Episodic series script

[beejay]

10 year hiatus here but I'm back now that I'm empty nestin'.

So I started writing a feature-length script (sports biopic) and now, I'm at 170 pages and haven't finished telling the story. Yikes.

I have 6 chapters to tell, so I was thinking an episodic series (like Apple+ Swagger, Disney+ Crossover, etc.) ... so how do I show a spec script for something that will stretch over 6-8 episodes?

A lot has changed in 10 years. Any info appreciated.

b

[JeffLowell]

I think a compelling first script (find a cliffhanger) plus a short bible about where the series goes should be your goal.

[beejay]

gotcha thanks Jeff. Any idea on page lengths?

Also, have you or anyone seen anything on this forum, on youtube, online about acceptable lengths for someone who let's say is writing the next Ozark or Outer Banks.

[Bono]

Welcome back. As someone who only writes my own terrible original ideas, but keeps seeing the success of films and TV based on real life -- maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Do you have a unique angle into the story you're telling or is it not well known? Like Adam McKay shows about The Lakers has a nice 70s porn vibe to it.

Ozark Pilot 67 pages -- https://thetelevisionpilot.com/wp-co...01_-_Pilot.pdf

Outer Banks 61 pages -- http://tvwriting.co.uk/tv_scripts/20...01_-_Pilot.pdf

[beejay]

It's an original story, original characters, with a unique angle, yes.

In the same ballpark as Adam Sandler's HUSTLE (Taylor Materne, Will Fetters).

I saw the Lakers series, definitely was interesting, and I've been watching a basketball movie a day for the past month.

Thanks for linking those scripts. Looks like 60-70 pages is a sweet spot.

[Bono]

Original story -- nice. I thought when you mentioned biopic that it was based on a real athlete.

My favorite basketball movie is The Pistol.

[beejay]

Ah, good call, i used BIOPIC to describe it because I'm structuring it like a biopic, and there might be some composite characters based on actual people, but technically not a biopic, because my person is fictional.

[figment]

So to piggyback this — would it be acceptable if you you just wrote all the episodes of a limited series? If the limited series were only 6 episodes it’s not likely that you would need a writers room…? Or is that not done?

[JeffLowell]

Some people do. Six hours is still a lot of material, and a showrunner is also producing the series. Staffs are more common.

[beejay]

I can get to 360 pages total with no problem but I'm going to shoot for an abbreviated feature script broken into 6 chapters/episodes. I'm already over 200 pages. I have no idea if that will be acceptable, encouraged, frowned upon...

The friends I have who write screenplays are giving me advice from 10 years ago "Get this under 120" and "nobody will read ____ pages" ... I don't know if things changed in the streaming era, sadly.

I will update this thread if/when I get this to someone in the industry and they either eat it up, or take a flamethrower to it.

[beejay]

If anyone is deep into basketball, it's interesting to read the HUSTLE script on the internet (Taylor Materne) and compare it to the Will Fetters version (written for Adam Sandler) ... they are nothing alike. Both writers have done podcasts and they walk around the fact that the stories are so different.

[Bono]

I can get to 360 pages total with no problem but I'm going to shoot for an abbreviated feature script broken into 6 chapters/episodes. I'm already over 200 pages. I have no idea if that will be acceptable, encouraged, frowned upon...

The friends I have who write screenplays are giving me advice from 10 years ago "Get this under 120" and "nobody will read ____ pages" ... I don't know if things changed in the streaming era, sadly.

I will update this thread if/when I get this to someone in the industry and they either eat it up, or take a flamethrower to it.

First thing to decide is if your writing a sports TV show like Ted Lasso or a feature spec like Hustle.

And feature specs today 110 or less is what the aim is these days.

[JeffLowell]

I can get to 360 pages total with no problem but I'm going to shoot for an abbreviated feature script broken into 6 chapters/episodes. I'm already over 200 pages. I have no idea if that will be acceptable, encouraged, frowned upon...

if it takes you 360 pages to tell the story, it's not a feature.

[beejay]

Yeah, I know. 360 would be an episodic streaming series. (6 episodes x 60 pages each) but what do you call that actual thing -- an episodic script, I guess. Yes, feature is the wrong word but what I'm trying to find out is if there's an option for an abbreviated episodic script that combines all 6 chapters, but is not 360 pages.

that's probably not a thing, tho.

First thing to decide is if your writing a sports TV show like Ted Lasso or a feature spec like Hustle.

Yeah, it's more like Swagger on Apple + or The Crossover on Disney Plus. Like I said it started as Hustle, and now it's episodic, like Swagger.

I have the pilot scripts for Ted Lasso and Swagger. They were obviously written by known people in the business. But if Ted Lasso was a spec pilot, would the writer's agent ask the writer for a pilot only, and try to land a deal with only that, or would the writer have to show more?

[JS90]

Yeah, I know. 360 would be an episodic streaming series. (6 episodes x 60 pages each) but what do you call that actual thing -- an episodic script, I guess. Yes, feature is the wrong word but what I'm trying to find out is if there's an option for an abbreviated episodic script that combines all 6 chapters, but is not 360 pages.

that's probably not a thing, tho.

if I’m understanding you correctly, no. You wouldn’t combine all your chapters into one mega script.

In the case of a limited series (which this sounds like) each script would be presented separately, if that makes sense.
Even if there’s only one writer.

Another user said it best, all you need is a killer episode 1 script and a good bible that tracks the rest of the season.