Customer Reviews

Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV

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There have been quite a few screenwriting manuals focussing on the sitcom, but drama series haven't yet been singled out for an in-depth examination. And about time too, because much of the best audiovisual work today is done on television. Pamela Douglas, a highly experienced writer for television, attempts to fill the gap with the current volume.

Douglas starts out by listing the specific qualities of television drama (episodic characterization, long narrative and collaboration) and dispelling some myths about the medium. She then goes into an extensive description of the (American) writing system, and then delves into writing specifics. Douglas provides a four-act grid to fill in with the beats of your story, and also explains how to layer A, B and C stories. She analyzes two hefty script excerpts from NYPD Blue in great detail, an excellent teaching method which makes the practical application of the theory very clear. Subsequent chapters focus on writing your own episode and breaking in. Each chapter is followed by an interview with top writers (Steven Bochco, David Milch etc.), and Douglas rounds off by interviewing a group of her students twice, first after graduation and then several years later, to see how their careers turned out. It's not all good news.

This is a well-written, serious look at television drama, and it provides a lot of necessary insider information for the writer looking to break in.
The second edition of the book updates the info to early 2007, and covers series like Lost, Heroes, Battlstar Galactica and the like. Ms. Douglas also reveals new 'tricks of the trade' such as ABC's mandatory six-act structure. If you don't have the book yet and you're serious about writing for television - get it NOW. If you already have the first edition, the new material is definitely good enough to warrant a new purchase.

This is the best book on TV writing period. Throw away all your other books...well keep the Syd Field ones for screenwriting, but as far as TV writing goes..this is the last book you'll ever need.

Everything is layed out for you from conception of the idea, all the way to getting it aired and so on. She helps you lay out your idea and break it down in easy to understand steps. Scene construction, Dialogue, and Format are covered heavily. There are even guest writers here from your favorite shows and they tell it like it is. They even share some of their personal scripts from their shows, and break em down to show how beats are set and structure of a one hour drama series is layed out. NYPD Blue, West Wing, ER, are all covered here.

It's got everything you'll need to make your own show or even how to get on a writing staff...she covers it all.

If you are seriously thinking about a career as a television writer buy this book. Pamela Douglass delivers a very insightful book not only does she cover the actual process of creating a TV script but also she gives you an inside view of the business of TV writing. Ms. Douglass takes you from the beginning stages of a TV show starting with the idea that leads to the creation of a TV show and ending with the actual airing of the a TV show. This is a two-year process that Ms. Douglass takes you through elegantly in Writing the TV Drama Series.

For the nuts and bolts side of actual writing Ms. Douglass delivers the core secrets of creating the four-act grid that is necessary for writing the hour-long drama. She also covers the essence of creating A, B, C etc story lines in your script as well.

The real keeper in here however is when Ms. Douglass takes you inside of the world of being a TV writer as she explains each step in the TV writer career starting from the beginning stages of being a freelance writer all the way up to being an Exec. Producer / Show-Runner. As Ms. Douglass explains the overall career development of a TV writer she gives keen insight on the do's and don'ts of working with a staff writers as well.

Ms. Douglass ends her book with a high dose of reality by interviewing some of her former students a little after their graduation, then those same students are interviewed three years and finally seven years later after
their graduation.

Again if you are seriously thinking about becoming a writer for TV and you want to write for or create a drama series this book is a MUST HAVE. Actually you may want two copies one for home and one for the road....

The book has 3 great merits:

1. Written by a successful writer and teacher who is good at both and tying everything together

2. Talk from big names in TV writing that elaborates on some things many readers, even experienced writers, won't know about the subject

3. Interviews with former students that do a good job of giving you the straight hard facts about the reality of TV writing

This one definitely needs to be on your "must read" list

I have read many books on writing for film and TV and this is by far the most comprehensive and best organized TV writing book on the market. I have required my class of Advanced Short Scriptwriting/TV Writing students at the University of New Hampshire to purchase the book, and I am encouraging them to hang onto it for the rest of their lives so they may refer to it easily and quickly.

When I first started writing screenplays 20 some odd years ago I was told a myriad of ways of breaking into Hollywood. 1. Write a feature. or 2. Write a Made-For-TV movie and hope that it gets turned into a series. or 3. Write a Television Pilot and hope that it gets picked up.

