ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

2 years, 8 months ago - James McCann

Hi Alex,
Only my opinion, but if you write the entire thing, from pilot to final episode of the first series, it will give you a much better idea of what to do with the characters and story-arc.
Although the money-people might only want the first episode, that first episode will be so much richer and vibrant, as when you write the other episodes you'll stumble onto cool things that you go back and place the set-ups for in the pilot.

I wrote a pilot for a sitcom (as yet unproduced), but I liked the characters a lot so I kept writing the other episodes. By the time I hit the 7th episode, the characters were fully-formed people, allowing me to go back and make changes to previous episodes I'd written.

If you have the time, and have ideas of where the show is going, having a fully-formed show bible (even if not the actual scripts) will only help.
Some will say that only do the pilot as a studio/money-people might want to take the show in a totally different direction than that of which you've written, but for me I enjoy the writing, I enjoy the characters, so I don't see it as 'wasted time,' and I've kept my writing skills sharp.

It also shows any money-people that you've got well-thought-out plans, that you're not a one-trick-pony. It shows that you've put some time and effort and thought into what you're bringing them.

Again though, this is all just my opinion.
Hope it helps,
James