Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd edition. Pamela Douglas
Myth 3: You can’t do that on TV.
Myth 4: All TV series are the same.
Myth 5: Television is a wasteland.
• An hour show has to fit an hour.
• Series deadlines are for real.
• Drama series have an act structure.
• Each series fits a franchise.
GUEST SPEAKER: DAVID ISAACS (M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frasier, Mad Men)
HOW SHOWS GET ON TV AND THE TV SEASON
Chart: Traditional Two-Year Development and Production of a New Show
(4) Create a Presentation Reel
July and August: The Network
Chart: New Series Development at One Network
September to November: The Pilot Script
December and January: The Greenlight
February to April: Pilot Season
May: Pick-Ups
• Full season
• Short order
• Midseason
• Backup scripts
Year Two
June: Staffing
July and August: Write Like Crazy
Chart: Sample Character Arcs for a Season
September and October: The Debut
November through March: Completing the Season
April: Hiatus
What’s New?
Summary Points
GUEST SPEAKER: CHARLES COLLIER
President, AMC Cable TV
HOW A CLASSIC SCRIPT IS CRAFTED
The Dramatic Beat
A–B–C Stories
Chart: Basic Four-Act Grid
Five- and Six-act Structure
The More Things Change…
The Two-Page Scene
Using the Grid
Teasers
About these Excerpts
Excerpt from NYPD Blue, “Simone Says”
Analysis
Opening Scenes
Scene 1
Scene 2
Scene 3
Scene 4
Scene 5
Scene 6
The Second Excerpt
Excerpt from NYPD Blue, “Hearts and Souls”
Analysis
Cold