what different buyers are looking for, and anything else that might
help their client’s idea have a better chance of selling to a particu-
lar outlet.
Most important, agents should be an advocates for their clients’
ideas. Agents represent the storytellers who might come to them
and say, “I want to do this.” Conversely, agents can bring ideas to
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their clients. Maybe an agent sees a great piece of material and
realizes she or he knows of a writer who might be perfect for the
project. Whether it’s a book, an article, or an old television show
idea that could be redone, their main role is to be an advocate.
Agents try to get as much IP product as possible and bring it to
their clients.
Also, they like to put their clients together. If an actor comes to an
agent with an idea, the agent will try to find the right client to at-
tach to the project. Sometimes they do it to help nurture a project
along.
One factor agents consider is how the client enters the process. If
the client has a spec script that they’ve written, the agent will read
the script, evaluate it, and most likely help them. They would
probably give mostly macro notes because agents who get into the
very small details with notes would be spending too much time
on development. Agents said it was more of the manager’s job.
Agents don’t have time for that the way a manager or a producer
might. There are also many different uses for a script. Agents can
try to sell it, use it as a writing sample for development, or even
for staffing purposes.
NON-WRITING PRODUCERS WHO WANT TO PRODUCE
TV SHOWS
Across the board, agents agreed it is imperative to have the best
IP, or the best material, that you can get your hands on. Let’s say,
for example, you are the person who has the rights to Big, Little
Lies. You would become a very important person in the mix. The
person who had the rights to Game of Thrones never produced a TV
show before! The process is arduous, but if you have the right IP
you become indispensable.
Perhaps you have a relationship with talent? Maybe you optioned
a script? The person who optioned True Detective, as well as Ozark,
was from outside the business. Therefore, if you are the person
who identifies (and gets the rights to) a great piece of material,
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that would surely work in your favor.
HOW AGENTS PREPARE THEIR CLIENTS TO PITCH IN
THE MARKETPLACE
If a client walks in with an idea, the agent will listen and try to
determine if the show has a specific point of view because, they
emphasized how important it is for a show to have one. If it’s just
a kernel of an idea, the agent may ask the writer to expand upon it
so that it can last for many hours on television. This is different
than a movie, which is two hours in and out.
The agents say that, in TV, no one is particularly interested in the
just the pilot. Pilots alone don’t sell TV shows. TV buyers want to
know that the show has a long, extended narrative. The agent and
writer will determine that beforehand. Then they will decide if it
is commercial enough and if there’s a buyer for it. The good news
is that there are so many buyers in the marketplace today there
might be a home for just about anything.
Another type of pitch is when you are selling a show that origi-
nates from a book or an IP. The agent will put the book, or IP to-
gether with the right writer, or non-writing producer, and then
figure out where to market it.
HOW A NEW WRITER CAN GET REPRESENTATION
Having a great piece of material is the most important factor.
Writers should be writing all the time, not only to improve their
craft, but also to develop future material.
It is important to build a strong network of friends and relation-
ships. You could start out by working at a studio or on a produc-
tion. If you want to be a TV writer, try to work for people making
television shows. They are going to become advocates for you
from within. Work the head writer on a show and get him or her
to read your script. They are more likely to read your script before
they read someone else’s.
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Another skill a writer should have is being “good in a room.” You
ple you will meet with have probably seen all the TV shows and
movies that are related to your work in any way.
PITCHING A TV SHOW
It has to be the best pitch possible, which includes a clear idea of
the world you are painting and the characters you are creating.
The agents said you really don’t have to pitch the story as much as
the total concept. (This does depends on the kind of show you are
doing, i.e., franchise vs. serialized.) You want to set up the world
and then the characters. The networks should be able to see that
there’s a show there. For example, if you were pitching The Sopra-
nos and described it as, “a mafia boss in therapy,” the networks
could (and did) imagine many potential conflicts and stories that
could come out of this set-up, and what a rich world it could de-
velop into. Your story should be able to last multiple seasons.
That’s what you want to convey in a pitch.
SHOULD YOU ATTACH A STUDIO BEFORE GOING TO
THE NETWORKS?
