TV Development Guide, Page 4
Stephanie Varella
rights (past or present), short stories, poems, blogs, past TV
shows, movies, or basically any idea for a show that has been pub-
lished or produced. In order to use these ideas for TV shows you
would need to obtain the rights. ( See “How to Option” below) Ex-
amples are The Walking Dead (based on a comic book); Game of
Thrones and Big, Little Lies (based on books); Fargo (based on a
movie); and One Day at a Time (based on an old TV show).
3. PUBLIC DOMAIN
An idea can also come from the public domain. These are literary
works that are owned by the public and were published before
1923. This means that you do not have to option (make an agree-
ment for the rights) these publications, like you would an IP. An
example of this could be anything written by WILLIAM SHAKE-
SPEARE. You can also have an idea that is loosely based on his-
torical events, like Genius, which aired on NatGeo in 2017. If the
IP was written after 1977, it becomes public domain 70 years after
the death of the author. Between 1923 and 1977, there are different
laws that apply. For works created during that time, refer to the
copyright website, Copyright.gov.
HOW TO 'REVERSE ENGINEER' A PROJECT
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Let’s say you have a great original idea for a TV show. Nowadays
it is preferable for buyers, and thus more salable, if your idea is
based on your own IP. If you create a comic book or graphic nov-
el based on your original idea before taking it to the market, you
can base your series on that IP. This is an example of reverse en-
gineering a project.
Or, let’s say you have a great original spec script, but the networks
are more interested in buying pitches this season. If you or your
producers/studio believes it will sell better as a pitch rather than a
spec, then you can reverse engineer it and pitch the concept rather
than go out with the spec script.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT FORMATS OF TV SHOWS?
4. Drama
5. Comedy
6. Reality
7. Back-door Pilots
8. Mini-series/Limited series
9. Movies of the Week (MOWs)
10. Anthology series
DRAMA
Dramas are usually one-hour in length, however this is changing.
For broadcast and basic cable networks, one-hour dramas are ac-
tually closer to 42 minutes in order to allow for the commercials.
On premium networks (like HBO, Showtime, Starz, and streaming
outlets like Netflix and Hulu) there are no commercials and the
one-hour drama is around 60 to 85 minutes. I don’t believe there
will be any episodes of a show that would go longer than that be-
cause then it becomes a feature length movie.
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Dramas can also be serialized or ‘procedural.’ Serialized dramas
have episodes which are connected and must be watched in order.
Some examples are This is Us, The Sopranos and Orphan Black.
Procedural dramas (sometimes called, “franchise”) have stand-
alone episodes. They do not need to be watched in order. Some
examples are CSI, Law and Order and House.
There are also hybrids like Six Feet Under, Nip/Tuck, X-Files and The
Good Wife where there is a “case” or story of the week, and then
on-going storylines that connect each episode.
COMEDY
Comedies are usually a half-hour in length. On broadcast and ba-
sic cable it is closer to 22 minutes, and on premium and streaming
outlets it’s closer to 30 minutes. There is also a hybrid comedy/
drama, which can either be 30 minutes or a one-hour format and
these are called, ‘Dramedies.’ Comedies can be serialized or not.
REALITY
Reality shows vary in length. For example, The Real World was a
half-hour in length. Survivor and American Idol are one-hour each
with some episodes extending to two-hours in length including
commercials.
BACK-DOOR PILOTS
Back-door pilots are intended to be first episode to a longer series
but in the event they don’t do well, they can air it as a two-hour
movie. An example of this is the pilot from Lost on ABC.
MINI-SERIES/LIMITED SERIES
Mini-series/limited series are usually one-hour dramas that are
serialized and close-ended after one season. Examples are Olive
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Kitteridge; Big, Little Lies; and T he Night Of; all on HBO. Some can
continue like Fargo, American Crime Story, and American Horror Sto-
ry, but each would have a completely different cast and/or story-
line for every season.
MOVIES OF THE WEEK (MOWs)
MOWs are movies made especially for television. There weren’t
many made because most producers wanted it to have a theatrical
run before airing it on TV. However, MOWs are making a come-
back. Hallmark, Lifetime, HBO and, more recently, Netflix are
producing MOWs.
