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Posts tagged as “Specs”

Comedy Spec Script 2014 – What is hot and what is not

Comedy Spec Script 2014 – What is hot and what is not


UPDATED:
A brand new 2019 list has been posted.
Click here to access it.


Like every year, it is now time to review which TV shows are good to spec, and which are not.
Dedicated posts will be made respectively for the best comedies (half-hour) and the best dramas (one-hour).
As the title says, this post is all about the comedies.
In addition, you’ll also find (when available) a script for the corresponding show for educational purposes only.
Canceled or dead shows have been removed since last season’s spec list.

NOTE:
Given Warner Bros’ new rules for their fellowship, I have indicated with an asterisk (*) series that they will not accept specs for (mainly first-season series).

Here is a quick recap of how the list works:
The shows are divided into five categories regarding their appeal to readers and how well they are known/read:
– Over-specced (shows that have passed their prime, try to avoid doing them)
– Mainstream (shows that have matured enough that they have become on-the-nose speccers–and a lot of people are speccing them)
– Wild Cards (soon, everyone will spec those, maybe you can get a head start)
– Outsiders (specs that will get you out from the pack)
– Gamblers (risky shows that could pay off, or bomb)

There is also a grade regarding the show’s longevity in relation to its speccability.
Meaning, how long can you keep your spec script fresh without having to throw it in the trash?
To do this, we will use the greatest grading system on Earth; stars:
★★★★★ – Excellent
★★★★★ – Very Good
★★★★★ – Average
★★★★★ – Fair
★★★★★ – Poor

Let’s get started.

Over-Specced

Re-tool your spec if you have one, but you probably shouldn’t bother beginning a new one for these shows.

Archer (FXX)
A popular animated spec. Too popular at this point.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – They completely reinvented themselves, which is both a good and bad thing for specs.

The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Seven seasons and counting should be enough to keep you away.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – The show isn’t going anywhere, but neither will your spec.

Community (NBC)
Dan Harmon is back, but the field is too crowded with Community specs at this point to be worth your investment.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Six seasons and a movie.

Cougar Town/The Middle (ABC)
A change of network for the former couldn’t have come at a better time. Both series are not that watched, but are surprisingly popular in spec-world.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Decent numbers, I guess.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)
Don’t try to compete in this arena.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – New network means new lease on life.

Louie (FX)
Considered by many to be one of the best comedies on TV for so long now, which made it a very popular alternative spec.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Mo’ seasons, mo’ problems.

Modern Family (ABC)
You could create ten seasons of content with all the Family specs floating around.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – It will outlast us all.

Parks and Recreation (NBC)
Peaked last year, and is now definitely not the smartest choice.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – They shook things up with the departure of, literally, two major characters. Although it could be a good thing for the show, it isn’t for your spec.

Raising Hope (FOX)
Raising Hope has become very popular as the “small but not too small” comedy to spec. In other words, this will probably its final year before being considered over-specced.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – It’s the final countdown.

Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Good lord.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Yeah, no.

Wilfred (FXX)
Perhaps once a novel idea for an atypical spec, Wilfred has now become quite popular as a spec contender.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – New season later this year. Will it be the last?

Mainstream

The current and new widespread shows in town that are getting read.

Girls (HBO)
If you want to vent about your first-world problems, you now have the perfect show.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Don’t forget the nudity.

House of Lies/Nurse Jackie (Showtime)
Both are well-recognized at this point to be strong contenders.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – The real challenge is finding something fresh to talk about.

Mike & Molly (CBS)
Your best bet for an established multi-cam.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Besides the situations having been recycled from every show ever, you may have something.

The Mindy Project (FOX)
As long as you realize you’re not the first person to spec this show…
Longevity: ★★★★★ – …you can go ahead and write for this new New Girl.

New Girl (FOX)
Pretty much the dominant single-cam spec for relationship shows.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Plenty of awkward situations to milk.

Shameless (Showtime)
It should be considered a drama given its length, but I’m a rebel.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Showtime ain’t letting this one go.

Suburgatory (ABC)
Slowly taking the place of Raising Hope as the cutesy under-rated family comedy.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Are the ratings any good?

Two Broke Girls (CBS)
Will you be the rebel taking on racist jokes?
Longevity: ★★★★★ – It has leveled off.

Veep (HBO)
Iannucci’s quick-fire dialogues are very difficult to mimic, much less surpass. But if you have the chops…
Longevity: ★★★★★ – …go for it.

Wild Cards

Not quite fully widespread but will get there given the chance.

Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
The Archer alternative.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Under-rated by most, watched by some.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX) *
The new hit on the block. Clearly a front-runner to be next year’s top spec.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – It is a critics fave, but also has shaky ratings.

The Crazy Ones (CBS) *
A single-cam on CBS?
Longevity: ★★★★★ – The timeslot switch may prove problematic.

Mom (CBS) *
If Mom continues on, it will probably end up being the go-to multi-cam to spec.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – A strong showing for CBS’ latest multi.

The Neighbors (ABC)
There are better options for single-cams.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Still living off average numbers.

Orange Is The New Black (Netflix)
Another category-ambiguous dramedy which has nonetheless become a hit (or so Netflix says). The question now becomes if you can match the quality.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Season 2 is about to premiere.

Outsiders

The shows (mostly cable) you may be tempted to take a risk on, getting you on top of the reading pile. Beyond that, it depends on the willingness of the reader and his/her knowledge of the show. Who knows, maybe the showrunner is into less popular shows and will value your risk-taking.

Episodes (Showtime)
You never want to go full meta…
Longevity: ★★★★★ – …which could be a problem with this show.

The Goldbergs (ABC) *
A freshman series not panned by critics?
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Got picked up for a full season, but I’d wait until a renewal.

The League (FXX)
Still overlooked, which means if you nail it with the right reader, you could be noticed.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Getting crazier by the season.

The Millers (CBS) *
A Survivor winner is on the writing staff, so how bad could it be?
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Definitely on the hot seat.

Gamblers

For one reason or another, these are much riskier specs to do right now. You have been warned.

Anger Management (FX)
Why?
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Only 600 episodes to go.

Childrens’ Hospital/NTSF:SD:SUV/Eagleheart (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim) *
Once again, a very odd and unique choice for shows to spec.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Good luck predicting where they’re heading to next.

The Exes/Hot In Cleveland (TV Land) *
Can you name five different unrelated people that watch these shows?
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Legit/Workaholics (FXX/MTV) *
Starting to gain momentum, but still obscure enough that you’d gamble on people reading it.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – Probably not going anywhere.

Men At Work/Sullivan & Son (TBS)
Not widely seen means not widely read.
Longevity: ★★★★★ – TBS doesn’t have many options.

Another record year for the spec list with 42 comedies this time around. To put that into perspective, the WB Writers’ Workshop is only accepting 33 comedies this year.

Critical faves Louie, Modern Family and Parks & Rec have moved away, and Raising Hope was recently canceled, which means it’s time for some new blood.
Despite the departure of these major shows to spec, you can see other hot series becoming increasingly popular; not the least of which is Mindy, very popular ever since it premiered last year. With Archer gone (or at least reinvented), Bob’s Burger has taken its place as the go-to animation spec.
Premium cable still offers a strong showing, with Girls, House of Lies and Veep topping the list.
And let’s not forget Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which is sure to become the hottest “must-spec” freshman series in years.

Click here for the Drama Spec Script list.

Scribosphere Carnival #2 – Workflow

Scribosphere Carnival #2 – Workflow

The Scribosphere Carnival is a weekly discussion from a variety of screenwriting blogs around a rotating theme.

And I’m catching up on all those I missed.

Instigated by Jonathan Hardesty, today’s topic is:

WORKFLOW — Everybody has one, and none are the same. Inspired by a post from John August (referencing this site), you should explain where and when you write, what hardware you use, what software you use, and what you would change about how you write. Have at it!

Where and when do you write?

Unlike some writers, I actually prefer to write in the comfort of my own home instead of going out to a coffee shop (and spend $5 on a latte).
With that said, I like to create an appropriate “space” for the magic to happen. Even if my desktop is in the bedroom, I will try to physically separate the “writing workspace” from where I sleep by moving stuff over to the living room.
This doesn’t happen all the time, but when I do, the complete set-up looks something like this:

workflow
As you can guess by what’s happening on the TV, this is during my “research phase” for my Good Wife spec last year. Yes, I like to reverse-engineer the show.

When I’m actually writing, the TV will usually be off, while I display my outline on the external screen (i.e. the one in the middle). My preferred screenwriting software will be pulled on the laptop itself.
And then I type away. On reddit.

