Following the Industry

A commenter here asked:

I’m just curious. How much attention does a TV writer have to pay to
what’s in and what’s out? I mean, other than projects you’re working on? In other words, do schedule changes mean much to you if they don’t affect you directly?

It’s essential for professionals in any industry to keep up with what’s going on in their field.  In the TV biz, the primetime schedule news is extremely important.   

Whether you’re already on a show or not, you still need to know your market.   What’s hot and what’s not? You need to know who the players are this season… who is running the
shows and who is on staff? And you need to know who the players aren’t… who is out of work now and likely to be competing with you for jobs?  Or, if you’re hiring, who is available and who isn’t?

If you want to develop pilots you need to study the schedule (as well as what the networks didn’t buy or renew)  and figure out what the networks might be interested in for next season. The primetime development doors open in eight weeks.

The last thing you want to be is out-of-touch with your business…whether its writing for television or selling shoes.

1 thought on “Following the Industry”

  1. That’s useful information, if only to confirm that I could never write for television. It sounds dreadfully uncertain and difficult. Writing is hard enough without having to keep one eye on a shifting market, one that is inclined to take off on tangents at a moment’s notice.
    The reality-tv fad must have been hard on writers.

    Reply

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