A 2009 lecture for Reel World, I still use this to introduce writing students the the practicalities of writing for television.

1. What The
Broadcaster
Saw
A guide to the
perplexed

2. 1981
Canada: Prime-time Weekday TV
Monday
CBC That's Incredible! CFL FOOTBALL
CTV Private Benjamin The Two of Us M*A*S*H House Calls Lou Grant
Tuesda y
CBC Happy Days Laverne and Shirley SCTV Too Close for Comfort Hart to Hart
CTV Simon and Simon (Nov.) The CTV Tuesday Night Movies
Wednesda y
CBC You Can’t Do That On Tel evision HOME FIRES Dallas
CTV Mr. Merlin (Oct.) WKRP in Cincinnati Nurse Shan non (Nov.)
Thursday
CBC KIDS OF DEGRASSI MAN ALIVE Three's Company Too Close for Comfort ??
CTV Simon and Simo n (Nov.) The CTV Tuesday Night Movies
Friday
CBC Benson Mork and Mindy Magnum P.I. TOMMY HUNTER
CTV The Incredible Hulk The Dukes of Hazzard Dynasty

3. 1981
US Prime Time Weekday Schedule
Mon day
ABC That's Incredible! Monday Night Football
CBS Private Benjamin The Two of Us M*A*S*H House Calls Lou Grant
NBC Little House on the Prairie NBC Monday Night at the Movies
Tuesda y
ABC Happy Days Laverne and Shirley Three's Company Too Close for Comfort Hart to Hart
CBS Simo n an d Simo n (Nov.) The CBS Tuesday Night Movies
NBC Fat her Murphy (Nov.) Bret Maverick (Dec.) Flamingo Road
Wednesda y
ABC The Greatest American Hero The Fall Guy (Nov.) Dynasty
CBS Mr. Merlin (Oct.) WKRP in Cinci nnati Nurse Shan non (Nov.)
NBC Real People The Facts of Life Love, Sidney (Oct.) Quincy, M.E.
Thursda y
ABC Mork and Mindy Best of the West (Sep.) Barney Miller (Nov.) Taxi 20/20
CBS Magnum, P.I. Knots Landing Jessica Novak (Nov.)
NBC Harper Valley Lewis & Clark (Oct.) Diff'rent Strokes Gimme a Break! (Oct.) Hill Street Blues
Friday
ABC Benson Bosom Buddies Darkroom (Nov.) Strike Force (Nov.)
CBS The Incredible Hulk The Dukes of Hazzard Dallas
NBC NBC Magazine McClain's Law (Nov.) local

4. Friday, April 10, 2009
7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:0 0 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM
Wheel of Fortune Wife Swap Supernanny 20/20 >
ABC
Entertainment Tonight Ghost Whisperer Flashpoint NUMB3 >
RS
CBS
Seinfeld Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Dollhouse Fox 5 News at 10 >
FOX
Access Hollywood Howie Do It Howie Do It Friday Night Lights Dateline NBC >
NBC
Family Guy Everybody Hates Chris The Game America's Next Top Model PIX News at Ten >
CW
Tyler Perry's House of Payne WWE Friday Night SmackDown! My 9 News
MNT
Family Feud M*A*S * H Malice >
WPXN
< 12 Corazones Doña Barbara El Rostro de Analia Sin Senos no Hay Paraiso
TLMD
< Las Tontas No Van al Cielo Cuidado con el Ángel Mañana Es Para Siempre La Rosa de Guadalupe >
UNI
< CSI: Miami CSI: Miami CSI: Miami CSI: Miami >
AETV
AMC < Wolf Heat >
< BBC World News America Mistresses Mistresses BBC World News America >
BBCA
< 106 & Park: BET's Top 10 Live Beach Rhymes Third Wheel Hair & Make-Up Do I t Or Don't Soul Plane >
BET
BRAVO < Lethal Weapon 2 Three Kings >
< Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Cribs
CMTV Mommy
< American Greed House of Cards Deal or No Deal >
CNBC
< Lou Dobbs Tonight Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull Larry King Live Anderson Cooper 360 >
CNN
Scrubs The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Im portant Things With Demetri South Park Lisa Lampanelli: D irty Girl >
COMEDY Martin
< Tonight From Washington >
CSPAN
Hannah Montana The Suite Life on Deck Phineas and Ferb Herbie: Fully Loaded >
DI SN
How I t's Made Dirty Jobs Extreme Loggers Extreme Loggers >
DSC
The Daily 10 The Girls Next Door The Girls Next Door Keeping Up With the Kardashians Keeping Up With the Kardashians The Soup
E
SportsCenter Golf >
ESPN
ESPN2 NBA Shootaround NBA Basketball
That '70s Show That '70s Show That '70s Show That '70s Show That '70s Show America's Funniest Home Videos >
FAM
< The FOX Report With Shepard The O'Reilly Factor Hannity On the Record With Greta Van
FNC
Smith Susteren >
< Challenge Unwrapped Unwrapped Diners, Drive-I ns and Dives Diners, Drive-I ns and Dives Titans of Taste >
FOOD

