<div class="seriesmeta">This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series <a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/Best Of 2020/tv-pitch/" class="series-2589" title="TV Pitch">TV Pitch</a></div><div class="seriesbox"><div class="center"> <a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/Best Of 2020/tv-pitch/" class="series-2589" title="TV Pitch">TV Pitch</a></div><ul class="serieslist-ul"><li class="serieslist-li"><a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/how-to-craft-a-tv-series-pitch-part-1/" title="How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 1)">How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 1)</a></li><li class="serieslist-li-current">How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 2)</li></ul></div>During part one of this series on pitching, we covered the overall feel of your TV show in broad strokes &#8211; the format, the theme, and the overall structure of the season. Here is the final part of our series on pitching your TV show covering more specific details:
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<h3>Who are your MAIN CHARACTERS?</h3>
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We watch TV shows for character, not plot. So, who are we rooted in and invested in week to week? These are the things to ask yourself when building out the characters of your TV series:
What is my character’s backstory? 
What is my Main Character’s current stage of life at the start of the pilot? 
What is my Main Character’s core wound that drives them? 
What is my Main Character’s main flaw? 
What are 2 &#8211; 4 other things about my character that might need fixing? 
What are my Main Character’s redeemable traits? 
What is my Main Character’s goal? 
Can you answer those questions for all your characters?
Let’s look at Jen in Dead To Me. Her CORE WOUND is that her husband was killed after they got into a fight and she feels like it was her fault.
<div id="attachment_29928" style="width: 667px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29928" class=" wp-image-29928" src="https://creativescreenwriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iu.png" alt="Creative Screenwriting Magazine" width="657" height="493" srcset="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iu.png 373w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iu-150x113.png 150w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iu-250x188.png 250w" sizes="(max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px" />Christina Applegate (Jen Harding) in Dead To Me (Photo courtesy of Netflix)</div>
Subsequently, she’s abrasive and bitter. She pushes people away, she drinks too much, has rage problems, and doesn’t know how to ask for help &#8212; FLAWS. The bolded ones are active flaws where we can see these flaws manifest in behavior that affects others. She’s also extremely lonely, but insists on doing everything herself because she has trust and control issues &#8212; OTHER THINGS THAT NEED FIXING. But she’s a great mom and would do anything for her kids. She’s also forgiving &#8212; All REDEEMABLE TRAITS.  And she’s trying to find out who is responsible for her husband’s death, so justice is served &#8212; GOAL.
List your characters in order of importance. Don’t list more than seven or it gets confusing. Clearly define each character and how they interact with the main character and the theme. You have to paint a clear picture but drill it all down into a short, distilled paragraph that gets to the core of who your characters are.
Another way to introduce characters is within the pilot story section.
You also need to give the buyer a clear picture of the character dynamics. We need to know how each character relates to the other and what their points of view are about each other. Tell us about the love triangles, the betrayals, the secrets, and the rivalries. These can come out in various places &#8211; character description, the teaser, the pilot, and the season arcs.
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<h3>TEASER/COLD OPEN</h3>
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Pitch a teaser for drama or cold open for comedy, that clearly and concisely sets up your conceit (background and assumptions). Some teasers are long and others are short. How you execute them will also depend on whether you are writing a premise pilot in your series. You might be giving us a big moment of mystery at the top of the series. Alternatively, you may be introducing your characters in the old world and getting them into a new one.
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<h3>PILOT EPISODE STORY</h3>
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The pilot should feel like a typical episode rather than a prelude. For Drama do not pitch beat by beat or act by act, but rather tell the overview of the story and hit the core structural beats/plot points and character turns in broad strokes.
For Comedy, generally speaking, you don’t pitch your pilot story. But you need to know what your pilot story is. Sometimes a show has a lot of set up and it will make sense to pitch part of the pilot especially if it’s a premise pilot.
You want to try to keep this to a page or page and a half. Some TV writers argue that it should only take up half a page because you’re not selling your pilot, you’re selling your entire TV series.
