A lot of “what ifs” are generated by mixing and matching existing shows. 30 Rock, for example, is the world of SNL mixed into the workplace humor of The Office or Cheers. Famed drama The Wire is a mix between crime shows and political thrillers. Think of shows you admire and might emulate– what are their simple, one phrase “what if” ideas?
Episodic: Each episode is a self-contained story. Comedies are usually episodic, half-hour shows, but some crime shows and murder mysteries are also episodic. Serial: Each episode builds on the story of the one before it. These shows generally tell season-long stories and lead to a big conclusion, like Breaking Bad,‘The West Wing, or “Gravity Falls. " They are almost always hour-long shows and are usually dramatic. Sketch: Sketch shows are made up of many smaller, self-contained stories. This is like Saturday Night Live, Key & Peele, or MadTV.
Good characters have flaws and strengths. They are round – meaning that they have a personality beyond “the angry gardener” or “the loving mother. " What are each character’s motivations? What is the character afraid of? This drives each character’s actions in the show. Reality shows still need to describe the characters. What makes your subjects interesting or compelling? Why would an audience want to hear their story?[2] X Research source
The Title: A good title usually has two meanings. Look at Mad Men, for example, which promises the world of advertising agencies as well as the slipping sanity of Don Draper. The Logline: This is a punchy, 1-2 sentence recap of the show. It’s the hook, based around the “what if” premise. For example, Community’s logline might be, “A hotshot lawyer is forced to make a crazy new group of friends when his fake law degree forces him back to community college. " The Synopsis: This is a brief, 1 page write up of the show idea. What is the setting, plot, and general focus of each episode? How can you capture the essence of the show in 3-4 sentences? If this is a serial show, outline the progression of the first season. Character Sheets: Take each main character and write 1-2 sentences about them, focusing on their personalities and goals more than their looks. Episode Guide: Write a short paragraph about the first 4-5 episodes you want to show, detailing the plots that will make up the bulk of your show. [3] X Research source
Scripts: It never hurts to have a script, and this is the most conventional and successful approach to making your own show, especially hour-long shows and dramas. Webisodes: The best way to get attention is to simply make your show yourself. Youtube has made it remarkably easy to shoot short 2-5-minute episodes involving your characters and share them with the world. This is how Broad City and Workaholics both got picked up. Storyboards and Sizzle Reels: Like a webisode but for longer projects, these are like test shots for your show. It could be an interview for a talk show, test shots for a reality TV episode, or storyboards and drawings for an animated show.
Reading screenplays is a must in this business. You need to learn how to be funny, dramatic, thrilling, and engaging without any actors, cameras, or music to help you. Make notes of what works, what doesn’t, and how the writer builds the world of the episode on the page.
Introduce the characters: You don’t need to go into the entire backstory, but the viewer needs to know enough about these characters to want to follow them. The very first time you see a character should show their basic personality. Introduce the world: This is about more than just the setting, it is the “rules” of the show. What are some of the main concerns for the characters? What kind of events happen regularly? This is the exploration of your “what if” premise. Show the general pattern of the show: Your pilot episode doesn’t just have to introduce everything, it has to be a good show. You need to give people an idea of what they’ll see each week. Arrested Development, considered one of the best pilots ever, does this perfectly – it sets up the characters, shows the world (rich, corrupt socialites and hedge-fund managers), and shows the farcical, interlocking plot structure the show later became famous for.
The Cold Open: Common on sitcoms, this is the brief, 2-3 minute scene right before the title credits. It can impact the plot or just be a quick joke or scene. In dramas it is often the instigating incident, like finding the dead body on Law & Order. The Acts: Hour-long shows have 5 acts, and half-hour shows have 3. You want each act to be somewhat self-contained: it has a beginning problem, a series of complications that prevent the characters from solving the problem, a climax, and a resolution. Act 1 introduces a problem, and the characters try and fix it but fail. In Act 2, the characters are in an even bigger mess, thanks to their failure, they make another attempt and things end up worse than before, or a new problem arises thanks to the old one. In Act 3 everything returns to normal, either by the characters crashing back down to earth or finally fixing the mess they got into. The Ending: Your last act brings the audience back around. For a pilot, you need to prove to the audience that they should come back next week. In dramas this usually occurs with a cliffhanger, or the promise of next week’s adventure. In comedies the episode almost always ends where it started. Your characters don’t change much and are ready for next week’s hijinks. The status quo is returned. The Tag: Also known as the stinger, this is the small scene right before or after the credits. Usually, it is to continue a joke, show a little resolution, or hint at what happens next episode.
Act 1 introduces a problem, and the characters try and fix it but fail. In Act 2, the characters are in an even bigger mess, thanks to their failure, they make another attempt and things end up worse than before, or a new problem arises thanks to the old one. In Act 3 everything returns to normal, either by the characters crashing back down to earth or finally fixing the mess they got into.
In dramas this usually occurs with a cliffhanger, or the promise of next week’s adventure. In comedies the episode almost always ends where it started. Your characters don’t change much and are ready for next week’s hijinks. The status quo is returned.
Spelling, grammar, and formatting. A typo on the first page is a good clue for someone to throw the whole thing away without reading. Pacing. Every single scene should move the plot forward. If it is not, the show automatically starts to drag. No scene should start in one place and stay there the entire time. Your characters or situation need to change each time, otherwise the scene is too slow. Dialog. Do your characters sound natural? You need to put the image of a character in your readers’ mind with just dialog, so each character needs to talk in a unique, natural way, not just the way you need them to talk in the scene. Character is important, and you show character through speech. [6] X Research source
Hour long shows need to be between 45-70 pages. Half-hour programs are usually between 25-37 pages. [7] X Research source
Always Sunny in Philadelphia, for example, was written and shot on a tiny budget, then sent to executives at FX. They were so impressed with what they saw they bought the show. Almost anyone can get a show on Public Access, and they often have equipment and training options available too.
Whenever you see a show like yours or a writer/producer you admire finding work, make a note of their agency (like CAA or WME) and their collaborators. Check out their websites and send out query letters asking to meet. [8] X Research source You can also post your idea on search sites, like The Blacklist, that allow agents to search for manuscripts that match their interests. They cost money, however, and you should always research “success stories” by checking out the projects online to see if the show actually got made.
You wouldn’t pitch a cheesy monster show to NBC, you’d send it to SyFy. Reality TV shows shouldn’t be sent to the producers of The Sopranos. Think about what the studio is already making to pitch to the right people. [9] X Research source
You should try and have 3-5 pilots scripts on hand or being worked on at any one time. You never know when an idea will be taken, when someone will like you but want a different story, or when someone wants to see more of your work. The people who get shows made keep working, writing and rewriting until something is on air.
