Scripted Television Pitch Essentials

A television project designed to continue across multiple episodes.

A grouped run of episodes released or broadcast as one cycle.

One instalment of a television or episodic series.

The first sample episode used to introduce and test a television series.

A detailed reference for a television series, though the exact contents vary by stage and company.

A pitch document explaining a series idea, its world, characters, engine and future potential.

A group of episode summaries or springboards showing the series' range and progression.

A concise account of a season's main story movement, relationships and outcome.

The designed structural pattern of a series, including episode count, duration, continuity model and recurring rhythms.

The repeatable situation or conflict that can keep producing episodes.

A series built around a repeatable professional process, case or problem.

Structured so major stories and consequences continue across episodes.

Structured so episodes contain substantial self-contained stories or resets.

A series combining self-contained episode stories with continuing arcs.

The ability of a series or format to sustain further episodes or seasons.

The ability of a format, process or engine to generate new material under recognisable rules.

An opening section meant to hook the audience before the first main act or title sequence.

An opening sequence shown before the main titles or formal beginning of an episode.

The transition between acts, often designed around a strong question, turn or commercial break.

The path one episode takes from its beginning to its ending.

The primary storyline in an episode or multi-strand story.

A secondary storyline running alongside the primary story.

A tertiary storyline, usually smaller or lighter than the A and B stories.

An ending or break that leaves an urgent question, danger or decision unresolved to pull the audience forward.

The group and working process used to develop stories and scripts for a television series.

The senior writer-producer who leads a scripted series creatively and often operationally.

An entry-level or junior television writing position and credit in U.S.-style writers' rooms.

A television writing/producing title whose duties and seniority vary by market and agreement.

A television writing/producing title that may indicate seniority in a scripted writers' room instead of physical production responsibility.

To work out a story's structure, beats and turns before or during drafting.

A physical or digital board displaying episode or season beats for collaborative development.

A production role managing script distribution, revisions, formatting, records and communication.

A buyer-side executive responsible for identifying, developing or ordering shows.

A buyer-side role, common in UK and Commonwealth contexts, responsible for developing and commissioning shows.

A television organisation or channel group that commissions, schedules and distributes shows.

A service or company distributing audiovisual work through internet streaming.

An organisation commissioning and transmitting television through broadcast services.

An executive who evaluates, develops and helps shape projects before production.

A buyer’s formal order or funding decision for a programme or series.

The set of projects currently being worked on before production is approved.

A commitment to produce a series without first making a conventional pilot for a separate pickup decision.

A pilot promise backed by money if the buyer backs out.

A buyer's formal decision to fund or commission production of a pilot.

The official number of episodes the buyer has ordered for one season.

A buyer's formal commitment to commission or produce a stated number of episodes.

A choice to commission another season or cycle of an existing series.

A decision not to continue a television series with another season or order.

Traditional U.S. broadcast shorthand for an additional order completing a full season after an initial thirteen episodes.

A working reference that keeps production facts, rules and continuity in one place.

A gathering where a script is read aloud by performers or readers to test story, dialogue and pacing.

Filming parts of several episodes together because it is more efficient.

The producer mainly responsible for budget, schedule and physical-production logistics.

The director hired to lead a particular episode of a series.

The senior creative responsible with the director for camera, lens, lighting and photographic execution.

Processed or prepared footage made available for review during or shortly after production.

A choice to move forward with a pilot, series, script or additional episodes, depending context.

A series planned to tell a complete story in a limited number of episodes.

A series that changes major story elements while keeping one larger organising idea.

A comedy series built around recurring characters and situations, often returning to a recognisable social setup.

A scripted comedy staged and recorded with several cameras covering performance simultaneously, often before an audience.

A scripted show usually filmed scene by scene with one main camera setup at a time.

A show idea designed to be remade in different countries.

A quick industry way to say contractual rights and know-how used to reproduce or adapt a television format, without one universal legal definition.

Selling or licensing a show to other channels or outlets after or beyond its first home.