Writing Television Drama

by Nicholas Gibbs

  All writers are equal

  ‘It’s absolutely project-dependent. We work with new writers on Skins and we work with very experienced writers like Peter Flannery, Peter Kominsky (The Promise) and Ronan Bennett (Top Boy). So we absolutely have a range and a spectrum that we cannot afford to miss out on and we would not want to limit ourselves. It is all about the best material. We don’t want to rule anything out.’

  Hollyoaks

  ‘It is a brilliant and massively important show for us. It has been consistently popular and successful for a very long time. It does something quite unique, actually. It fits with everything else. It sits as our only home-grown pre-watershed drama soap. It’s fantastic.’

  What’s not Channel 4

  ‘Broadly speaking, and these are general rules, we aren’t perhaps looking for straightforward genre pieces, medical, legal, cop shows. Those territories are very well catered for elsewhere. I suppose we always look for a surprising spin, a surprising take, a surprising angle on things. Again, apart from Hollyoaks, our home-grown drama is always post-watershed that suggests a certain attitude and tone.’

  Channel 4 boundaries

  ‘We’re not looking for swearing for the sake of it. The sorts of stories you tell have got to be part of the DNA of the show. We’re not out to shock for shock’s sake.’

  Reading scripts

  ‘I don’t look at a script and try and catch it out. What I’m looking for is to be surprised, entertained, amused. I’m looking for positives. I’m looking to turn the pages. I want to know what is going to happen in the end. These are all the sort of obvious things which are hard to achieve for any writer.’

  Channel 4 drama success

  ‘There are different kinds of success. Of course, you have to take viewing figures into account because ultimately we are here to serve an audience. There’s critical success. We try to take everything into account and also reputations. We think some projects deserve their place on screen because we believe passionately that there’s a voice that should be heard whether it gets massive numbers or not. We have a broad set of criteria.’

  Channel 4’s public service obligations

  ‘It can be a challenge but that’s what makes this place unique and exciting. We do get opportunities to commission shows and films that may not have the commercial success in the traditional sense. They may not get numbers. That is not necessarily a reason not to commission them. For example, Random, a film we did last year, is currently shortlisted for an RTS Award in the Single Drama category. It was a great film. A really interesting, moving, provocative film and we don’t regret commissioning that for a minute.’

  The British point of view

  ‘The stories we commission, whether they are set here or not, reflect back on this country. So The Promise, for example, is set in Palestine/Israel but is told from a British point of view. Of course, our great acquisitions team also buy in mainly American shows like Homeland. And yet we do have a clear sense of purpose in that respect. When we look at a show we’re looking at it for a domestic audience.’

  Single films

  ‘Singles tend to ask those more difficult questions about live issues and the serials do all sorts of things.’

  Advice to writers

  ‘Keep going if you believe that is what you want to do. Learn as much as you can. Immerse yourself in what you do, in your craft. Watch television. Read scripts if you can get hold of them. See how other people do it. See what works; see what doesn’t work. You need to get an agent. You need to meet producers. I will say, if TV is really the medium you want to write for, immerse yourself in it, watch it, read scripts if you can get hold of them, study it but not in an academic way. Get on the inside of it and ask yourself questions about what you like, what you don’t like, why you like something, why you think it works, why you’re having that emotional response and look at the way the story is told. The point is about good writing that there is something a little bit magical about it and you can’t analyse that. You can look at structure. You can look at how scenes are constructed and how character journeys are delineated but there’s always that X factor that none of us quite understands and that is the writer’s take on the world.’

  Initiatives for new writers

  ‘We run two schemes for new writers – Coming Up, now in its eleventh year, where selected writers are guaranteed a broadcast commission, and 4Screenwriting, where selected writers experience the development process. We’ve had success with both.’

  Sky

  Recent or on-going output: Sky1HD – Going Postal, Little Crackers, Mad Dogs, The Runaway, Sinbad, Strike Back, Thorne, Treasure Island; Sky Atlantic – Falcon, Hit and Miss; Sky Living – Bedlam; Sky Arts – Playhouse Presents

  Sky Television currently has five channels for which it commissions original UK drama: Sky1HD, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts and Sky Movies. Sky1 has a commitment to original UK drama production but those shows have to stand up to the best of the American imports. Sky Atlantic looks for iconic drama that stands out among its new American dramas. Sky Living is a station of what is described as fresh and innovative programming. Sky Arts looks for well-scripted, high-end drama. Sky Movies wants single features that are big, family brands. In this respect, known adaptations from books is a preference.

  Essentially, Sky drama aims to be fun and entertaining, but the ambition is to be big and broad in ambition. There is a desire to produce longer runs that range between four and 13 episodes and to have an outward look that gives the drama an almost transatlantic feel in terms of production values. British content has to sit comfortably among the American imports.

