THE RED PLANET PRIZE in partnership with 
KUDOS FILM AND TELEVISION

The Red Planet Prize initially launched in 2007 in order to nurture aspiring writers and find a new writing talent – something very close to Tony Jordan’s heart. Over the years, the competition has boasted stellar judging panels – including Stephen Fry, Mark Gatiss, Julie Gardner, Anne Mensah, Polly Hill, Stephen Garrett, and Ben Stoll.

The Red Planet Prize has already met with considerable success. Previous finalist, Robert Thorogood, has penned the ambitious eight part drama series ‘Death in Paradise’, which has just completed filming. It will be on BBC One in October.

 This year's first round is now closed to entries. If you get through to the second round you will receive an email after 30th Janurary. Your full script will be requested, which you will have to submit by 2nd March. The Red Planet Prize will award the winner a £5,000 cash prize and entry to a mentoring scheme, which currently hosts more than 40 new writers found through the initiative. We also hope to option the winning script, but this will be discussed with and decided by the winner.

Over a dozen previous winners and finalists are now developing projects with Red Planet and Kudos.

First launched in 2007, the competition previously “discovered” Robert Thorogood, who wrote new BBC1 drama Death in Paradise for Red Planet Pictures.

Two further finalists, Chris Lindsay and Malcolm McGonigle, have also found writing success, following a stint on the initiative’s mentoring scheme, by joining the writing team of Kudos children’s drama MI High.

Tony Jordan, managing director of Red Planet Pictures, will lead the judging panel with Kudos chief executive Jane Featherstone. They will be joined by BBC Wales head of drama Faith Penhale.