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TV Calling

Less TV, Less Opportunity (PT186)

Alex and Nick discuss the current trend of diminishing episode orders and shorter seasons, and how that affects the size of writers’ rooms, opportunities for emerging writers, and other worrying consequences for television writing.

Why are TV season orders shrinking from twenty-two episodes down to as few as three? How does this affect professional opportunities for writers, both emerging and established? What does it mean for the TV business and distribution models? What are some of the long-term consequences for access and diversity in television? What are proactive ways of combating and solving these issues?

Content

1 – Shorter seasons and diminishing episode orders (00:34)
2 – How that affects writers and opportunities (10:17)
3 – How that affects business and creativity (29:34)

Links

“Michael Schur on What We Lose When TV Gets Shorter” – Vanity Fair
TV Writing Incubators and the Evolution of Access (PT125)
The Art of the TV Episode (PT20)

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Paper Tease: Microcosms – August Session (PT185)

Alex and Nick feature their next Paper Tease session by giving feedback on four more of your original TV pilot teasers.

Paper Tease Entries

“Dad’s the Word” by Peter C. Hayward
“Earthrise, Earthset” by Zac Kostyrka
“Cuba Libre” by Stephen Nolly
“Out for Blood” by Jack Fuhrmann

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

Want to get feedback on the teaser of your TV pilot in an upcoming Paper Tease session? Find all the information you need at http://paperteam.co/teaser

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

TV Pilot 301: Scope, Beginnings, and Ends (PT184)

Alex and Nick talk about the big picture of your TV pilot script and its scope, from what the first episode should capture, to what it can leave out.

What defines the scope of your TV pilot? What are ways of deciding when the pilot should start and when it should end? How do you tell a satisfying episodic story while also setting up a longer-tail series? What are common mistakes people make when deciding on the scope of their pilot story? Why shouldn’t you “save it for later”?

The Paper Team hones in…

Content

1 – TV pilot scope and common mistakes (00:29)
2 – TV pilot beginnings and ends (28:58)

Links

TV Pilot 101 (PT30)
TV Pilot 201: Keeping the Reader Interested (PT84)
TV Formula 101: Building an Engine For Your Show (PT117)
Act Breaks (PT15)
Weaving Storylines: A/B/C Stories (PT53)
Teasers & Cold Opens (PT61)
Analyzing Great TV Pilots: Case Studies of Alias, Community, Homicide, The O.C., Scrubs and 3rd Rock from the Sun (PT54)

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]