5. …and…
7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:0 0 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM
FX < The Hot Chick Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo >
< Attack of the Show! X-Play Cheaters Cheaters Cops Cops 2.0
G4
Pyramid Family Feud Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Family Feud Who Wants to Be a Millionaire The Newlywed Game
GSN
HALMRK < Skylark Love Takes Wing >
< The Astronaut Farmer 300 Real Time With Bill Maher >
HBO
House Hunters Property Virgins Myles of Style House Hunters Bang f or Your Buck House Hunters I nternational
HGTV
< Modern Marvels Modern Marvels Patton 360 Warriors >
HISTORY
IFC < Fast Food Nation Super Troopers >
Reba Will & Grace Will & Grace Wife Swap Wife Swap >
LI FE
M AX < Juno The Promotion Live Free or Die Hard >
< Hardball With Chris Matthews Countdown With Keith Olbermann The Rachel Maddow Show Countdown With Keith
MSNBC Olbermann >
< For th e Love of Ray J Making the Band 4 From G's to Gents Real World/Road Rules Challenge >
MTV
Pearl Jam Ten Revisited Rob & Big Rob & Big Rob & Big Rob & Big Rob & Big
MTV2
< Dog Whisperer Dog Whisperer Dog Whisperer DogTown >
NGC
iCarly The Penguins of Madagascar The Penguins of Madagascar SpongeBob SquarePants SpongeBob SquarePants George Lopez
NIK
OXYGEN < Mrs. Winterbourne Raising Helen >
< Steel by Design Jewelry NutriSystem Weight Loss Program Gardening Made Easy by Cottag e
QVC Farms >
< Stargate: Continuum Moonlight Primeval >
SCIFI
< Pretty Woman United States of Tara The Tudors
SHOW
< CSI: Crime Scene I nvestigation CSI: Crime Scene I nvestigation Deadliest Warrior World's Most Shocking Moments:
SPI KETV Caught on Tape >
Clean House Comes Clean Whose Wedding Is I t Anyway? Whose Wedding Is I t Anyway? Outlaw I n-Laws
STYLE
< This Revolution The Hill Office Tigers Pulling The Life and Times of Vivienne Sleeping Dogs Lie >
SUNDAE Vyle
Seinfeld Family Guy Family Guy My Cousin Vinny >
TBS
< What Not to Wear What Not to Wear What Not to Wear Say Yes to the Dress
TLC
< Law & Order Last Holiday Guess Who >
TNT
Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Secret Saturdays Batman: The Brave and the Bold Star Wars: The Clone Wars Ben 10: Alien Force King of th e Hill
TOON
< Treasure Hunter: Kirsten Gum In vestigations of the Unexplained Ghost Adventures Most Haunted >
TRAV

6. TV is…
» Overextended
 Too many channels
 Too much debt
» Losing ad share
» Competing with New Media
 Web time is rivaling TV time

7. The Recession has…
» Removed slots that were once
commissioned.
» Increased acquisition slots.
» Reduced commissioned budgets.
 More library titles, fewer originals.
 More reality, less scripted.
 More repeats, fewer hours.

8. Fox
Is cutting down it’s Prime Time hours
7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m.
American Dad!
Sunday King of the Hill (R) The Simpsons King of the Hill Family Guy American Dad!
(R)
Monday House 24
Tuesday American Idol Fringe
We dnesday Lie to Me American Idol
Local Programming
Thursda y Bones Hell's Kitche n
Friday Terminat or: The Sarah Conn or Chronicles / Prison Break (4/2 4) Dollho use
S a turday COPS COPS America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back

9. CBC
Is flirting with Narrowcasting
7:00 PM 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
Sunday Heartlan d Movies and Specia ls CBC News: Sunda y Night
Little Mosque on
Monday Soph ie Just For Laughs
the Prairie
This Hour Has 22
Tuesday Rick Mercer Report Wild Roses
Minutes
Corona tion Street Jeopardy! The Nationa l
We dnes d
The Week The Women Went Being Erica
ay
Thursda y The Nature of Things Doc Zone
Friday Rick Mercer Report Market place the fifth estate
S a turday Hockey Night in Canad a

10. The Changing Schedule
» What Schedule?
» Look for shrinkage in TV providers.
» Look for remakes.
» Look for “Next Gen” shows
 Mixed genres like:
 Big Dreams, The Locator, Someone’s Gotta Go.
» “Big” programming from Big players.
 Dramatic serials & “must-see shows”
 Summer Miniseries (BBC, etc.)

