4. RESEARCH NETWORKS AND PRODUCTION COMPANIES

Pitching is hard work, and you don't want to waste your energy talking to a development executive who simply doesn't produce the kind of show you're offering. That is, unless you really like to collect rejections, or "passes", in development lingo. So you gotta do homework.

This homework is fascinating if you love television, 'cause you're going to be watching television. Lots and lots of it. Why? For these reasons:

  • It'll keep your couch warm.

  • This orgy of television viewing will help you see if there's anything currently on that's remotely similar to what you're planning to pitch. (Get it? "remote"?) If there is, consider retooling what you have. It'll also help you package your show. (e.g., "Six 20-somethings start a bar - it's Friends meets Cheers.")

  • It's important for you to get familiar with the style of different networks and production companies. Some networks are family-oriented, while others focus on history (The History Channel), comedy (Comedy Central), or animals (Animal Planet). Some production companies specialize in game shows, dramas, or sitcoms. You want to be sure that you're approaching the right home for your project.

The growth of cable TV has meant that there are more homes for possible TV shows (HBO, USA, Showtime, A&E, and Lifetime all have original TV series), but most broadcast and cable networks do not accept unsolicited submissions. So unless they asked you first, you must approach them through an agent or attorney.

Some of the many prominent broadcast and cable networks that currently do provide submission agreements for unsolicited treatments are:

Comedy Central Coordinator of Development
Comedy Central
1775 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
212-767-8600

Discovery Communications Development Liaison
(for the network, such as The Travel Channel)
7700 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-986-0444

MTV Networks Series Pitch Line
2600 Colorado Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-752-8000

Another tactic is to try to approach production companies directly. Regularly watch the end credits of programs you like. Notice the name of the executive producer? Write him/her a letter inquiring about procedures for reviewing new projects. Listings of production companies that handle new projects are also in The Hollywood Creative Directory.

Do market research

Be prepared to explain WHO the target audience is for your planned program, and WHY your idea will appeal to them. You can conduct grassroots research without performing a grim statistical analysis. For example, if the heroine of your sit-com idea is a twelve-year-old girl with a wry take on life, ask every pre-teen girl you know what she likes and doesn't like about the character. Poll a Girl Scout troop. Interview the kids in your sister's class. Get to know your target audience's taste. Then in your pitch meeting, you can wow 'em with something along the lines of "I polled one hundred teenaged girls in my city and they unanimously voiced my character's point of view." You are now the voice of a generation.

In doing all of this research, you must always always ALWAYS read the "trades." These are the well-established industry magazines, such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. They're full of wacky slang, have regular news about development and production deals in the works, discuss executive "transitions" (who works where this week), and loads of other useful information such as how shows are doing in the ratings. So order a double skinny soy latté and study what's going on in the biz.