  Sky, however, does not have in-house production. Like Channel 4, it is currently a publisher-broadcaster, which means all submissions must come via an independent production company. Co-productions, particularly international co-productions, are very important because Sky wants as much money as possible on screen so that the original content can compete visually with big-budget American imports.

  Key advice

  Try to watch as much British TV drama as you and across the full range of broadcasters.

  Try to develop an idea of the characteristic range and tone of the dramas commissioned by individual broadcasters and where your particular voice might fit best.

  Remember, however: originality is the key value that all broadcasters are looking for.

  18

  TV scriptwriting in the United States

  In this chapter you will learn:

  • how the US scriptwriting industry differs from its counterpart in the UK

  • the main US broadcasters

  • the differences in the drama output of the network and cable broadcasters.

  In the US, in contrast to the UK, agents and studios want to look at not only a writer’s original script for a pilot but also a spec script of the show they wish to write for. In the UK the industry prefers to see only original work and then, if they are interested, will ask you to write a trial script for the show. No one is interested in your script for their show.

  The US has a different model and a bigger television industry. Industry executives not only want to see your original voice but also whether you understand and can write for their show.

  Overview

  WRITING A SPEC SCRIPT

  If you’re going to write a spec script for an existing show with a view to getting a commission, choose a show that interests you. You may already be a fan and that helps. However, given how the staffing season works, it is important to select a show that will return the following year. There is no benefit to writing a spec script of a show that has been cancelled or come to the end of its life.

  A TV series spec script is a particular document that shows off your writing talent as to whether people think you can write for that show. Choose your show and not only watch as many episodes as you can but study it. Look at the structure, the character dynamics, the tone. You have to capture the voice of the show.

&n
bsp; As an example, let us look at the hit TV show Bones, which, in 2012, started its seventh season.

  Bones, created by Hart Hanson

  Bones is a classic ‘whodunit?’. Each episode is based around a murder and our heroes’ successful pursuit and apprehension of the murderer.

  The show opens with ‘The Find’, which invariably involves the discovery of a body by civilians. This involves the audience being enticed to look at something unpleasant but which piques their interest.

  This opening sequence rarely involves the two leads. There is a practical reason for this – namely, it gives the two main stars (Emily Deschanel and David Borenaz) a pause in the punishing production schedule since one or both are involved in virtually every other scene in the script.

  There are other key components that feature in every episode – for example, Brennan’s ‘Big Moment’, which is when she uncovers the final clue that leads to the murderer. Booth, too, has his own ‘big moment’, which is an intuition about someone or something that, despite the lack of concrete evidence, turns out to be true.

  Then there is the moment when at least one of our heroes is in the room with the killer and his/her identity is revealed and we learn the motive. The Bones staff call this ‘The Download’ and it should be delivered in the most economical way possible. Long Poirot-style summing-up has no place here.

  It is important that the murderer must always have a character-driven reason why they killed the person. It is also part of Bones’ DNA that the murderer should never be a surprise. It will always be a character the audience has met in the first half of the episode.

  The other element that seems to appear in every episode is when Brennan will reveal or talk about something personal to Booth (or another character). This is rather comically described by the staff as the ‘Glug, Glug, Whoopee Moment’!

  Each show has its own way of doing things on screen, its own formula which, hopefully, won’t be formulaic in an obvious way. It will be a formula that works and goes unnoticed by the audience. The moment the audience is on to it, the show becomes predictable and less of an enjoyable experience.

  With any existing show, make sure your spec script features a story that is about and profoundly affects the main characters. Make the story personal to your main character and not just anybody, but at the same time the emotional integrity has to strike a universal chord. Do not introduce a new character and make the story about them – that’s what your original spec script is for. You can, however, utilize an underserved existing character and out them into the spotlight. Indeed, the screenwriter Jane Espenson has almost specialized in making support characters shine.

  SCRIPT READERS

  In the US script readers at agents, management companies and studios have a simple three-category marking system. A script will be deemed either RECOMMEND, CONSIDER or PASS:

  RECOMMEND This is the highest assessment level and the script reader recommends the script should be looked at people higher up the chain, who in turn will make an judgement as to whether it gets higher still. A ‘recommend’ usually leads to a meeting (see below).

  CONSIDER This is where the reader believes the script has potential but not sure whether it is ready. The script will probably be looked at by other readers and assessed.

  PASS This is what 95 per cent of all scripts in Hollywood receive. It is an outright rejection, usually accompanied by a benign stock covering letter.

  In certain circumstances the ‘pass’ may be given not because the script is badly written but because it is just not suitable for that particular company. The same script may be deemed suitable somewhere else.

  Remember, everything is television is subjective and nobody knows of certainties.