11. TV Audiences are Roaming
» TV is on the Web:
 It’s TV - financed and 100% network dependent.
 10 minutes average viewing. (<200,000 viewers)
 Testing vs. Watching.
 Active Grazing.
» The web is on the TV.
 The PVR, digital set-tops.
» Mobile programming: ADD bits.
» The New Broadcasters.
 Beyond aggregating UGC

12. But:
» Broadcasters still have to fill slots.
» So do unconventional ‘casters.
» TV is still viewed in massive numbers
 On the web
 On the PVR
 Via Rentals and Sales
» Still dwarfing the web on revenue.
 Social Networks: $2.5B Chats $450M
 Games: $1.2B Casual Games $2.25B
 NBC Alone: $14.7B, Profit: 4.43B (2008)

13. Opportunities are still there
» New Broadcasters.
» TV is a unique experience & so is
interactive.
» TV will not disappear.
» TV will focus on what it does best:
 Time-based programming, such as:
» Sports, news, politics, celebrity, fashion
» Real-time reality shows.
» Shared events: up close and slick.
 Sitcoms…
 Dramatic series

14. So Why Isn’t it Easier?
» Financing has become harder.
» Distribution has contracted.
» Competition is raising the bar.
» Buyers are more cautious.
 Harder to break in.
 Tried and trusted have the edge.
» Bigger, better, fresher is the rage.
 You’ve got to be original.
» Who said it was ever easy?

15. Broadcasting is a business not
a platform.
» They are all about making money.
» It’s NOT about you. It’s about THEM.
» Pitch right. 2 approaches:
 Target the network to fit your product
 Look for the product to fill the network.
» Connect with your buyer.
 Your first pitch is an introduction.
 Remember John Kennedy.

16. What The Broadcaster Wants
» Eyeballs
 Must-see TV:
» Passion & POV.
» Episodic scripted drama & comedy series that
resonate. Zeitgeist shows.
» Low-cost/high-concept reality.
» Talk, with must-see guests.
» High-draw sports on it’s target’s radar.
» News.
» New formats.

17. The Other Thing The Broadcaster
Wants
» Savings
 Cost-effective programming
» Reality TV
» UGC on their websites
» “Controlled” scripted programs
 Fewer characters
 Fewer sets
 Fewer set-ups
 Still watchable
 Eg: In Treatment.

18. The Creative:
What the Broadcaster Can’t Live Without.
» Fresh, Innovative, resonant.
» Finance-able.
» Execute-able.
» Solid.

19. Series Design
» Focus on “our people”
» Test the central characters
» Build bonds not conflicts
» Build the net of character, place &
world
» Tell the story through the prism of the
tone.
» The rest is just action.

20. What’s in your pitch?
» Series: a description of the web:
 A pitch isn’t an idea. It requires:
 Character dynamics & backgrounds.
» Who are we going to watch do what?
 The world of the series: Where are we?
 The possibilities: What can happen?
 The point of view: What will it say?
 The tone: How will it be told?
 The slot: Where will it fit?
» Long form: The story and it’s characters.

21. Pitching
» Hone your pitch.
 Pitch it to the intended audience!
» Deliver the essence of it in one line.
 Ensure that the POV & tone can be heard.
» Be prepared to answer any question
about the characters, the concept.
» Know how a typical episode will unfold.
» Be brief.

22. What This Broadcaster Saw
» Like-a-shows. No POV, no passion, no ideals,
no characters.
» Edutainment. Good for you TV.
» A lot of stuff that fit the old CBC. (The
Beachcombers II?)
» CBC - Fix shows. “I can beat X show” is better
than “you guys stink”.

23. What This Broadcaster Didn’t
See
» Things that were really entertaining.
» Motivated characters.
» Things that worked really hard.
» Things that broke new ground.
» Exceptions: Wonderland, The Newsroom,
Dragon Boys, DaVinci’s Inquest, Human
Cargo, Fungus The Bogeyman, etc.

24. Why Series?
» We get to live in other people’s lives.
» We become intimate with heroes, not
“normal” people.
» We prefer the ideal over the real.
» Reality is a curiosity; Ideal is necessary.
» We experience grandeur and challenge.
» We sharpen & invigorate our dreams.
» To make live more tolerable, productive,
joyful.

25. Development
» <4% of pitches get developed.
» ~4% of those are produced.
» The process is slow.
» Interest = $
 Rule of Thumb: Silence is "no”
» Process: budget, writer, collaboration.
» Development is their low risk phase.
» Smaller budgets, fewer scripts, more failures.

26. The Execution
Just to be considered:
 Who’s on your team?
 What have they done?
 Why are they right?
» Who are your writers? Cast?
 Same questions.
» Who will guarantee that the script is
delivered as we imagine it?
 The EP. The Cast. The Director. Designer, PM

27. The Financing
Anyone have $19M for a PT series?
» The trigger.
 The broadcast letter.
» Decision time takes too long.
» The Funds, Tax Credits, Distribution.
 CMF, Cogeco, Shaw, etc.
» Co-production.
 US, UK, RSA, Ireland, etc.
» Downgrading.

28. What the TV Producer Needs
To Do
» Get many irons in the fire.
» If you get in development, learn how to
listen to what the broadcaster says.
» Stay with your show if you get a green
light.
 Time to do something with your other irons.
» Look at what you can do on the web.
 A low budget/great script can play there.

29. It’s a Hit!
» It’s hard to keep a show on air!
 Competition
 Promotion
 Boredom
» Remember that the genius is the show!
 You WILL get bored.
 But is the audience loving it?
 If so, keep delivering the show.
 Don’t do what they did to “Moonlighting”