<div id="attachment_29930" style="width: 540px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29930" class=" wp-image-29930" src="https://creativescreenwriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/edi-libedinsky-1bhp9zBPHVE-unsplash.jpg" alt="" width="530" height="353" srcset="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/edi-libedinsky-1bhp9zBPHVE-unsplash.jpg 640w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/edi-libedinsky-1bhp9zBPHVE-unsplash-150x100.jpg 150w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/edi-libedinsky-1bhp9zBPHVE-unsplash-250x167.jpg 250w" sizes="(max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px" />Photo by Edi Libedinsky</div>
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<h3>FUTURE EPISODES</h3>
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What are at least 3 &#8211; 4 more episode ideas? Typically, we don’t do this in our pitches, because we feel that in talking about the season arcs (see below) we are giving a general idea of possible episodes. But if you are going to include them, then you just want to have a 2 &#8211; 3 sentence logline for each episode that includes the main character, core relationship conflict of that episode, and themes. If you’re doing a case of the week (medical, legal, cop shows) then you’d include the case of the week and how your character(s) are involved.
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<h3>THE SERIES &#8212; SEASON ONE ARCS &amp; OVERVIEW</h3>
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This is where you want to discuss potential storylines and character arcs and entanglements that sum up the season in broad strokes. Where will your main character end up at the end of season one?  Where will the other characters end up?  
Also, make sure you’ve planted several fruitful seeds for season 2 and end with a cliffhanger. This is also the season in which you’ll need to prove the engine of your show. By pitching out storylines for season 1, you’ll illustrate to your buyer that this story has legs and propulsion for many episodes to come. Sometimes you will also need to include subsequent seasons in your pitch.  
If you do this, you want it to be a fairly brief paragraph that illustrates that you know where your show is going. If you have a long game/serialized procedural or legal show, you’d give the overall case that the characters are dealing with as well as how that case affects each character on a personal level.  
If you’re pitching a soap, you might discuss the main event or events per season.  For example, in The Crown season 3 you would touch upon the relationship unfolding between Prince Charles and Princess Diana as well as the political and relationship arc involving The Queen and Margaret Thatcher.
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<h3>THE WRAP-UP</h3>
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At the end of your pitch, you want to wrap everything up and remind your buyer what your show title is as well as the concept and themes in a nutshell. Talk about why this idea is relevant and timely, or why the time is NOW to make this show? Then you can sum up why you’re so passionate about this idea and why you are the only person in the world that could write it.  Personally, my writing partner and I like to keep this section very brief.
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<h3>PRESENTATION STYLE</h3>
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Everyone has their own style. Some writers are more performative and others more conversational. Some writers play out scenes and dialogue. Some writers always memorize, others don’t. That’s okay. You do you! Remember, you are telling a story, selling that story, and entertaining them at the same time. So don’t sound memorized even if you’re reading off the page.
When it comes to a visual presentation, pre-COVID and Zoom, that was probably all over the map. I know writers who never used visuals, writers who have made a sizzle reel, or just headshots of the characters, using actors who fit the role, or collage boards. In the era of Zoom, my writing partner and I don’t feel comfortable just having someone stare at our faces on the screen while we talk. We prefer to have something visual on screen that holds their attention and helps tell our story. We have been creating pitch decks with Powerpoint. Again, you have to do what feels most natural, organic, and comfortable to you.
The final elements to check off your list when it comes to pitching are:
1) Conviction &#8211; moments before you start, remind yourself of your enthusiasm for the TV series that is already fully alive in your mind and carry that in with you so your buyer can feel the certainty, confidence, and vision they are hopefully about to invest in.   
2) Know the ins and outs of your show so that you are able to answer questions from execs about structure, tone, characters, plot, similar shows, or even budget or life rights. Questions can be about anything, but if you’re prepared you can have fun with them. You’ve put in the work, you’ve got this!
<fieldset><legend>Series Navigation</legend><a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/how-to-craft-a-tv-series-pitch-part-1/" title="&lt;&lt; How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 1)">&lt;&lt; How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 1)</a></fieldset>

How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 2)

<div class="seriesmeta">This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series <a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/Best Of 2020/tv-pitch/" class="series-2589" title="TV Pitch">TV Pitch</a></div><div class="seriesbox"><div class="center"> <a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/Best Of 2020/tv-pitch/" class="series-2589" title="TV Pitch">TV Pitch</a></div><ul class="serieslist-ul"><li class="serieslist-li-current">How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 1)</li><li class="serieslist-li"><a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/how-to-craft-a-tv-series-pitch-part-2/" title="How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 2)">How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 2)</a></li></ul></div>By all accounts, we are still in the golden age of television. TV writers are in the peculiarly enviable position of being spoiled for choice in terms of studios currently producing television. Writing a quality TV pilot is only the first step of the process of getting your TV pilot sold and produced. Pitching your TV series shouldn&#8217;t be an afterthought. Writers need to develop their pitching skills to entice the powers that be to greenlight their TV show.
