What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

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  • What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

    I was just wondering about this based on the excellent thread on 'what to write next.'

    I figure it will be excellent info for those of us without managers to tell us what kind of shows are going to be really hard since there are a ton of specs of them already floating around?

    Hope the question isn't too vague and that it can start an interesting/helpful discussion on trends etc.

  • #2
    Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

    It's really the same as always. Don't try and write to the market, because the market will ultimately have changed by the time you get that script out.

    There's the usual, "don't write a Western and avoid period pieces if at all possible," stuff, because it just makes for more expensive budgets.

    Really though, actually selling a pilot on spec as a baby writer is practically unheard of, since TV writers also produce and a baby writer has zero experience there. So without an experienced showrunner attached or you having series experience yourself, you should more realistically approach writing a pilot as it being a sample and not as it being something that you're going to see made into a series.

    So, sorry to give you a kind of useless, status quo answer. But, the answer is to just write something good and original. I mean, just look at MAN SEEKING WOMAN. How many times have we seen the show about a hapless guy who struggles with women? It's completely unoriginal. Yet the show tells the story in a unique way.

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    • #3
      Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

      Thanks. Yeah that's fair enough.

      I'm kinda working on a lost meets walking dead type of show alongside a feature I'm writing, but I have a different enough take on it (I hope). It does feel like maybe I am chasing the market a little, so we'll see I guess. Would be nice to run it by a manager, but I need to write it to get one.

      P.S. Do post apocs get tagged as western? A lot of them sure feel like westerns, except with zombies or whatever.

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      • #4
        Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

        The post-apocalyptic stuff has proven to be more than just a fad. So I wouldn't worry too much about it being out of vogue by the time you are done with the script. As long as people keep watching the newer shows like TWELVE MONKEYS and THE LAST SHIP, they'll keep buying/making them.

        What I would say though, is you'll find a hard time pitching it to people because there definitely are people who are tired of it. It's a pretty common pitch these days and I'm sure there are a number of people who will outright dismiss any pitch or query as soon as they see or hear the word zombie or virus. So I think you'll have to place in a competition to get anywhere with it, unless you can get it into somebody's hands through some type of connection.

        There's probably an argument for it being its own genre at this point. But no, I wouldn't say it's the same thing as Westerns. Just look at the prequel for THE WALKING DEAD. It takes place in Los Angeles. Not exactly a Western. I mean, the plotlines are usually similar to a Western with the badass with a gun taking them all out. But that describes TAKEN as well, and that's not a Western either.

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        • #5
          Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

          Cool thanks, that's good to know.

          I said western because of themes more than any thing else. Lawlessness, lack of civilisation, surviving in the frontier, what values we hold on to vs what is sacrificed to survive in this kind of world. To me there are a lot of themes that resonate across these two genres, hence the comparison.

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          • #6
            Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

            I disagree with juunit's take for this reason:

            I know 3 first time pilot writers who either got their shows made or got close [with a team] -- I'm the guy who got close but didn't get it made. First pilot I'd ever written. Buddy of mine got his show made, first pilot (went off the air after 1 season). Another buddy got his show made, first pilot (it's still on).

            Aim at writing a pilot that people want to *make*, not a sample. Never consider your script a sample unless it turns out to be one. Even then, it's still for sale.

            PS… You should never write a pilot based on thoughts of a potential sale (i.e. "what genres are selling this week?"). Write a pilot because you are both fasciated and near obsessively curious about the subject matter. That's how pilots get sold.
            DOPE CITY

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            • #7
              Two Things

              1) Totally agree with Surf. Noobs are selling pilots/pitches these days and then almost always get paired with a proven showrunner if the pilot goes.

              2) FutonCritic's Dev Watch section is a great resource to research what is/has gone into development. You can enter various search criteria to help narrow your results.
              Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

              -Steve Trautmann
              3rd & Fairfax: The WGAW Podcast

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              • #8
                Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

                It depends what you want out of it. Want to sell the pilot or have a great sample? Ideally both, of course, but what's most important is that it shows off the strength of your writing, not just your ideas. A while back, I didn't tell my agent about a pilot I was writing (a period high school show) because I knew he correctly would have said that no one is looking for that (it's true, they aren't - it's notorious poison). Because of that, I knew it would likely just be a sample, but I did it anyway because I had a clear idea how to write it and felt it would show off my character work, whereas my reputation was mainly for scary thrillers. He read it and said "I love this. I can't sell it, but I can definitely get you work off of it." And he did - that script got me on a show. My point is, consider writing the thing you have passion for and that you'll execute the best, not what you think might sell. If it's both, even better.
                Last edited by ProfessorChomp; 02-05-2016, 09:13 AM.
                https://twitter.com/DavidCoggeshall
                http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1548597/

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                • #9
                  Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

                  Here's the key: you have to write a TV spec that only you could write (or at least that you can give the impression that only you could write it).

                  What does that mean? Almost anything. It could be something that is tied to a specific knowledge. It could be set in a very specific place you're from. It could be something connected to your family history. It could be a genre that you know by heart.

                  Why? Because when you get the chance to pitch this series to an executive, you want them to think that this is a unique take that no one else could give them. Especially if you're a baby writer. Why should they trust you over something from an established writer? Because you're bringing a vision, a knowledge, a something that no one else could.

                  That's more important that genre, topic, even originality.

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                  • #10
                    Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

                    I relate to, ProfessorChop's story...

