Question of the Month: Can Your Spec Screenplay Be a Television Series?

Question of the Month for January:  Can Your Spec Screenplay Be a Television Series?


Have you written a script that could possibly be a television series? Follow steps 1 – 4 noted in the blog post, “5 Quick & Dirty Steps to Write a Bible 5 Quick and Dirty Steps to Write a Bible for a New Television Program in 4 days” to see. Some past and present televisions shows first débuted as television movies and were later picked up as series. For example, the show Eureka was actually planned as a TV movie on the Sci Fi Channel but after seeing the movie, executives turned the story into a series. Like wise, Babylon 5 began with the pilot film The Gathering. This would go to explain too why some feature films end the way they do without any real conclusive ending. Haven’t you seen a movie and just knew the writer ended it that way either for a potential sequel to be developed, for franchise opportunities or a television series. (More about turning your spec screenplay into a franchise opportunity in an upcoming blog post).

Bear in mind also that episodes can also serve as backdoor pilots to different, spin-off shows, each of which can lead to a spin-off of its own. Think Cheers, which lead to Frasier, The Cosby Show which lead to A Different World, Grey’s Anatomy lead to Private Practice and CSI which lead to other CSI’s and became a major franchise at the same time.

At any rate, a smart writer is always thinking about future possibilities and the next step. If you can leverage material you have already written, even better. It’s especially nice to put the hard work in once but reap many rewards from it.

Write right and write on!

About the Author: Natasha E. Williams has optioned and sold her projects to major Hollywood Producers and has won screenplay contests. She was featured in the book, "Crashing Hollywood", and on the development team for two, Chicken Soup for the Soul® books. She is also the 2010 winner in the Scriptapalooza TV contest in the Reality Show Category and a finalist for two other Reality Show concepts. She is also the author of, “The #1 Secret to Sell Your Screenplay to Hollywood: Without an agent, even when you don’t live in LA.” For more information, visit her website at http://www.NatashaFX.comand www.thescriptwall.com.