There are key components that must be included in any TV pitch. We’re going to dive into those elements in an order that makes sense, and in an order that some networks and studios will want to hear your pitch executed. Personally, however, I believe that each TV writer needs to discover the best way to craft and execute every pitch in the best way that suits that particular project.  
<div id="attachment_29909" style="width: 350px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29909" class=" wp-image-29909" src="https://creativescreenwriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Tawnya-crop-2-1024x882.jpg" alt="Creative Screenwriting Magazine" width="340" height="293" srcset="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Tawnya-crop-2-1024x882.jpg 1024w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Tawnya-crop-2-150x129.jpg 150w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Tawnya-crop-2-250x215.jpg 250w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Tawnya-crop-2-768x661.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px" />Tawnya Bhattacharya</div>
By answering the key components below, you will be at the beginning of developing your pitch. The next step is writing and rewriting to make it sound good because ultimately, your pitch is a sales tool. While your concept and overall TV series must be clear, it also must grab the attention of the listener, be entertaining, and evoke emotions.   
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<h3>What is your PERSONAL CONNECTION to the material? </h3>
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This section of the pitch is the one place your buyers can get to know you. Keep it brief, but interesting. You are not only selling your TV series, but why you should be the one telling the story.  
Think in terms of why you are passionate about the material and how you are connected to it on a personal and/or emotional level. What inspires you about the story or characters? What is your specific POV? What you are trying to say?  
At times, you may actually be very connected to the material, for example, if it’s a show about your family. Or how you grew up in a cult. Or your career as a neurosurgeon. Obviously, this makes you deeply connected and the best person to tell your story.
But what if you’re writing about a serial killer, or a vampire, or a character from the 1800s? This is where you have to challenge yourself to be more original because a lot of TV writers can go into a room and say they are obsessed with horror novels. You need to go deeper. 
Find a unique story or anecdote that is personal. Maybe you were bedridden and missed school for an entire year and so you did nothing but read Stephen King novels? Then you discovered he was also ill and bedridden for a year and that’s when he started reading horror and then writing his own stories, which inspired you to do the same thing. You can also dig into a character you relate to who is like you or talk about the themes that you are reflecting which connect to your life.  
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<h3>What is your HOOK/CONCEIT?</h3>
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What is original and unique about your idea?  What makes it so special that we haven’t seen it before, or we haven’t seen that particular take on it before?  
Another way to think about this is by asking yourself what the noisiest, loudest, sexiest part of your idea is that will grab someone’s attention and makes their eyes light up? This would usually be the way the network would promote your show. It’s what would probably be illustrated on the poster. The hook or high concept is also the first thing you would say to someone when you’re explaining your idea.  
<div id="attachment_29912" style="width: 630px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29912" class=" wp-image-29912" src="https://creativescreenwriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-3-3-1024x683.jpeg" alt="Creative Screenwriting Magazine" width="620" height="414" srcset="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-3-3-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-3-3-150x100.jpeg 150w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-3-3-250x167.jpeg 250w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-3-3-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />Anya Joy-Taylor (Beth Harmon) in The Queen&#8217;s Gambit</div>
For example, if you were to pitch a TV show about a drug dealer who cooks meth, that’s not super exciting. In fact, we expect a drug dealer to cook meth. But if you start telling me about an average middle-aged family man with a wife, a kid with special needs, and a baby on the way, who teaches high school chemistry and ends up cooking meth to make ends meet and then becomes the biggest drug kingpin in the world, I’m listening. This is a character I haven’t seen before. It’s a unique way into a world we’ve seen before.  
Google Chess TV shows and what comes up is The Queen&#8217;s Gambit. Google chess movies and a lot more than you think will come up. But even TQG is unique in comparison to those movies, most of which, but not all, center on a male lead. A female orphan chess prodigy competes internationally in a male-dominated world while trying to battle her addiction.  