I tried all three. My Made-For-TV movie was about a cop and a reporter pairing up for a "Seattle's Most Wanted" type infotainment show. My Pilot was about teenagers working at a fast food restaurant "Ace Burgers" (based on my experiences working at an "Artic Circle." Do "Artic Circle" restaurants even exist anymore?

It was on the strength of "Ace Burgers" that I got my first agent (who turned out to be a dork). Since that time I swore off of Television and have pressed on exclusively writing feature film scripts. Did I make the wrong choice?

"Writing the TV Drama Series" is an excellent book if you live in L.A. and want to write television shows.

Written by long-time teacher, and successful writer, Pamela Douglas, reading the book is like taking her class and a very fascinating class it is.

The first thing she does is have "guest speakers" - interviews with some of the biggest and best in the world of TV Drama (Steven Bochco and David Milch - to name two of the seven) and then she breaks down the myths and realities of writing for television - working with a team, working as a freelancer and some of the pit-falls of working in Hollywood.

Though a fascinating and informative read, and one in which I spent the entire time reading wondering if I could dive back in, I found that the overall view of working in Television to be a little TOO optimistic. Certainly if you are taking her class - you are at USC - you are already in the world of Hollywood. You go to the nearest Coffee Shop and you will find a screenwriter. But what does that mean for a writer like me (based out of Seattle)? And the bottom line stance of: "Just keep writing, don't give up and you'll make it!" Sounds like a teacher in the last five minutes of the final class (and as a teacher - I've had a tendency to say those words myself).

NOTE: At the end of the book she interviews a number of former students 6 months, three years and seven years after graduating. It is in those stories you see the excitement of the future (6 months), the struggles to continue (3 years) and the success - for some - borne out of persistence (7 years). It is in these interviews where you see the most reality.

What the book does best is explore a world that many of us don't see or know about. The "Guest Speakers" I found to be the best part of the book. I really felt like they were just telling it "like it is." I think that the book could have been better with even MORE guest speakers - or longer interviews.

But the book also explains a lot of the inner-workings of television and television writing. I learned quite a bit about the process - though I still felt it was a process that I really could not participate in.

Ms. Douglas does a very good job in the details of this book, telling stories of both triumph and failure - her own and others. She does make a convincing argument to keep going and keep writing and she ends each chapter with "Summary Points" to help you re-fresh what you've just read. She also provides a number of resource links and a glossary for your use - always a nice touch.

Bottom line: This is an excellent book if you live in L.A. and have a desire to write for the television drama. For others, like me, use the book as a way of exploring a different part of Hollywood that you may not know much about and dream about that day where your feature is turned into a Television Series. For that fact alone, it is still a very good book.

1.) The interviews in this book are invaluable. Interviews from both film students and professional in the industry.

2.) First 32 pages of the book, in my opinion, was hard to follow, learn and understand due to choice of words. If I hadn't of read "Crafty TV writing" by Alex Epstein, prior to reading this book, I would have been lost. THis book is for beginners, but Alexs book is for the beginner of beginners.

3.) Nice grids on pages so that you can do some training at home.

4.) This book is extremely analytical. I liked it, but some people may not.

Overall a good book.

I have read several books on the craft of TV drama development, and this one is by far the most comprehensive and helpful. As someone who doesn't have access to the great writing instructors of the left coast, this book is essentially my drama writing class. "Writing the TV Drama Series" is a wonderful A to Z look at what to expect in the rough and tumble world of professional television writing. Thanks, Pamela, for sharing your expertise with us!

This book was incredibly helpful in opening a window for new screenwriters who aspire to write for TV. It sure gave me great insight in Hollywood's TV market, and how to plan and execute a TV format or proposal for a TV series, including the bible for the characters and recurrent dramas. A must for those of us who are trying to break into this saturated and difficult market.

Pam Douglas' "Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as Professional Writer in TV was informtative not just from the craft of writing and the secrets to a good script, but she went the extra mile by providing information on breaking into TV writing. Easy to follow! It is a great collection of tips and comprehensive insights that will guide you in the right direction for writing dramatic TV.

Robert C. DeLay
Grandpa's RV Productions