I had a pitch yesterday, and for some reason, it’s got me thinking of all the bad pitching experiences I’ve had (not that the pitch yesterday went badly, it didn’t, but that’s not to say he leaped out of his seat, kissed me on both cheeks, and said "My only goal in life now is to make this project happen!").
Okay, so here’s my story, which I’ve told here before. This goes back a few years.
I was in middle of pitching three TV
series ideas when the newly minted network exec – formerly a lawyer,
rock musician, accountant and personal trainer—interrupted me.
“You have no clue what makes a good TV series concept,” the exec said. “And your pitches suck.”
I smiled. “But does the rest work for you?”
“You
want to hear a pitch? This is the perfect pitch, I just bought it.” the
exec continued. “There’s a cop. He’s a rebel. He’s a rogue. He doesn’t
play by the rules. He’s also an incredible slob. He’s teamed up with a
new partner who’s a stickler for the rules, a team player, and a neat
freak. His new partner is…a dog.”
I stared at him. “A dog?”
“A dog,” he said proudly.
“Does the dog talk?” I asked.
The exec’s eyes lighted up. “Now you’re getting the hang of it.”
Sounds solid to me. There was a TV series like that in Germany a few years ago and it used to be a big hit (no kiddin’). As far as I can remember “Inspector Rex” didn’t even talk… 😉
“The exec’s eyes lighted up. “Now you’re getting the hang of it.”
Um, to this and the “Cowboys & Indians” story I say one thing to you…
Shudder.