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<h3>What is the WORLD/ARENA of your show?</h3>
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What is the world of your show? Get specific, because this is not just about location, but arena, time, and place. Therefore, simply saying Seattle or Oklahoma isn’t specific enough. Nor will it be interesting enough. Think about the TV shows you watch and what world they exist in. Audiences want to see inside a unique world that isn’t theirs. It fascinates us. Think of Succession in present-day New York City. The world is an inside peek at the one percent’s massive wealth, privilege, power, and influence.  It’s fly-on-the-wall, voyeuristic access and insight as to what actually happens on those helicopter rides, high society, and the wealthiest, most powerful businessmen on Wall Street. And we get a front-row seat into the ruthless family power-dynamics of a Murdoch-like media dynasty. 
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<h3>What is the LOGLINE?</h3>
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This can be two to three lines that clearly and economically explain what your show is at the core. There are a million ways to write a logline. Here is one technique:
MAIN CHARACTER (MC) WITH FLAW + GOAL + ACTION
We&#8217;ll look at Dead To Me as an example.
MC + Flaw &#8211; Jen Harding is a grief-stricken, rage-filled housewife
Goal &#8211; to move forward after the death of her husband
Action &#8211; forms an unlikely friendship with a woman in her grief counseling group
Logline:  Following the death of her husband, a grief-stricken, rage-filled housewife forms an unlikely friendship with another woman in her grief counseling group.
(You can easily write this logline from Judy Hale’s POV too &#8212; and it’s probably a bit stronger. Judy befriends Jen with the goal of trying to make her life better in order to make up for killing her husband.)
This is something to include early on in the pitch, so the listener(s) have a framework for hearing the rest of the pitch. 
<div id="attachment_29913" style="width: 740px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29913" class=" wp-image-29913" src="https://creativescreenwriting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-4-2-1024x512.jpeg" alt="Creative Screenwriting Magazine" width="730" height="366" srcset="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-4-2-1024x512.jpeg 1024w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-4-2-150x75.jpeg 150w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-4-2-250x125.jpeg 250w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-4-2-768x384.jpeg 768w, https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/cswcms/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/iu-4-2.jpeg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px" />Linda Cardellini (Judy Hale) &amp; Christina Applegate (Jen Harding) in Dead To Me</div>
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<h3>What is the TONE of your series?</h3>
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A lot of writers use comparisons to give the listener(s) a framework to visualize the totality of the show. For example, the tone of our show marries the risqué wildness of Claws with Dead To Me’s sophisticated mystery. You don’t want to give more than two examples of comparable TV series. Otherwise, it’ll get muddy.  
After establishing the tone you want to make sure that the tone of the show is illustrated throughout your pitch in the story and characters.  
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<h3>What THEMES will your TV series be exploring?</h3>
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Talk about the universal themes that you will be exploring in your show. How will you handle a theme in each episode? Will there be a new theme per episode? Or will you be exploring several themes over the entire season?  
The Crown explores several themes throughout every season &#8211; power, duty, sacrifice, country over self, family, and love. The show also beautifully explores specific themes in each episode, often when something dramatic is happening in the world, politically or otherwise, reflecting a character’s current emotional state.  
For example, in S3 ep. 7 “Moondust,” the main headline in the news is the American astronauts going to the moon and then returning. This huge victory for mankind reflects and exacerbates Prince Philip’s mid-life crisis, which comes on the heels of his mother’s death, something that is actually revealed late in this episode.  
The remarkable event of men landing on the moon causes Philip to feel longing and regret over the pilot career he was forced to give up. His mourning over his own lack of achievements is exacerbated when one of his upcoming duties is to give an award at the British Concrete Society. There is so much more to this episode, and I strongly encourage you to watch it because there are so many layers of theme within the other storylines &#8211; loss of faith, regret, search for meaning, and grass always being greener on the other side. But I digress. You don’t need more than a few lines to explain how you will address themes in your series and in each episode.  
<fieldset><legend>Series Navigation</legend><a href="https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/how-to-craft-a-tv-series-pitch-part-2/" title="How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 2) &gt;&gt;">How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 2) &gt;&gt;</a></fieldset>

How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 2)

How To Craft A TV Series Pitch (Part 1)

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