                    Similarly my agent shot down every concept I came to them with. After 10 or so, one of which a producer liked and wanted to move forward with, but wanted the agents take (who cares what the agent thinks?), I ignored my agent. It had been 8 months of developing ideas into the wind, I was too new to push back. Finally I said F'it, gonna write what I want, 8 months with no new script is ridiculous. Wrote it quickly. Attached a team. Sold it. WTF was my agent thinking? Embarrassing, no? (I've since been given advice from a franchise writer to never allow your agent to decide what you write. Great advice.) It get's worse. I pushed to attach a consultant repped at the same agency. THE GUY in his world. Agent felt it was unnecessary. Huh? Eventually the project died. A year later my agent sells a competing project with the same guy I wanted attached. The trades had all sorts of fluffy words for the project. Anyway, Coincidence? I don't generally believe in "they stole my concept" conspiracy crap, but: There's only been two script sold with this subject matter. Both by my EX-agent one year apart. And with the same guy attached that I wanted. Pretty fishy…

                    Here's my theory. I think my script was slipped to this writing team. I think they were seen as more important than me. I think my agent was hopping mine died so they could attach the guy I was pushing for. Why do I believe this is possible? Because I know how shady agents/agencies can be [when they need to be]. I've heard them first hand F' over clients for tens of thousands of dollars. I personally witnessed it with a huge client. I'll explain: Say you have a writer, the studio offer is X for the entire deal, but movie star wants Y. That overage has to come from someone's pocket, whose do you think the agency will choose, a writer or a name actor? The AGENCY will pressure the agent who reps the writer to negotiate the deal in the actors favor [stop me if you already know this]. The agent then calls the writer with great news "yay! we struck a great deal!" B.S. Name actor just struck a great deal and the writer is none the wiser, and never will be. I've seen it with low level writers, to mid level, to even higher ups. I witnessed a deal where the agency was pushing for the writer client to take 300k in order to please an actor's bottom line [unbeknownst to the writer]. The deal ended up being worth 3 MILLION to the writer. How do I know, because my two man company commissioned it after we said F'that to 300k. Big agency pressuring us to take 300k in the 11th hour. Nah…pass. Finally a 1.5 guarantee came in. More proof that patience is a virtue. Gotta be willing to piss off a few people if the check is big enough. They'll forget in a month. Because you fold them in as producers. Problem solved, mostly.

                    This business is shady… I will never trust agents. But hey, just assume I'm lying like everyone online.
                    Last edited by surftatboy; 02-04-2016, 05:55 PM.
                    DOPE CITY

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                    • #11
                      Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

                      Originally posted by UnequalProductions View Post
                      Here's the key: you have to write a TV spec that only you could write (or at least that you can give the impression that only you could write it).

                      What does that mean? Almost anything. It could be something that is tied to a specific knowledge. It could be set in a very specific place you're from. It could be something connected to your family history. It could be a genre that you know by heart.

                      Why? Because when you get the chance to pitch this series to an executive, you want them to think that this is a unique take that no one else could give them. Especially if you're a baby writer. Why should they trust you over something from an established writer? Because you're bringing a vision, a knowledge, a something that no one else could.

                      That's more important that genre, topic, even originality.

                      This is excellent advice. Best advice I've heard in some time.

                      And something I've believed in for years. Meaning; the homicide cop who writes a cop film/tv show, he's going to garner more traction than some dude who writes cop stuff from his mom's basement.

                      Agreed. With every project I try to fold myself into it as a talking point. It's got to be personal. Particularly for a TV show. With my new project a relative was involved in said exclusive world which very few were privy to. It's a great way to vet the pedigree of the story. I believe they see it's validity, then, as possibly transcending bloodlines. Whatever helps them picture you as THE GUY to write it.
                      DOPE CITY

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                      • #12
                        Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

                        Originally posted by surftatboy View Post
                        Agreed. With every project I try to fold myself into it as a talking point. It's got to be personal. Particularly for a TV show. With my new project a relative was involved in said exclusive world which very few were privy to. It's a great way to vet the pedigree of the story. I believe they see it's validity, then, as possibly transcending bloodlines. Whatever helps them picture you as THE GUY to write it.
                        I had a buddy who was practicing his TV pitch on me. It was about law enforcement at the turn of the century. I was pretty into it, but then at one point he introduces a character and says it was his great, great grandfather. If I was an exec, I probably would have bought it right there.

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                        • #13
                          Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

                          Originally posted by surftatboy View Post

                          Agreed. With every project I try to fold myself into it as a talking point. It's got to be personal. Particularly for a TV show. With my new project a relative was involved in said exclusive world which very few were privy to. It's a great way to vet the pedigree of the story. I believe they see it's validity, then, as possibly transcending bloodlines. Whatever helps them picture you as THE GUY to write it.
                          100% agree. If you make it personal, it helps them want you as much as the concept. I pitched to the head of Syfy recently and began by referencing an obscure Asimov short story, partly as a tonal reference and partly to show that I'm knowledgeable in sci-fi literature like the adaptation I was pitching. He lit up and said "I read that story - I love it!" From that point on, the room opened up like a flower. Such a good feeling.
                          https://twitter.com/DavidCoggeshall
                          http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1548597/

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                          • #14
                            Re: What type of TV specs have flooded the market and are hard to stand out with?

                            Awesome! Good luck with that.
                            DOPE CITY

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