Screenwriting : Premise Pilots, Non-Premise Pilots, "One New Guy," and "Just Another Day at the Office" by Regina Lee

Excellent article. Guess now I know I've written a "Premise Pilot". They don't want it but secretly they do. Interesting.

LOL. Good catch, Erica. It's been a few years since John wrote that blog. Overall, networks are more open to premise pilots these days. In cable, the majority of pilots are premise pilots. Cable has shifted the way that broadcast networks develop their pilots. But John's more important point, that the pilot "must feel like the show" (which he wrote in BOLD font!), is still highly applicable.

Love this, Regina. Thanks you're the best.

Thank you, Jorge, but it's John August who is great!!

Seems like it wasn't that long ago that the industry frowned on original pilots and only wanted tv scripts from shows already on the air. Why did it change? I do have an original tv pilot that I wrote years ago.

I'm not sure all of each/all reasons for the shift. One reason is that there is more original programming on TV, and therefore network needs have changed. For example, TNT used to license "ER" from NBC. Now they air original programming, not licensed TV shows from other nets.

Thanks for the info. I can't imagine how many shows and stations there are on cable and satellite tv. The days of a few stations are long gone.

But like the song says, "57 channels and there's nothing on." At least in the summer, it's slim pickins on my 150 channels. Can't wait for The Blacklist to come back on in the fall. Thank goodness for Netflix.

Yup, that is what my pilot is and I can't find a way to start the series without a premise pilot. The only way would be to do flashbacks, which I would hate to do in a 1/2 hour comedy. I would still need to cover the initial or inciting incident that marks the beginning of the whole concept. Annoyingly I have struggled with my pilot in making ti as entertaining and funny as the next episode so I joined both and it's too long and i really need to split it I think, but then I can't get everything I want into the pilot. GAH! pulls hair out

Hi Cherie, I hate responding with incomplete info, but it sounds to me like you should rethink how you get into the pilot. It shouldn't require so much backstory. Take that with a grain of salt.

Hi Regina: Just catching up to this now. The difference is between a pitch and a spec pilot. I cover it all in my book and in my UCLA classes. I love John and have his Writer Emergency Pack but I suggest you do a hybrid. 10-15 % Set-up. (Or as little as you can get away with because it's going to come down to a two minute montage behind opening credits) and the rest typical episode. Stay away from 'Day One'. The reason for this approach is simple: I don't want to read a spec pilot and come away with one of two questions: 1) So what's a typical episode entail? or 2) How did this whole thing get started? http://www.billtaub.com/automatic-pilot/

Hey Bill, thank you. I'm not a writer. I'm a non-writing producer, and I've helped sell pitches to 5 different networks (plus others who we had to turn down in multiple bidder situations), 3 different TV studios. One of my pilots is by an Emmy winning showrunner. I am working with other Emmy nominees, WGA award winners, and a WGGB award winner. :-) I'm simply posting to try to expose S32 writers to John's blog. If I sound indecisive to you, it's because I try not to recommend any one path over another because there are so many different projects on S32, and I don't want anyone to jump to any conclusions and think "I have to do it this way" if that way is not appropriate for him/her. I've read a lot of posts in which writers are hamstrung by one piece of advice they've read out of context. Thank you!

Bill, I haven't read your book, but I have started recommending it to people who ask me about TV instructional resources!!

Hi Regina. I do need backstory. I've looked into not having it, but it just wouldn't make any sense. Bascially I have some special people accidentally find themselves on a space ship and lost in space. I have to show how they got there. It's based in current time period so the rest of the world are unaware of their predicament. Aliens are new to them. I can't just put them in a space ship and start there. People will wonder how they got there. if it was set in the future in a world where aliens were common place for humans then i would start on the ship. I also think it's an enjoyable situation to watch. see their reactions when they realise they are on a space ship and somehow in space with no way to get home.

I'd be happy to send you a print copy, just tell me where. Or audiobook to your email. Recommendations are always appreciated. I also do an online workshop through UCLA Extension Writers' Program. I'll be doing it again in the fall for Web series. I think as Charlie points out that's why I've devised the hybrid. You talk about pitching. I totally agree with you about pitching. But if I'm writing a spec that somebody's going to read cold, I want both questions answered. Thanks for all that you do here. I drop in occasionally. Bill.

Great article to share, Regina. John's pieces also keep me motivated in the right direction. Great confidence booster on building my TV writing chops! Thanks for being a wealth of useful information!