1. Team Writing for Television
Creating the calling card season

2. Casting the Ideal Team Room
One Showrunner
Two Experienced Writers in the genre
One Practitioner Writer (e.g Clinician/Writer for Medical Drama etc.)
One Female/Male writer if the showrunner is Male/Female
One LGBT writer if sexuality is featured to any great extent.
One Younger/Older writer if the Showrunner is older/younger
One New Writer

3. The Premise
A mild mannered Science teacher goes to the dark side after discovering he has a terminal illness.
A Mafia boss under pressure tries to keep control in a changing world.
A Hollywood Fixer struggles with his own dysfunctional family.
A career politician rises to the top but loses his soul.
Can a Scottish inner-city community survive the pressures of Contemporary Urban life?

4. Creating Compelling Characters
McKee, R. (1999) Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, London: Methuen Publishing Ltd.

5. Short Character Arcs

6. The Series Arc (ABC Storylines)
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
A Story
B Story
C Story
Hook to
Next Episode
Big Hook to next Series!

7. The Series Arc (3 Act) Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Beginning
Middle
End
Hook to
Next Episode
Big Hook to next Series!

8. The Series Arc (John Yorke 5 Act)
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
The Inciting Incident
The Journey
The Crisis
The Climax
The Resolution
Hook to
Next Episode
Big Hook to next Series!

9. The Episode Grids (ABC with 5 Act)
A plot
A single self-contained story within the series.
B plot
A long running Series long Episodic plot.
C plot
A potentially humorous/light hearted plot concerning supporting characters
Act 1 – The inciting Incident
Act 2 – The Journey
Act 3 – The Crisis
Act 4 – The Climax
Act 5 – The Resolution (and hook )

10. Expanded Character Arcs 26 Episodes May 1st

11. Episode Arcs

12. Individual Episode Beaten out May 14th

13. Episode Beat Sheet May 16th
A plot
B plot
C plot 1
 Jimmy gets news he’s been selected as a spaceman.
 Angus gets a letter from the bank telling him he is overdrawn.
 Caitlin finds an abandoned puppy 2
 Jimmy hides this from Scarlett.
 Bob tells Angus he needs the loan back that he gave him 3
 Scarlett discovers Jimmy has a secret but thinks he’s having an affair 4
 Scarlett resolves to fight for Jimmy’s love
 Angus goes to borrow money from Caitlin but she is skint.
 She takes the puppy home and looks after it. She discoveres that the puppy has been stolen 5
 Jimmy tries to tell Scarlett that he is leaving for Space but Madonna has an accident at School 6
 After rescuing Madonna at School, Scarlett’s plan goes wrong. Jimmy thinks that SHE is having an affair.
 Angus goes to Lenny and borrows money at a high interest. 7
 Jimmy decides to cancel the Space Journey to try to win Scarlett back 8
 At the annual Spring Festival, Jimmy falls out with Scarlett and she chucks his clothes out
 Bob takes the money and bets it on a horse 9
Scarlett is lonely without Jimmy
 She gives the puppy back to the rightful owner and is rewarded . She pays Lenny off and he lets Angus go. 10
Scarlett confesses she loves him and doesn’t want to lose him.
 The horse loses. Lenny asks for his money back 11
Jimmy hears that the space programme has been cancelled and they can be together. 12
Jimmy and Scarlett eat a fish supper together and watch the TV.
 Angus goes on the run from Lenny. Caitlon rescues him.
Episode Beat Sheet May 16th

14. Script Schedule 19th May Commissioning meeting.
29th May 1st Draft Scene X Scene Notes (All 55 scenes)
5th June 2nd Draft Scene X Scene Notes
22nd June 1st Draft Delivery (85 pages) Notes
6th July 2nd Draft Delivery Notes
13th July 3rd Draft Delivery Notes
28th July 4th Draft
30th July Directors Draft
7th August Shooting Script
17th August Shooting Starts.