  THE MEETING

  If you do get a meeting with a show, you should arrive armed with specific ideas – preferably not re-treads of previously aired episodes – and an understanding of the show – about what works and what doesn’t – although your spec script should already have helped you there.

  US STAFFING

  Most US television drama series are written by staff writers, although there are occasional single freelance opportunities. A successful freelance written episode may lead to a staff position the following season. Your breakthrough goal, of course, is get on a writing staff of one of the commissioned series. This is where your excellently scripted original spec leads the way and, if it is an existing series, your show spec script.

  THE WRITERS’ ROOM

  Ideally, you want a writers’ room to be a place where each member of the writing staff has a deep investment in the momentum and voice of the series. Like any workplace, a TV writers’ room can be run in a myriad of different ways, mainly coloured by the showrunner, who, in most cases, is the original creator of the show. It can be a pleasant, rewarding experience or an unpleasant, unsatisfying one.

  In general terms, US network TV series can run up to 24 episodes a season while cable networks have shorter runs of up to 13 episodes – and the season is king. A writer not only writes scripts but will have to demonstrate the ability to solve story problems quickly, preferably with an original take.

  The writers’ room will break stories, by character, by episode, by multi-episode and by series collectively. Outlines can be written (which can vary in length from show to show – for example, Nip/Tuck had 7 to 10-page outlines). One of the writers will be assigned to write an episode. On delivery of the first draft, the writers’ room then tears it apart, ostensibly to make it better. Further drafts may follow and ultimately the showrunner can rewrite the episode and, on most shows, invariably does.

  US broadcasters

  THE NETWORKS

  In the US there are five major television networks – often referred to collectively as ‘the Networks’ – which commission and make original drama. The shows are often created with an independent production company who license shows to broadcasters. There may be other co-production partners to help finance and make the show happen.

  The five major television networks are: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and The CW. All five networks are unashamedly commercial in nature and it is all about advertising revenue, which is dictated by the viewing public. People have to watch in big numbers for the networks to continue to commit their vast investment.

  Advertisers are a powerful force in the US television landscape and there have been rare occasions when advertisers have boycotted or withdrawn their ads for particular shows. In many ways most of Network television is standard fare, albeit high-quality, well-made standard fare that attracts millions of viewers. If something works, they stick with it until it fails.

  Take CBS, for example, which knows its audiences love cop shows to the extent that successful shows not only earn a spin-off but a whole family of spin-offs. Both CSI and NCIS now both have several spin-off shows. It produces drama series, mini-series and movies for television, as do all the five big networks.

  NBC, a natural rival of CBS, has cop/investigative shows as its core, too. Even a seemingly genre show such as Grimm in which the world is inhabited by fairy-tale characters is essentially in style and structure a detective show with a murder to solve. That is not to say that this network is not open to other ideas. It is. Smash, for example, launched to great acclaim as the Glee for grown-ups.

  ABC also likes its cop and doc shows as the bedrock of its schedules, but when it has strayed into different dramatic territory it has had a number of remarkable hits including Desperate Housewives, Lost and Once Upon a Time. On its teenage-skewing ABC Family channel, it commissions shows such as Pretty Little Liars, The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Switched at Birth.

  Fox has probably the most diverse range of drama in its schedules and is unashamedly populist in its approach(as are the other networks). There is room for docs and cops in the form of House and Bones but also more cinematic concepts with shows such as Fringe and Touch. Fox also has a cable station called FX that allows it to make edgier drama, for example Rescue M
e, Sons of Anarchy and American Horror Story.

  The fifth major network is The CW. This has a young demographic with teenagers at its core and the shows reflect that. The main characters tend be young and aspirational.

  All five networks make high-budget drama and the money shows in the high production values evident on screen as they compete for the lucrative US audience. However, the power of advertisers does place a constraint on the tone and content. All the shows rarely have content of an overtly sexual nature, excessive swearing or graphic violence. However, both writers and programme-makers know this and work within the parameters. If they don’t, none of the networks will look at their show. The networks cannot risk offending advertisers.

  The bottom line is shows have to make money through advertising and syndication. Below is a list of leading network shows. For all their formulaic storytelling they are all a success through their use of strong lead characters, an identifiable premise and an assured tone. The list should give an indication of the flavour of each channel:

  ABC Alias, Body of Proof, Boston Legal, Brothers & Sisters, Castle, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, Missing, Once Upon a Time, Pan Am, The Practice, Rookie Blue, Scandal

  CBS Blue Bloods, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, The Good Wife, Hawaii Five-O, The Mentalist, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Unforgettable

  Fox Bones, Fringe, Glee, House, Touch

  NBC Burn Notice, Chuck, The Firm, Friday Night Lights, Grimm, Harry’s Law, Law & Order, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Smash

  The CW 90210, Gossip Girl, Nikita, Ringer, Supernatural, The Secret Circle, The Vampire Diaries