The 21 Things a Broadcaster is Looking for in Your Script or Pitch

Yeah, I thought I'd add some boring old practical stuff that you could find anywhere... Consider it a public service.

There really are 21 things - but the numbering slips because of the bullet points. Stupid Blogger.

1. Always tell a story that makes people want to know what happens next.
2. Open the show ithe a compelling situation so viewers stay tuned to their station.
3. Create cliffhangers within the show so viewers stay turned to their station during commercial breaks.
4. Scripts should answer the following 5 questions clealy, and the first two questions quickly:

• Who's story is this?
• What do they want to achieve?
• What is stopping them from getting what they want?
• How do they overcome these obstacles?
• Do they achieve their goals?

1. The dialogue should sound real. (Hint from Steve: After you've written the script, read it ALOUD! Don't read it silently to yourself, read it like you're TELLING A STORY. Does the dialogue sound natural? I bet that you'll want to make some changes...)
2. Scripts should recognize the realities of production. Don't have 25 speaking parts, 2,000 extras and 54 new sets a week. Think economically. If there is a way to make a compelling story on a smaller scale - YOU'D BE WISE TO DO IT!!! Broadcasters know what can - and more importantly, what CAN'T be done on a TV budget.
3. There should be an 'inciting incident' at the end of the first act, which sets the story in motion. Something should propel our heroes into their quest. (More about story structure in a coming post, if I get around to it.)
4. The subplots should support (and at some point, tie into) the main story. Be cleaver about it. Watch any episode of Frasier or Big Bang Theory as an example.
5. The endings should be believeable. Avoid situations where 'The Cavalry' comes ringing over the hill to save the day.
6. There needs to be an interesting central idea or concept that drives the story forward. Try to avoid a "so what?" situation. The story needs to be interesting to more people than you.
7. Try to create humour as a result of character, rathe than at the expense of character. Example: Rather than have the character simply recite funny lines, try to build situations where the character's strengths or weaknesses create the humour. Example: An obsessive compulsive neat freak on his way to a job interview... Its a swealtering day and he's stuck on a crowded city bus, next to a pig farmer - who just ate 2 bean burritos for lunch...
8. The characters hsould remain consistent from scene to scene, or episode to episode. If a guy has a mean streak in Episode 101, he shouldn be winning a humanitarian award in Episode 103. But then again, if we slip him a couple of bean burritos before the awards presentation...
9. Scripts should focus on STORY, rather than on camera or stage direction. Tell them WHAT is going to happen. Leave the HOW it is going to happen to the Director.
10. There should be a 'rise' in the complications faced by the protagonists. To be interesting, the quest should get more difficult as they near their goal.
11. There should be a balance between the forces of good and evil. Even if the good guys are vastly outnumbered, the audience should have some hope (however faint) that they will succeed in their quest. Otherwise, what's the point?
12. Characters should be forced to make difficult and dramatic decisions while under pressure. Try to avoid classic, "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping" situation. Example: In any number of bad action movies, characters trade off-the-cuff remarks during life and death situations. That doesn't happen in real life. Conflict. Conflict. Conflict.
13. There should be enough "backstory" in the show to keep viewers interested. What happened to the bad guy at age 14 to make him the rat-bastard that he is today?
14. Create humorous or insightful payoffs to situations instead of preachy moralizing.
15. Try to avoid the use of COINCIDENCE. There's never a Cop around when you need one, or a parking space in front of the building with the nice public washroom when you really have to pee.
16. Show us the situation rather than tell us about it. Avoid talking heads wherever possible. SHOW IT - DON'T TELL IT.
17. If there's a message, try to keep it subtle, rather than blatantly stated. Don't TELL me that smoking is bad for you. Show us the autopsy. Use a demonstration. It's a visual medium so, keep it VISUAL.