My writing schedule is, at best, inconsistent. I rarely have “real” deadlines, so it’s often hard to shoot for consistency.
With that said, I enjoy (in a manner of speaking) going into what I call “lockdown modes”.
As the name implies, it’s a pre-determined amount of time (usually an entire week-end) where I force myself to sit in front of the computer and write/achieve something with very little breaks, and, crucially, no going out. No escape!
This extended, dedicated period of time allows me to completely focus on the one story/task, and think deeper about the problems than, say, a 2-hour writing block every other day. I also try to divide the task evenly across the days (e.g. 2 acts per day for a 3-day lockdown).
Lockdowns are especially great for outlines, first drafts or imminent deadlines.
Binge-writing FTW.

What hardware do you use?

I enjoy the good ol’ pen and paper when I’m brainstorming dialogue/scenes, however when it comes to the nitty-gritty, 90% of the work is done on my computer(s).

As for the tech nerds out there:

Desktop
I love to build my own computers. This is my latest beast (minus a graphics card).
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K clocked at 3.40 GHz
Mobo: MSI Z68A-GD80 (MS-7672) 3.0
RAM: 16 GB DDR3 Corsair (800 MHz / PC3-12800J)

Laptop
Purchased almost four years ago, so bear with me on the specs (although who needs a gaming laptop for writing?!).
Sadly it has a battery problem that makes it less portable: the battery isn’t recognized, which means it only works when plugged in.

HP Pavilion dm4-1065dx
Processor: Intel Core i5 430M / 2.26 GHz
RAM: 4.0 GB
Graphics Adapter: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) HD Graphics
Display: 14-inch LED / 1366×768
Weight: 2kg

External displays
Main display: ASUS VE278Q / 27.2-inch / 1920×1080
Secondary display: BenQ FP241WZ / 24-inch / 1920×1200
I also have an amazing TV (primarily used for shows/movies), which is a Samsung UN60D8000.

What software do you use?

When it comes to breaking my stories, I start off using Scrivener. Pretty much the best outline-building option out there (save for actual index cards and corkboards). It’s a great tool when it comes to visually seeing your outline/acts/breaks/stories. Gotta love the color-coded labels.

For the actual scriptwriting process, I exclusively use Final Draft (currently version 8). I may or may not try Fade In for my next script. It looks fairly interesting. Plus, I love black.

What would you change about how you write?

It’s less about how, and more about when.
In a word: consistency.
Trying to find a “sweet spot” is very hard, and I know I should really discipline myself to sit down and dedicate X hour(s) to writing, every single day. And yet, I don’t.
Like getting in shape physically, it’s one thing to say you wanna do it, and another thing to actually do it.
Time will tell if I succeed in that regard.

There’s also the thing about “less procrastination, more content”, though I believe this is less of an issue. You need these short bursts of mental distraction in between your mental back-and-forths when breaking a story.
When it comes to the actual writing portion of things, I’m happy the way I do things (when I do them). Sometimes I talk to myself, or rather talk the scenes out. I’m crazy that way, but it’s not something I’m keen on changing. It’s part of the process.
And then when you’re in the zone, well, you don’t even think about getting distracted.

Write on.

Scribosphere blogs also on the topic:

Shouting in the Wind | Red Right Hand | Jonathan Hardesty | Bamboo Killers

“Breaking Rules” — Speccing And Sharing Star Trek: Terran

“Breaking Rules” — Speccing And Sharing Star Trek: Terran

Click Here For Part I – Presenting Star Trek: Terran

Click Here For Part II – “Why Star Trek?”: The State of an Enduring Franchise

We’ve already explored the reasons why Trek should come back on TV. But working on Star Trek: Terran was also about something beyond the beloved franchise.
From speccing an original pilot script based on an existing property, to publicly sharing it online, here’s a writer’s perspective on the experience.

Speccing a Franchise

One of the basic rules of writing specs is to never write a script around something you don’t own the rights to.
Shocker: I don’t own the rights to Star Trek.
In fact, as we saw yesterday, corporate ownership of the franchise is convoluted (at best), with CBS and Paramount both in the middle of the space pie. Given how “mainstream” the rebooted universe is, it would be pretty strange to get a new Star Trek TV show that is set in the original, prime universe. Yet, it’s CBS that is doing the TV side of things, and they have nothing to do with that version. There’s also been many articles written on theoretical Trek shows, from a Worf-centric spin-off to Bryan Singer’s 30th-century series.

