TV Development/Programming

Sept – Dec/early Jan: Pitch/Development season
Jan – April: Pilot season
May: Upfronts and Staffing season

Current Programming (YEAR ROUND)

• Deal with studio partners for current shows – book directors and writers.
• Manage the shows you are assigned to that are currently on the air: Will be on set occasionally.
• Writer/Director general meetings: Calls from agents pitching their potential projects and/or clients.

Pitch

• Hear pitches from writers, producers: Decide which pitches to buy. Draft deal memos to get the negotiations started (sometimes this could take months to close).
• Notes calls/meetings: This is where they start developing the idea into a script and give notes to the writer/producer.

Development

• Read available scripts.
• Marketing strategy calls: See marketing decks and give notes to the marketing team in case they need to adjust the creative.   
• Meetings surrounding current and new shows about to launch.

Pilot

• Read final development scripts.
• Must “sell” internally why they like their favorite projects: Send to big boss for consideration for final decision to be made.
• Order pilot and start negotiations (book directors) and start casting: Have “tests” sessions to finish casting roles.
• Shoot pilot and get rough cut: Will be on set managing the pilot.
• Give notes on the rough cut.
• Receive final delivery of the pilot and test with focus group at a testing facility.
• Screen for the final decision maker.

Upfronts/Staffing

• When series is chosen to be “picked up” (greenlit to shoot episodes), announcement is made in NY in May during “Upfronts”.
• Concurrently, they are feverishly staffing writers for the shows: Entails reading writing samples and meeting writers and directors for the series.
• Meet with marketing to finalize marketing campaign.
• New series launches!

• Cultural observers
• Understanding of story narrative
• Knowledge of current audience tastes and future trends.
• Passion for film or TV.
• Relationship cultivation
• Discretion
• Flexibility
• Troubleshoot story problems
• Great communication skills
• Writing skills: Must write up treatments, notes on the script, clearly articulate their thoughts.
• Organizational and time management skills

Note: Things are constantly evolving. In the past, cable TV shows only showed during the off-season of broadcast television (summer) so as not to compete. Now due to popularity of cable programming, episodes have increased and many cable shows are shown throughout the year.  
 
Broadcast: September through May, 22-24 episodes.
Cable: Varies, 13-24 episodes.
Premium Cable like HBO, Showtime: Varies, 10-13 episodes.
 
Types of TV and their Titles
 
General
Titles: Original Programming, Development, Production, Original Series
 
Drama
Titles: Drama Development, Drama
 
Comedy
Titles: Comedy Development, Comedy
 
Unscripted (“reality”)
Titles: Unscripted Development, Unscripted Programming, Unscripted Television

Networks distribute shows (programming). This is the channel you are watching.
Studios finance and produce television shows and sell them to networks for distribution.
Production Companies produce the shows. The idea usually originates with the production companies who then pitch to studio. Many production companies have first look deals with studios.
 
Note: It can get very confusing because a show can be on the FOX network but the show was produced by CBS Studios. Most networks also have studios but that doesn’t mean they only distribute their own shows. They can distribute other studio’s shows and vice versa.

• Expect to do menial tasks when you start off like answering phones, getting coffee, scheduling, but this is time where you can really learn. You can learn how your boss negotiates, read scripts, determines.
• You will start off as an intern or assistant and move up the ladder. You cannot become an executive without “paying your dues”.
• Difficult personalities
• Cutthroat environment:  there are hundreds of people who would do this job for no pay, so work hard, don’t feel entitled and watch your back.
• Luck: There is an element of luck (right place at right time) in this job.

• Networks are not brands anymore. The millennial generation doesn’t care about the network’s brand but the individual shows.
• Digital distribution: Thinking of innovative ways to deliver content digitally but also to monetize it. Work with content providers (like cable, DirecTV) to create solutions.

• “I watched a lot of TV!”
• Read scripts!
• Interested in stories and analyzed what made some stories better than others.
• Loved telling stories to friends and family.
• Practiced their Golden Globes acceptance speech with their hairbrush as their microphone in front of the mirror.