Tuesday, November 20, 2007

You Have to Write It

What do you do when you have a great idea for a tv show, based on a column you wrote for a NY alt weekly? I've sent a few e-mails to agents but have little faith in that approach. I've also got a friend at NBC who says they'll give it a read. Sent them a two page treatment, char descrips, and a summary of about 8 episodes, but now what the hell do I do?
Write the pilot.

Sometimes producers will buy a story or other underlying rights, but it's usually something they tripped over themselves. If you want to make a TV show out of your column, then do it. Write a spec pilot. Adaptation isn't easy. You may see the TV show in your own column, but asking other people to do so may be a bridge too far. You'll have to adapt it for them.

Ideas aren't cheap, but a TV idea isn't just a hook. It's the essence of the TV show. It's very hard to sell just a hook. You have to sell them something that embodies the essence of a TV show.

4 comments:

Rusty James said...

Alex,

how can one expect things to develop after gaining enthusiastic interest from a prodco (Canadian) based on a spec pilot submitted- coming from one who is still 'emerging,' and thus unproven in the industry?

Alex Epstein said...

Canadian nets will develop with an emerging writer. They'll give the show to a seasoned vet later on, but LITTLE MOSQUE's creator was not a heavyweight when she created it. And when I first optioned Naked Josh, I'd written exactly one TV ep.

Rusty James said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rusty James said...

That's swell Alex,

now let's talk about the MONEY.