“Like Seinfeld, it’s just people hanging out and then the show is funny”: Sam Campbell, Joe Pelling, Helen Bauer and David Hargreaves on Make That Movie

Channel 4 have been doing a great job of spotlighting young comedic talent as of late, with Sam Campbell making a wonderfully eccentric addition to that roster. In his new series, Make That Movie, he plays filmmaker Sam Campbell (no relation), whose titular company helps ordinary people across the UK turn their film ideas into reality. Following a special screening at Channel 4’s London office, Campbell discussed the new series alongside co-stars Helen Bauer and David Hargreaves and co-writer Joe Pelling. As one would expect from the maverick comedian, it was a Q&A like no other.

“Originally, it was going to be called Ebook Adaptation, and it was people who had written ebooks, and everyone said, ‘No, that’s no good,'” Campbell said of the series’ development. Pelling added, “I think it was going to be a sketch and something else first and then it kind of got expanded. It’s been around for a while.”

Hargreaves, who plays a veteran cinematographer, recalled how Campbell convinced him to be part of the show. “He took me out for dinner in Stroud, where I live, we sat down, and the first thing he said to the waiter was, ‘It’s his birthday.’ I had to go along with it. There was a cake and the candles!” he said.

Campbell discussed the writing process and his approach to comedy. “We started with doing outlines,” he explained. “It’s hard when you try to make every bit funny. It’s not right because the premise doesn’t have to be funny. The outlines do need to be funny…like Seinfeld, it’s just people hanging out, and then the show is funny. So I really regret a lot of it!”

Having recently amassed a sizable following thanks to his stint as a Weekend Update anchor on SNL UK, Paddy Young helped develop the story. The fact that Young has been the recipient of many fans’, ahem, attention, was not lost on Campbell. “I had lots of help, this guy Paddy Young, you know him from SNL UK,” he said. “I want to look at his DMs, but I’m afraid I’d drown. He does get a lot of action from what I hear…he wanted to be in the show as well. He kept trying to cast himself.”

Another notable motif of the series is its title sequence. As one would expect, it’s stridently offbeat. “The title sequence used to have different music,” Campbell divulged. “It was more like techno, sort of Mission Impossible. I don’t know, I think that’s a little played out, that Mission sort of stuff, and Joe had made that music very late at night on his computer.”

One can only imagine the endless possibilities and outlandish stories that could arise if Make That Movie were a real company. Asked what movie she’d make, Bauer enthused, “It’s a girl, and she’s a mega liar, and she lies about everything…and then basically everyone becomes a zombie…She wants to be part of the gang, but she doesn’t want to get bitten, so she just pretends for ages, and she gets away with it. I genuinely think it’s good, though! It’s called Zombie Liar, and Sam’s going to be in it!”

As for movie tropes the writers haven’t covered in the series, but would like to, Campbell said, “I’d like to do a scene like an exorcism, but where someone’s really bad at acting. I like exorcisms, but I could never be more embarrassed in my life than having to do an exorcism scene!”