Hello chaps.
Writing a sitcom pilot at the mo and have some contacts to send it off to who actually want to read it. Is it worth writing the rest of the sitcom or should I just plan the remaining five episodes?
Cheers.
Sitcom question
Have a rough plan of the other episodes, but don't waste your time writing them. If you wrote six pilots rather than one complete series, you've got six opportunities to get them made rather than just the one. Sound logical enough?
Better to have one killer episode then 6 good ones.
Besides they'll defintiely want changes so you're rewriting them any way.
what's the sitcom about?
Quote: Nigel Ball @ January 20 2013, 2:51 PM GMTwhat's the sitcom about?
Probably 27 minutes.
Quote: Chappers @ January 20 2013, 9:26 PM GMTProbably 27 minutes.
lol 
Quote: Garry Lee @ January 20 2013, 12:30 PM GMTIf you wrote six pilots rather than one complete series, you've got six opportunities to get them made rather than just the one.
Big ask, though, writing 6 pilots in the time it would take to write one series. You'd have to invent about 30 new characters.
Thanks guys, most helpful.
OK, let's say you decide to shop-around one killer episode, but only have a vague idea of what might follow in the other 5 (due to not wanting to have wasted time in the 99.7% possibility the pilot script doesn't get taken-up by anyone).
However, if the series was subsequently taken-up, on the strength of that episode's script, how long would the writer expect to be given to toss-off the other 5 episodes?
Also, would the writer get any financial advance/allowance to be able to not work full-time, and therefore concentrate on writing these 5 episodes?
You wouldn't. You'd spend the next year rewriting your killer episode with notes from the 5000 people with vested interest, making your plans for the next 5 eps defunct immediately.
Best have a pilot, then a pilot that all the people are happy with, THEN write the next 5 episodes.
Of course, if you want to write all 6 episodes as a 'growing exercise' to teach you the characters (so you can then go back and rewrite them all) that's good too.
Dan
I've heard it suggested the optimum number of episodes to write on spec is two (or 1 3/4), on the basis that it it's proof to yourself and others that your cracking pilot concept that maximised the comic potential of the characters wasn't a one-off fluke. The pain of having to rewrite two episodes might be mitigated if your second script (possibly modified to include some of the best exchanges/lines from the first) ends up being the one you want to send out
Does this make sense to people that have been through the commissioning process?
You only need to send out one episode, perhaps with a list of plots and character breakdowns at the back. The covering letter ought to give an idea of the concept - a pitch in a paragraph.
Never send out the pilot, but write two episode so that you can see if it works or not. We ought to feel as if we are dropping into a complete episode and need no info other than a credit sequence if necessary.
Writing anymore than that is, yes, wasting time.
Good luck!!!!