ANTHOLOGY SERIES
In an Anthology series, the episodes are connected by an overall
theme, yet are stand-alone. They are not serialized and can be
watched out of order. Some examples are shows like Twilight
Zone, Tales from the Crypt, Outer Limits and Black Mirror.
Sometimes shows like Fargo and American Horror Story are referred
to as an Anthology Series. In fact, they are more of a hybrid be-
tween an Anthology and Limited/Mini-Series because they have a
different cast and story-line in each season. A “true Anthology
series” would have stand-alone episodes and are only connected
by the sweeping “theme” of the series.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA FOR
A TV SHOW?
Whether it’s original or comes from an IP, here are some criteria:
Good Ideas For TV:
• Should speak to you, mean something to you, and be some-
thing you are passionate about!
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• Have character arcs, change over time and possess many sto-
ries. In procedurals (dramas that have stand-alone episodes)
this is less so, but the characters still should have arcs.
• Are clear and simple to explain yet complicated enough to fill
several seasons of stories!
Ideas Not Ideal For A TV Show:
• Work better in a two-hour format/three-act format. They are
more of an event, which is something that has changed some-
one's life in a significant way.
• Works well in short-form, like a web series (2-15 minutes
length episodes).
• Are convoluted, confusing and not relatable.
SHOULD YOU PURSUE A PARTICULAR PROJECT?
If you are a writer, producer, director, studio or production company
development executive, simply put, you should if:
• You can sell it
• You love it
• You believe in it
If you are a network development executive you should if:
• You believe in it
• It’s within your networks’ brand
• It will connect with your audience
HOW TO OPTION AN IP AND/OR A SPEC SCRIPT
You do
it with a legal, written agreement between you and the
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rights holder of the material (“Agreement”). In the Agreement,
you negotiate the terms of the deal. The standard way to obtain
these agreements is through an entertainment attorney.
There are Two Kinds of Agreements:
1. An ‘Option Agreement’ is where the person proposing the
agreement (producer) pays the creator for the rights upfront
for his/her material. Everything (credits, points, time, etc.) is
negotiated and agreed upon before the producer can present it
to the marketplace.
2. A 'Shopping Agreement’ is where there is no upfront cost for
the person proposing for the agreement (the producer). They
have the right to “shop” (try to sell) the project for “x” amount
of time for no upfront cost. Then the studio or network that
buys the project will make deals with both the producer and
the creator of the IP.
What are the Benefits and/or Costs of an Option Agree-
ment?
•
The benefit of an Option Agreement to the creator is that she
or he will not have to wait to get paid for their project (IP).
The benefit to the producers is that since they paid for the
rights upfront, they will get more in return. The length of time
they have to sell the project, the ‘points’ on the back-end (prof-
it sharing), and the fees that both parties would get on the
project once it is sold will be pre-negotiated and, of course, in
the producer’s favor.
•
The cost of an Option Agreement to the creator is that she or
he will not get the best deal for their project (IP). Waiting to
make a deal with the studio, puts the creator in the power po-
sition. The cost for the producers is that it literally costs them
cash out-of-pocket.
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What are the Benefits and/or Costs of a Shopping Agree-
ment?
•
A Shopping Agreement is beneficial for the producers as well
as the creators/rights’ holders. It’s good for the producers be-
cause they don’t have to put any money up in order to be at-
tached to the project (IP). It is good for the creator because,
once the project (IP) is sold, she or he will make a better deal
with the studio directly.
•
The cost of a Shopping Agreement for the creator is that she or
he will not get any money until it is sold. The cost for the pro-
ducer is that she or he may not get as great a deal once the
project is sold than if they had paid for the rights prior to sell-
ing it.
YOU HAVE A GREAT IDEA. NOW WHAT?
PROTECT IT!
The most commonly used methods by professionals today is by
registering with the Library of Congress or the Writers Guild of
America’s (WGA) time-stamped registration for proof of creation.
You will receive an instant WGA Registration number when regis-
tering online, and a certificate by mail to follow.
Copyright Basics
The United States copyright law gives the creator(s) of said works
exclusive claim of ownership over their work. In addition to legal
protection, copyright protection encourages respect for the cre-
ators and for their ideas. It provides exclusive claim of ownership
to the copyright holder and they may allow their works to be used
by other parties without fear that their ideas will not be attributed
to them.
It should be noted that you cannot copyright an “idea.” You need
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to have a script or at least an outline/treatment for the idea. For
reality show ideas, you can put together a treatment that explains
the idea and format of the show.
