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MICHAEL WIESE PRODUCTIONS
vii
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION xiiiINTRODUCTION 1
FROM JOHN WELLS
3
Executive Producer
ER, The West Wing
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT TV DRAMA SERIES? 7
Three Qualities of Episodic TV Series
8
Episodic Characterization
8
The “Long Narrative”
8
Anthologies
10
Series with closure
10
Serials
10
Collaboration
11
Five Myths about Television
12
Myth 1: TV Is Small Movies
12
Myth 2: TV Is Cheap
14
Myth 3: You Can’t Do That on TV
15
Myth 4: All TV Series Are the Same
16
Myth 5: Television Is a Wasteland
16
The Rules of Series TV
17
• An hour show has to fit in an hour
17
• Series deadlines are for real
18
• Drama series have a four (or five or six) act structure
19
• Each series fits a franchise
20
Ready, Set, Go
26
Summary Points
26
GUEST SPEAKER: DAVID MILCH 27
Executive Producer
Deadwood, NYPD Blue
HOW SHOWS GET ON TV AND THE TV SEASON 33
Chart: Traditional Two-Year Development and Production
34-35
Year One
36
April: Create Your Proposal
36
(1) Write a TV Format
36
(2) Write a Pilot
39
(3) Write a “Backdoor Pilot”
40
(4) Create a Presentation Reel
40
(5) Attach a “Package”
41
May: The Production Company
42
June: The Studio
44
July and August: The Network
46
Chart: New Series Development at One Network
47
September to November: The Pilot Script
48
December and January: The Green-light
50
February to April: Pilot Season
51
May: Pick-Ups
52
• Full season
53
• Short order
53
• Midseason
53
• Backup scripts
54
Year Two
54
June: Staffing
54
July and August: Write Like Crazy
55
Chart: Sample Character Arcs for a Season
57
September and October: The Debut
58
November through March: Completing the Season
59
April: Hiatus
60
An Alternate Universe
61
Summary Points
62
GUEST SPEAKER: STEVEN BOCHCO
63
Executive Producer
NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues,
and many other shows
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