That depends on your idea and what networks you are targeting.
Today there is a lot of “vertical integration” in the industry. This
means that many studios and networks are subdivisions of the
same company. Professionals say that projects coming in from re-
lated companies are going to have a better chance of being suc-
cessfully produced. Therefore, if you believe your project is per-
fect for a particular cable company or network, consider bringing
it to that sister studio first.
Also, it is critical, in both the comedy and drama worlds, to be
working with people who are experienced and have relationships
everywhere. You need someone that the networks would buy
from. But the most important person will always be the writer
and/or the showrunner. Furthermore, having a big producer, di-
rector, or talent in your corner would, of course, be very helpful.
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THOUGHTS ABOUT SPEC SCRIPTS
The professionals felt that, in today’s marketplace, it is advanta-
geous to have spec scripts because that is what the networks are
looking for. Although plays and screenplays (movie scripts) are
also welcome, the agents said that original TV material/TV pilots
are the key.
They said there are certain types of writers who would benefit by
developing spec scripts. Let’s say a writer has a strong vision for
a TV show, but has trouble articulating it in a pitch. Perhaps a
writer doesn’t want his or her original concept going through too
many hands where it might b
e changed. They would be well-ad-
vised to write spec scripts.
Writing a spec gives the writer total control until selling it to a
network. If it is exceptional, the networks will buy it. An impor-
tant downside is that the writer does not get paid while writing it.
Agents wanted to advise writers to have more than one sample of
their work. But, above all, their main advice was - never stop writ-
ing! Keep creating.
FOR WRITERS/CREATORS LOOKING TO SELL A TV SHOW
Do your homework. Learn from people who are doing it by
watching all the shows that are out there. Educate yourself on
why they work as TV shows. Be open to any kind of criticism and
any information you get to make your show better. When you go
out to sell, be prepared for every question you are going to be
asked. If someone is interested in buying your show, you’re going
to get a lot of them. Have the answers. There are usually no
wrong answers, but you should have your opinion and be open to
modifications during the TV Development process. If it’s going to
make the difference of someone buying your show or not, don’t be
uncompromising with your material. It is their network so they
should have some input.
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THE REALITY WHEN SELLING SHOWS
When you go out with a project, the answer you will hear most
often is “No.” You will get very few yeses, and hopefully take the
no’s in stride. You must stay focused on your goal and be re-
silient. From the pitch stage to getting a series order, this is part of
the process.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TV DEVELOPMENT
People who aren’t in the business may think it’s all about a great
idea. The truth is that much of it is dictated by who is going to be
executing the show. If you watch a great television show and look
at the credits you’ll see that there are master storytellers, master
filmmakers and master actors… along with that great idea.
Also, writers and producers have to determine if an idea should
become a TV show or a movie. There are a lot of great ideas that
just aren’t suited for TV. People often misjudge what a great TV
show idea is. For example, a great televised event is not necessari-
ly considered a great TV show. A great TV show is one that be-
comes a series and lives over a long period of time.
INDEPENDENTLY PRODUCING AND SELLING YOUR
OWN TV SHOW
The perception from agents is that it is very risky. Most people
who attempt to independently produce their own show lose mon-
ey. The upside of independently producing TV shows is that you
(or whomever financed it) will own the show, be able to develop it
creatively without network input or interference and sell it (do-
mestically and internationally). This will give you the most profit.
Keep in mind that producing a television show is extremely ex-
pensive. It is not easy for most of us to find someone who is will-
ing to put up that kind of money, has faith that the show will
work internationally, and be able to put all the pieces together.
However, here are some of the reputable/successful independent
financiers in television today: MRC, Gaumont Television, and
Sonar Entertainment.
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THE FUTURE OF THE TV DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Twenty years ago the TV Development process was focused on a
pitch. Nowadays you still need the pitch, but you can write a spec
script and/or make a sizzle reel to get your project out there - and
you can make a sizzle reel for very little money! This will hope-
fully lead to getting a series order more quickly.
The agents believe the future of the process probably won’t be
much different than it is today. But judging from how fast tech-
nology is advancing, you will probably have even more ways to
get your idea out there.