YOU HAVE PROTECTED AND/OR OPTIONED A
PROJECT. NOW WHAT?
If you are the writer, or you have a writer attached to your project,
you should begin working on the pitch and putting together the
‘package' and strategy for the project. I will get more into that in
the below. ( See “Strategies for Selling a TV Show” in Act 3)
If you don’t have a writer, and you just acquired the rights to an
IP, start thinking about how to adapt it into a series. When you
are meeting with writers, or if you can set up a meeting with pro-
ducers, production companies, studios or networks, you will need
to pitch how you believe the IP can work as a series.
To start looking for writers you should put together, what is
known in TV Development as, a 'writers list.’ You may find this to
be one of your most often-executed tasks since you will need a list
for every project and it has to be updated all the time. But it is an
integral part of the process for success and you will find this to be
one of your most useful tools.
WHAT, WHY AND HOW DO YOU PUT TOGETHER A
WRITERS LIST?
WHAT is a Writers List?
• Let’s say you are a producer in need of a writer for your
project. You would put together this “wish” list, keeping in
mind that these writers should be obtainable; meaning they are
potentially available when you would need them and would
be open to listening to your idea(s).
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WHY would you put a Writers List together?
• You will produce a list for every project you have in develop-
ment for two important reasons: First, to find a writer for the
project; second, if your show gets on the air you would need to
staff it with writers, and once the show is on the air, you will
have on-going staffing needs.
• Another list of writers to create is with those you’ve read.
Whether you want to be a development executive, writer, pro-
ducer or director it will be useful to keep a list of your thoughts
on every script you read. If you are an assistant, you may need
to make a list of the writers your boss has read. Knowing writ-
ers and keeping a writers lists will prove to be invaluable for
your future as an entertainment professional
HOW do you put a Writers List together for a specific
project?
• First, you can look through the TV shows currently being pro-
duced/on the air that are similar to your project and see who
the writers are on that show.
• Also, in general, if you develop a show with lower-level writ-
ers you will need to attach a showrunner. This is because the
networks are not only buying ideas, they are also buying expe-
rienced people who can produce the show for them. Lower-
level writers are learning and, once they’ve worked their way
up on numerous shows, networks will be eager to work with
them. Showrunners are in need all the time. This is a very
highly coveted job in the TV industry. You can find this infor-
mation on IMDBpro.com or on the shows (in the credits) them-
selves.
• Another way to put together a writers list is, if you are an ex-
ecutive you will most likely be getting submissions from
agents. You will
need to read these scripts in order to decide
which writer makes the most sense for your project.
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The format of writers lists vary, but it should include the follow-
ing:
•
name of the writer
•
his or her agent
•
contact information
•
best and current credits (including the last title, ie., EP, co-EP)
•
a section for notes (where you can include what happened
when pursuing them, or not, etc.)
A writers list is an extremely important part of the development
process.
Let’s say you have successfully put together a writers list, pursued
several writers and attached the best one for your project. Great
job!
YOU HAVE A WRITER. WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP?
The all important PITCH.
When pitching the show, the writer and/or creator will discuss his
or her idea for the pilot script as well as the series. Whether you
are working with a studio or planning to pitch the idea to them,
you would work on a ‘pitch document.’
At this point, you should decide if you want to develop this idea
into a script before pitching it. This can be done independently or
with a studio. The different ways to develop a script from an orig-
inal concept or an IP will be covered below. ( See “Script Develop-
ment” )
If you choose to develop the script, after it is completed you
would be pitching the long arc of the series in order to sell it to a
network ( See “Goal of Network Pitch #2” below) or to try and get in-
dependent financing. ( See “Indie TV” in Act 3)
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In this section, I discuss the different aspects of pitching, the pitch
document, how to work on one, the importance of it for your
pitch, and the pitch itself!
THE NETWORK PITCH
There are two kinds of pitches:
•
Selling an idea to get a script order (and possibly more)
•
Selling a spec script to get a series order
THREE WAYS TO GET A PITCH MEETING WITH A
NETWORK
1. If you have an agent and/or studio attached to your project
they will set up the meeting for you.
2. If you know the network executives, you can call and set up
the meetings yourself.
3. You can ‘cold call’. A cold call is when you don’t know the ex-
