Choosing The TV Spec Script That’s Best For Your Brand
0It used to be simple: Drama or Comedy. Hour or half-hour. Writers fell into one of the two categories and stayed behind the curtain, out of the eyes of viewers. But time, technology, and tastes have changed everything. Now the genres are blurred, traditional structures have been cast out the window, and the television writer needs to establish a brand in order to win a spot on a writing staff. So when you’re preparing for this year’s fellowships and building your portfolio, how do you choose the spec that best pairs with your original pilot?
The first thing you need to do is look at your original pilot and ask yourself a few simple questions that a marketing exec would ask if they were looking at your script:
1. What are the two main genres that define your show? Note that if you’re writing a comedy, multi or single camera can count as your genre.
2. On which network does your show air? Who is the target demographic? Often the channel will tell you what your demographic is (think CW for teens/20-somethings, or ABC for families and adult women).
So that’s two genres plus your basic demographic or network. In order to determine the spec that’s right for you, you need to decide what two or three elements out of that group reflect your unique voice and serve as the clearest representation of your brand.
Let’s look at some examples. For each of these, let’s pretend your original pilot was one of these shows (lucky you). We’ll then determine the three aforementioned elements of that show and use them to help figure out the show that you should spec. Here we go!
Your Original Pilot: Agents Of SHIELD
Genres: Ensemble Action, Sci-Fi
Demo/Net: targeted 18+
Option #1 Spec: Killjoys
Why: Both shows are action-packed science fiction but SHIELD exists in our current world where as Killjoys will show off your world-creation skills, solidifying your brand. The Expanse is also solid choice for this brand.
Option #2 Spec: Scorpion
Why: Pretending for a moment that SHIELD doesn’t exist within the larger Marvel Universe, the show is an ensemble actioner that people of all ages can watch and enjoy. If you like showing off your team procedural skills, go with Scorpion. It has clearly defined characters and a case-of-the-week structure that can set you up for jobs on a lot of shows. An added bonus of an episodic series with broad storylines is the opportunity to express some of your personal interests in the script. If you want another ensemble show that maintains the sci-fi element think about the 20-something audiences of The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow.
Your Original Pilot: The Good Wife
Genres: Law Episodic, Family Drama
Demo/Net: Adult women/ABC
Option #1 Spec: How To Get Away With Murder
Why: Female-centric and law, but this show’s non-linear-esque structure shows off your ability to adapt to different styles of storytelling. It can be much more dramatic over the entire hour since it’s dealing with a cast of both mature adults and college students.
Option #2 Spec: Madam Secretary
Why: You love CBS and female driven dramas, but maybe you enjoy writing about a happily married couple too (they’re hard to find on TV and the two leads of this series certainly don’t have an easy road). If you like the more light-hearted episodes of The Good Wife and CBS’s female-centric brand, this is a spec that could set you up for about half the staffs on the five major networks.
Your Original Pilot: Modern Family
Genres: Multigenerational Family Comedy, Single Camera
Demo/Net: 18-54, CBS
Option #1 Spec: Mom
Why: Mom and Modern Family are both dealing with serious topics in a multigenerational family, but Mom’s multi-cam format changes the nature of the storytelling and sets you up as a comedy writer who is able to do both.
Option #2 Spec: black-ish
Why: Another ABC family-centric show, but this maintains the single camera element while focusing on a single family, as well. A black-ish spec can showcase your ability to tackle timely issues in a fresh, funny and inventive way.
Your Original Pilot: Brooklyn 9-9
Genres: Workplace Comedy, Police
Demo/Net: 18-54/Fox
Option #1 Spec: Superstore
Why: Yes, they’re both single camera workplace comedies, but Superstore has a very different set of characters in a very different setting. If you want to write smart ensemble comedies and consider yourself a joke-machine, this is a great way to go.
Option #2 Spec: Silicon Valley
Why: Another workplace comedy, but with a completely different vibe – specifically, an HBO vibe that removes the limitations of writing for a network show, from commercial breaks to foul language.
Your Original Pilot: Vikings
Genres: Period Drama, Supernatural
Demo/Net: 18-54 (fairly male-centric)
Option #1 Spec: Reign
Why: You love history and a touch of the supernatural element (Vikings has a more religious bent, but in either show, there’s a level of mythology introduced into the world). Reign also skews younger. Penny Dreadful would another be a strong choice for this brand, which has elements of soap.
Option #2 Spec: Underground
Why: You love history, but you’re interested in a more accurate portrayal than the way Reign handles the Northern European Renaissance. There’s also more physical movement within the hour, and because the subject matter is consistently relevant in the social and political conversation, it showcases your ability to touch on current issues by deftly connecting them to events from the past.
Now a couple of other things to remember when picking your spec. Don’t forget to look at the season and episode count of the shows you are considering. Most fellowships prefer a cable series be in at least its second season if you’re specing – but if you’re looking at a network show, a first season series is probably okay. Why? Because a one-season show on cable can still be finding its voice. If it’s a network show, however, it has likely aired a full twenty episodes and figured itself out somewhere in the middle, if not sooner. That’s not to say you shouldn’t write that Mr. Robot spec – just be aware that its second season could throw you a curveball.
You also don’t want to spec a show that has been on the air too long. If a network show is in it’s fourth season, I suggest that you don’t touch it. That’s around 80 episodes on air. Even a cable show is at forty. That’s a lot of ideas that have already been taken away from your potential storylines. A perfect show on any network will be in season two or three. That way, a show has established its voice, but there’s still plenty of fresh stories available.
Like the rest of these guidelines, the episode count is not a hard-and-fast rule. Only you know your skill level and which show will ultimately suit your voice. But if your having trouble sorting out which show to spec – or which spec to submit – this guide can set you on the path to building a better portfolio. Hopefully, that path eventually leads to you landing a slot in one of those coveted fellowships, a staff writing job, and long and prosperous career!