If you want to sell your TV drama pitch here’s some questions you might as well know the answer to cause the buyer will wanna know you know—and if you don’t tell them, I promise you’ll almost definitely be asked.
Who is it about and why do we care about them? (Read that second part again)
Where and when is it set? Is that immediately cinematic to the imagination and does it have to be there and then? (Make a good case)
What happens? And why is that compelling?
Who does your hero care about? Or, (this is important and often left out): who are their primary relationships? What’s the inherent tension there that makes us root for them? But why can’t they have what they want?
Why is this story relevant or exciting to tell now? Is there a point of view from you as the creator?
What is the tone and genre? Film titles that are loved and evoke the spirit of what you’re hoping to create and a mash up of genres is often more sale-able than not.
Is there a twist or surprise to it? What is the world of the story? Is it different than where it began? Is there an element of wish fulfillment or cautionary tale that is compelling in the twist or journey?
Can you immediately picture a star as the lead/s? Can they?
How will you tell the story structurally? (This is POV again- you can never have too much POV IMHO). This POV is about episodes, characters and arc structures.
Last but probably first- why is it your ‘destiny’ (I’m kind of serious) as a writer to tell this story, this way, right now?
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