So you wanna write a TV script?
You’re either going to write a Spec of an exisiting show, or an original Pilot.
Spec writers: You’ve done your homework to see which shows are good shows to spec. You understand why THE OFFICE may be dated to spec now, and why your old SCRUBS may need to stay in the drawer.
I’m giving most of you the benefit of the doubt that you’re covered in this regard, but if you really want to hear it….My spec suggestions for this season are:
HALF-HOUR: MODERN FAMILY, COUGARTOWN, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, BIG BANG, IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY, NURSE JACKIE
HOUR-LONG: BURN NOTICE/WHITE COLLAR, FRINGE, THE MENTALIST, HOUSE, GLEE, VAMPIRE DIARIES, (and ‘maybe’ suggestions: ) BROTHERS & SISTERS, DEXTER, NCIS:LA,GOSSIP GIRL
(** If you’re spec-ing something other than these you’ve either got great reasoning or you’re not paying attention.)
Please keep in mind, when it comes to staffing the spec doesn’t hold as much weight as it used to. But for those of you new to TV, it’s a necessary evil. Get one or two of these in your back pocket. They’ll teach you how to write TV, and they’re required for the Fellowships around town. Specs are also good training ground to test your voice. Do you really have the chops for comedy? Can you take your drama to the dark places? Find this out early. This is how you start finding your voice as a writer; because as weird as it sounds, while you’re mimicing someone else’s voice…yours can still shine through.
Now, let’s say you’ve done a spec or two, and you’re working on a pilot this year.
You’ve decided whether you’re half-hour or hour.
Drama or comedy.
You have a vague idea about the world…the engine that will drive your stories week after week.
Let’s start getting closer to your idea, and testing it.
SPEC IDEA:
Okay, let’s say I’ve decided to spec a BURN NOTICE. What next?
Watch every episode possible and track down at least three scripts of the show, starting with pilot.
Then, what’s your inspiration here? What do you want to see Michael Weston do? Where hasn’t the show gone before (that you could go within reason?) What themes do you want to explore? Who/what do you want to blow up?
Can your episode be big enough to be memorable? But still within the realm of possibility for the show?
What can YOU bring to the show?
PILOT-WISE:
Don’t get caught in Premise-pilot land. It’s not a story about THIS HAPPENS …so I became this way and started on this journey.
NO. All of that happened yesterday. Start your world as if it’s already a rolling ball. You don’t need to start it rolling down the hill…things are already at play.
Your character is already a cop with an attitude problem, his wife is already dead, and he’s already been close to catching the killer, but just not quite yet. THEN your pilot begins.
You see the difference?
And in Pilot land….make sure you have a strong enough engine to drive a series. Something that will create a springboard for episodes week after week. Someone reading your pilot should know what episode two will look like, and three, and four.
Set up the theme of your show in your pilot. That’s not something that will suddenly appear late in the game..start thinking on theme nice and early so you can generate scenes and imagery that reflect that.
Tomorrow, we talk character.
What are you basing your spec recommendation list on? Vampire Diaries seems like an odd choice over something like True Blood or Breaking Bad.
Great question. I chose Vampire Diaries because it’s one of CW’s top shows. It applies to the CW demo/voice pretty well.
True Blood and Breaking Bad are both genius shows, and would be good specs too. My only hesitation is that they might not apply to as many shows as you would like. Just keep in mind which shows you want your spec to be relevant for. But, if you can nail specs of either of these shows..more power to you.
Loving this post! Really helpful and insightful, thanks a lot
Just wondered but once you have honed your spec script to all it’s glory, are most people looking at sending it off straight away, or saving it in the spec script bank, so you’re able to give it out when someone asks? I know they age/date very quickly.
Really, you’d be working on a spec script once a year. So, yes, write it for this year where you’ll get the most bang for your buck. Then yes, sadly it will go into the Specs-never -to-be-heard-from-again, drawer. Maybe it can come out for another go-round in a year, but it’s always a good idea to keep your specs current.
I have two comedy scripts, so I should do a drama right? And I did a spec of 30 Rock and Family Guy. Should I update or do another one of your listed comedies?
I have another question, sorry for all of’m. If I spec a show and the show completely over hauls (lose a main character, change locations, break up the main couple) do I need to do a new script? Thanks for all of your help, really.
Hey Darina,
Yes, if the show makes changes that make your script not correct anymore…yep..the script is done too. Specs have a short life span; it’s a sad truth.
I would recommend a drama, but I would recommend something slightly comedic. Like White Collar or something dramedy-ish to harness your comedic voice. You want a manager/agent/showrunner to be able to see your voice in all of your work, so you don’t want to be spread too thin. That FAMILY GUY might stick out like a sore thumb, unless your voice is clear throughout all of your work.
Really, with spec-ing it’s about figuring out which jobs you want to go out for. Do you want to write for comedies? Comedy is a tough place to be right now, is why I recommend expanding to the light one-hour landscape. Or, mix it up and try a multi-cam like BIG BANG.
Hope that helps!