All in all, it seemed very unlikely that Star Trek would come back to television anytime soon. So I said: the hell with it.
I decided to write my own proof of concept of what a new Trek show could be.
Going in, I knew speccing a copyrighted universe would be suicidal on a development level. It’s not as if the show is ever gonna get made.
As I’ve previously said, the primary reason was to offer an original take on the franchise. But beyond, this was about something beyond the script itself. I’m not trying to pitch something to make it happen, I’m pitching it for what it represents. Hope for a new series, and also a comment about something else…

Download the pilot script (.PDF)

Sharing the Craft

With Terran, I wanted to do something different. It is, after all, an experiment. Not just about Star Trek, but about script sharing.
Distributing an original pilot script online may raise a few eyebrows. However, when was the last time anyone was excited about a script? (Never.)
Granted, I don’t think that many people will care about my script specifically, although this is more about the other side of that coin.

I want to show to all my faithful readers and aspiring TV writers out there that it’s okay to share your work.
Television is a collaborative medium. We’re not writing novels, we’re making episodic scripts. And we should be learning from each other.

Sadly, besides produced scripts being traded in the shadows of Internet, there’s almost no TV writer, aspiring or pro, willing to openly share their work.
And I have to say: it’s weird.
I’m not talking about sharing projects currently in development/production or making the rounds. What I’m referring to is all the other stuff. The failed pitches, the finished projects, the canceled ventures.
This isn’t a question of getting/wanting validation from the outside. It’s obvious most writers already have a group, or an entourage whose opinion they care about. It’s about sharing the craft. The experience of TV writing.
That’s one of the reasons why I put Terran out there. Like any spec, it’s an ongoing work in progress, and I do welcome any feedback I get. Yet, I don’t expect it to be made (copyright issues notwithstanding). I put it out, in part, to share the process (good and bad).

When it comes to TV writing, there’s one example that comes to mind of someone actually “sharing his craft”: the awesome Javi Grillo-Marxuach.
Through his Squarespace site, he has been offering plenty of material, ranging from TV pitch documents, to pilots and episodic scripts. Talk about a resource.

Which makes you wonder: why isn’t anyone else doing it?

A Fear of Theft

There’s a lot to say about the rampant fear that some writers have about someone stealing their brilliant ideas, especially when it comes to specs.
For one thing, it’s unwarranted.
You should absolutely register your work at the Writers’ Guild, but that doesn’t mean you need to be paranoid about it.

Ultimately, what risks are you taking by sharing your work, scripts and pitches alike (especially if you’re a pro)? (Again, I’m not talking about projects in development/production or ones you don’t want online for similar reasons.)
If you answered “someone may steal my super sweet lines”, I’m sorry to say that syntax technology has reached the masses.
More importantly, if someone cares so much about your writing that they’re willing to copy parts of your style, what does that say about your talent?
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” may sound trite, but here it’s pretty much the truth.
Even thinking that someone is desperate enough to plagiarize your work is, well, a bit presumptuous to begin with. It’s doubtful someone will bother.

The same exact thing can be applied to spec scripts, both original pilots and based on existing shows. In fact, you should be less scared about sharing your work and “theft” if you’re an aspiring writer. Trust me, the writing staff of The Walking Dead isn’t going to steal your cool idea.
Why? If your idea is that amazing, then chances are pretty freaking high that the staff (the one that talks, thinks, breathes this show 24/7), has come up with a variation of said idea/script multiple times. And that’s before you even thought of it. Spoiler alert: they won’t need to be aware of your spec to do the brilliant idea.

As for original specs, well that’s part of why I posted Terran. To disprove the myths about everybody ripping you off. If anything, you’ll get constructive feedback from people reading the script. Speaking of, I want to thank all the people that have been interest in reading the script. Clearly, you guys have great taste.

Educational Purposes Only

We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.

– John Dewey

Perhaps another reason why people are reticent to share their work is because of the type of projects that would be online. Seeing as you can’t put scripts in development or in production, you’d end up with a lot of what some may consider creative “failures” (I don’t — they’re merely unrealized opportunities). For examples, pitches that didn’t really advance past a certain stage. Among other writings, that’s exactly what you’ll find on Javi’s (and John August’s) site(s).

On some level, sharing unproduced scripts is giving fans more of what they want. Both writers have unique writing styles, and it’s great to read what they do.
It’s also about sharing experience and knowledge. When you’re speccing an existing show, you’ll be reverse-engineering the process of breaking the story.
The same can be applied to reading other writers’ projects, regardless of where the projects ended up.
Every writer has a different approach to the craft, and it’s always a learning experience to read someone else’s work. Even “failed pitches” are not actually failures. “Those who cannot remember the past…”

Writing can be a personal affair, but TV is communal. It’s teamwork. We’re all in this together.

I wish writers were more willing to openly share their work, especially when it comes to television.
It’s high time we started learning from each other’s craft. Why not become a team writer yourself?