THOUGHTS ON SUCCESS IN TODAY’S LANDSCAPE
For a show to be successful, the agents believe that it’s not about
critical acclaim or even ratings. They agree that it’s all about prof-
itability. If your show is making money, it will have a much better
chance of staying on the air.
*****
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ACT FIVE
Final Thoughts
BEYOND THE PILOT
In order to have a successful TV series, it is necessary to show that
your story goes on far beyond the pilot. I cannot stress this
enough. This is why the development of your series before you
sell it will be a big part of the reason for its success or failure.
Before trying to sell your series, going through the development
process and working out the bible will give you a big leg up for
success. Also, being open and flexible to the process is key. ( See
Act 2, “What is a Bible for a TV Series” )
Today, there are so many different shows on the air that the audi-
ence has become fractured. This is one of the many reason shows
are dropped after the first few episodes or first season.
In this regard, the following are excerpts from, “Among Broadcast
Networks,” at Screenrant.com.
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“Looking back on the programming decisions
made by the networks from 2009-2012, you may
be surprised to find out that, on average, 65% of
new network television series will be canceled
within their first season. Completely acknowl-
edging the fact that television, like all enter-
tainment, is a largely subjective medium, the
numbers do not actually represent the quality
of the television series on the air. Even though
more than half of the new shows will be can-
celed, that doesn't mean that more than half
aren't of quality - or worth watching. Nor does
it represent the demographic of the networks'
audience or the impact that demographics have
on ad revenue.
Instead, these numbers represent, at their core,
a network's ability to not only appropriately
select programming for its audience (including
potential), but to also schedule in such a way to
allow for a series' success. As many fans of cult
television shows know, perhaps more than
anyone, even a quality series can fail solely be-
cause of a given time-slot. Providing much
more than simply the amount of new series that
will be canceled, the numbers also reveal that
out of all the broadcast networks, new televi-
sion series on ABC have the highest chance of
receiving a second season - with an average
39% chance of renewal. Trailing not far behind,
Fox and CBS have 38% and 36%, respectively.
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This is an interesting placement for Fox, con-
sidering they only have to schedule program-
ming from 8pm-10pm, instead of 8pm-11pm
like most networks. Even with a portion of the
pick-ups comparable to other networks, ABC
still managed to come out on top with these sta-
tistics, though
Fox is currently considered the
#1 broadcast network.”
If you are fortunate enough to get through to the third season,
networks will usually keep the show going for at least another
couple of seasons. The idea or chance of getting past five to seven
seasons is a long life of a first-run show in today’s landscape. It
seems that longer running shows are a thing of the past (e.g., Law
and Order, CSI, Simpsons, SNL), but not impossible.
TELEVISION VIEWERSHIP
The following was reported by Nielsen Media Research, televi-
sion’s leading premier rating service.
“Today's (2017) media landscape is ever chang-
ing, but it's also growing. Adults in the U.S. are
spending an additional half hour more a day
compared to last year connected to media
across platforms—digital, audio and televi-
sion—which are the three platforms of content
distribution and discovery for the average con-
sumer. And these devices have become a con-
stant companion to over 200 million consumers
in the U.S. and this personalized entertainment
is always at their fingertips.
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As of June 2017, 58.7% (or 69.5 million) of TV
Households own at least one internet-enabled
device that is capable of streaming content to
the television set. This includes an enabled
multimedia device, an enabled smart TV and an
enabled video game console. “
According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute in 2017:
99% of households have a television with 2.24
TVs per household.
67% of Americans watch TV while eating din-
ner.
47% say they watch too much TV.
The amount of years the average person will
have spent watching TV over their lifetime: 9
The average amount of time a youth spends in
school per year: 900 hours
The average amount of time a youth spends
watching TV per year: 1200 hours
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Leisure Activities in
2017 were as follows;
“On an average day, nearly everyone age 15
and over (96 percent) engaged in some sort of
leisure activity, such as watching TV, socializ-
ing, or exercising. Men spent 33 minutes per
day more in these activities than did women
(5.5 hours, compared with 5.0 hours).
Watching TV was the leisure activity that occu-