big break in comedy, a prank community...
Andrea Gibb - Film & TV Writer
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A grab-bag of television and film scripts that didn't quite make it including a drama about GI brides and a psychological mystery set in the Scottish ...
Jeremy Sams - Composer, Theatre Director & Writer
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The West End theatre version of TV's "The Good Life", the "Toys" musical that came *before* the film... Jeremy's selection of near misses covers both ...
Neil Forsyth - TV Writer & Author
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Creator of "Guilt" and "Eric, Ernie & Me" Neil showcases some other shows that didn't quite make it and shares what it's really like writing for A...
Jackie Clune - Actor, Writer & Novelist
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A sweary Karen Carpenter tribute act, women's rugby and the first black female astronaut - actress/comedian Jackie reveals an interesting range of sub...
Chris Brookmyre - Crime Novelist
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Comedy, horror, Scottish football and a dog pooing in a bedsit are all to be found in the never-before-heard clips from best-selling thriller writer C...
Luke Harding - Foreign Correspondent & Author
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Gove humiliating himself at university, a KGB-supplied sex manual and tales of derring-do in warzones around the world from foreign correspond...
Jay Rayner - Journalist, Writer & Broadcaster
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Presenter and columnist Jay knows about food. But he's an acclaimed novelist, journalist and musician too. Hear his unusual play with music, the novel...
Chris Lang - Screenwriter & TV Producer
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A film script written with the young Hugh Grant (yes, that one), a TV show about The Sex Pistols and a romcom based on his real-life relationship - ju...
Emma Kennedy - Writer, Presenter & Actor
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Yes she's a writer of *breathes in* TV comedy series's (her own and other people's), drama, animation, children's books, memoirs, novels, programme gu...
Alex Lowe - Actor, Writer & Character Comedian
11 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Barry from Watford" and paranormalist "Clinton Baptiste" are just 2 of Alex's alter egos that you've likely met. But did you know he's written mater...
Mark Billingham - Crime Fiction Novelist & Screenwriter
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From standup to multi best-selling crime novelist and screenwriter, Mark's own story includes hair-raising real-life encounters with gangsters and eve...
Dave Cohen - Writer, Comedian & Teacher
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As one half of the renowned Sitcom Geeks, Dave knows more than a little about what it takes to be a successful comedy writer. From his early associati...
Katherine Jakeways - Writer, Actor & Comedian
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Comedy writer/performer Katherine - "the new Victoria Wood" and star of the Horrible Histories movie, shares never-before-heard bits of her writing fo...
Simon Evans - Stand Up Comedian, Presenter & Writer
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A lesser known fact about erudite standup comedian Simon is that he used to write for porn magazines. But there's also scientist comedy in the mix plu...
Bill Dare - Comedy Writer and Producer
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A world without sex, a rubbish support group, the invisible woman making breakfast in her underwear - just 3 of the scenarios featured in the unfinish...
Arabella Weir - Actress, Writer and Columnist
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arabella rose to fame in The Fast Show asking "Does my bum look big in this?" which she wrote as well as performed, but did you know about her musical...
David Quantick - Comedy Writer, Author & Journalist
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Quantick, the swiss army knife of the writing world, has worked on some of the most iconic comedy creations this century, but now's your chance to hea...
Jenny Colgan - Romantic Novelist & Science Fiction Writer
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned worldwide for romantic fiction Jenny shares her earliest novel... about rabbits, as well as an unpublished bonkbuster set in the world of nuc...
Jon Holmes - Writer, Comedian & Broadcaster
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The pilot. Jon shares tales of spies with technical trouble, insulting Keanu Reeves and why he received the largest fine in UK broadcasting history af...
Trailer For The Offcuts Drawer
23 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Introduction to The Offcuts Drawer podcast. Laura Shavin interviews successful writers and gets them to share the writing offcuts they keep in their b...