facebook_pixel Press "Enter" to skip to content

Looking to start your TV writing journey?

Posts published in “TV Analysis”

Nonlinear Storytelling (PT70)

Nonlinear Storytelling (PT70)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:09 — 40.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | RSS | More

Alex and Nick discuss nonlinear narrative in television writing, from flashbacks to flashforwards.

What are effective uses of nonlinear storytelling? When should you work with flashbacks, flasforwards or parallel storylines? What are dos and donts of nonlinear narratives? Are there drawbacks of out-of-order storytelling?

Plus, we talk The Mick case and Amazon’s Lord of the Rings.

The Paper Team flashes around…

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: The Mick and Amazon’s LOTR (00:52)
1 – Brief history of nonlinear storytelling in TV and when to use it (04:52)
2 – Examples of effective TV nonlinear narratives (13:16)
3 – Dos-and-dont’s of nonlinear (31:39)
4 – Drawbacks of nonlinear (35:23)
Takeaways and Resources (40:43)

Links

“Protecting and Over-Protecting Your TV Script: Copyright, Ownership and Idea Theft” (PT23)
Wikipedia’s list of nonlinear narrative television series
Primer
FlashForward (TV Show)
“Time’s Arrow” (4×11 – BoJack Horseman)
“Thanksgiving” (2×08 – Master of None)
“The Visitor” (4×03 – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
“Get Me a Lawyer” (1×01 – Damages)
River Song (Doctor Who)

Resources

“Slaughterhouse-Five” – Kurt Vonnegut
“Nonlinear Storytelling” – Game Design Concepts
“The 21st Century Screenplay” – Linda Aronson

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

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

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

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

TV Censorship (PT66)

TV Censorship (PT66)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:57 — 48.7MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | RSS | More

Alex and Nick discuss the evolution of censorship on TV and the involvement of “standards & practices”.

What is considered censorship in television? How is sensitive content categorized? What are differences in TV censorship across the world? How have sensibilities changed across the years? When can standards & practices influence TV writing?

Plus, we answer our very first voicemail.

The Paper Team bleeps itself…

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Rolling submissions and visa questions (00:49)
1 – How is television regulated? (03:56)
2 – Evolution of sensibilities on TV (20:46)
3 – Differences in censorship around some countries (33:20)
4 – TV writing solutions to standards & practices (40:16)
Resources and Next Week On (51:14)

Links

Send a voicemail to TV Calling and Paper Team
“Immigrants: We Get the TV Job Done!” (PT56)
Broadcast Standards and Practices
Miller test
“F$%& Censorship” (2×05 – The Chris Gethard Show) (Video)
Safe Harbor Law
Telecommunications Act of 1996
V-chip
“He’s a Crowd” (5×12 – L.A. Law)
Lesbian kiss episode
“Rejoined” (4×06 – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
“On Losing Patience for Women Kissing” – The Mary Sue
Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel
American Crime (TV series)
ReBoot

Resources

“This Business of Television” – Howard Blumenthal

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

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

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

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

Halloween on TV (PT64)

Halloween on TV (PT64)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:16 — 36.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | RSS | More

Alex and Nick mark Halloween by looking at iconic TV episodes celebrating the holiday and what makes them so special.

How does Halloween translate to television? What are some of the best Halloween episodes? What makes a good Halloween story?

The Paper Team scares itself…

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 – Some Halloween history (00:46)
2 – Elements of Halloween TV episodes (08:17)
3 – Favorite Halloween episodes (17:23)
4 – The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror (29:24)
Resources and Next Week On (36:48)

Links

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
“Greg Pikitis” (2×07 – Parks and Recreation)
“Halloween” (2×05 – The Office)
“Pinkeye” (1×07 – South Park)
“Epidemiology” (2×06 – Community)
The Cabin in the Woods
“The Scare” (1×11 – Dawson’s Creek)
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester” (4×07 – Supernatural)
“Spookyfish” (2×15 – South Park)
“Halloween” (2×06 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Janus
“Life of the Party” (5×05 – Angel)
“Fear, Itself” (4×04 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
“Halloween” (1×04-05 – American Horror Story)
“The Honking” (2×18 – Futurama)
“Halloween/Ellie” (2×10 – Louie)
“Spooky Endings” (2×05 – Happy Endings)
Script for Happy Endings’ “Spooky Endings” episode
Treehouse of Horror
“A Nightmare on Face Time” (16×12 – South Park)

Resources

Massive spreadsheet list of Halloween TV episodes
“Is Your Halloween Costume Racist?” – Kat Lazo

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

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

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