ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

10 years, 3 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

I guess the answer depends to a huge degree on your target market. Regular US network TV needs a 7-year arc, a 13-week arc, and an A and B arc in each episode (often mirrors of the same concept from both sides). On the other hand, British miniseries drama will need to keep driving forward with cliffhangers periodically, but with the freedom to kill characters whenever you want.

Example of the former - CSI, House, Bones, etc.
Example of the latter - The Honourable Woman, Cucumber

In the episodic drama, you can miss a show or a dozen, you're not disadvantaged as it more or less resets each episode, apart from the series arc. For the one-offs, there's no requirement to reset, so instead of relying on familiarity to carry the audience, you rely on unpredictability.

In short, it depends what it is you're trying to write. I'd say the more complicated you want the story to be, the less episodic it can be, so try watching some great drama series and disassembling them. Try The Honourable Woman or The Shadow Line (both Hugo Blick) or Tinker Taylor, Soldier, Spy (70's BBC TV version) for how if the writing is right, you can take the audience on epic, complicated adventures and they'll invest the effort into keeping up with the story.

Get it right and people will love you - the hunger for quality drama is huge (even if the money is in the repetitive episodic stuff). Quality home-grown drama is a huge bragging point for a TV network.

10 years, 3 months ago - Dan Selakovich

For television, you will also need a breakdown of each character that goes in front of the season breakdown. For a drama, what you are talking about is a "Show Bible". Here in the U.S., the bible can be anything from a single season to a 5 year outline. You need a clear and detailed map of at least the first 13 episodes and a pilot script to be taken seriously (at least if you have no track record).

10 years, 3 months ago - Michael Chandler

Thanks all, really useful. Absolutely understand the need for clear characters and a series 'Bible'.
I think the challenge for me, based on your comments, is this- there's storylines I would want to touch on in series 1 that then become the focus in series 2 or even 3 (this is quite a sprawling all-encompassing project, a la The Wire - I know, unrealistic or what!!!) but I am writing a UK series, for the UK, about UK issues. And UK TV just doesn't seem to do that. And it doesn't feel like an episodic series. So- I try to cram as much into 3 to 6 episodes, leaving enough of a cliffhanger for people to want to come back for a second series?
On which note, are there any examples of the Netflix of this world funding UK series? I don't know of any, but am happy to plead ignorant.

10 years, 3 months ago - Marlom Tander

I'd say it's all in understanding your characters, their back story and the world they live in. Should help you avoid getting painted into a corner and having the audience go WTF?

Example - latest episode of the 100 (spoiler alert). Lexa does something that goes against everything she has fought for until then, and is clearly an unforced error that goes against her clearly established and long worked on long term strategy. OK, so it's only The 100, but it suggests that Lexa hasn't been properly thought through, and key point - I, as the audience, just went WTF, and they'll need to make amends in the next episode or risk losing me.

You know your characters when you can answer situational questions about them that lie way beyond your planned plot lines.