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Why a Great TV Pilot Is Only the Beginning of a Successful Series

Why a Great TV Pilot Is Only the Beginning of a Successful Series

A killer pilot episode isn't enough to guarantee a TV show's success. Here’s what separates a one-hit wonder from a season-long obsession.
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Why Test Audiences Still Matter When Studios Evaluate TV Pilots

Why Test Audiences Still Matter When Studios Evaluate TV Pilots

In an era of streaming data, discover why Hollywood studios still rely on old-school test audiences to refine their biggest and most expensive shows.
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Five Parts of a TV Pilot That Can Change Before Broadcast

Five Parts of a TV Pilot That Can Change Before Broadcast

A look at the TV pilot process reveals which scenes are most likely to be rewritten, reshot, or cut entirely before a show ever makes it to air.
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5 Premiere Clues That Suggest a Series Has Room to Grow

5 Premiere Clues That Suggest a Series Has Room to Grow

From a pilot's world-building to its character depth, here are the key signals that a new TV show has the narrative engine to last for many seasons.
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How Pilot Directors Help Establish a New TV Series’ Identity

How Pilot Directors Help Establish a New TV Series’ Identity

Discover the overlooked but crucial role that is often the 'secret weapon' behind the most successful and memorable new television shows each fall.
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How In Medias Res Can Give a TV Pilot an Immediate Hook

How In Medias Res Can Give a TV Pilot an Immediate Hook

Discover the screenwriting technique TV shows use in their pilot episodes to grab your attention immediately and fight for survival in a crowded media world.
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How Some TV Premieres Use Slow-Burn Openings Instead of Immediate Plot Fireworks

How Some TV Premieres Use Slow-Burn Openings Instead of Immediate Plot Fireworks

Fall's new TV shows are breaking a fundamental screenwriting rule. Discover which series are delaying their stories and why it's changing television.
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Why TV Pilots Have to Build So Much of Their World So Quickly

Why TV Pilots Have to Build So Much of Their World So Quickly

Ever wonder why the first episode of a new show feels so dense? Here’s a look at the high-stakes balancing act of building a TV pilot that sells.
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How a TV Premiere Can End With a Cliffhanger That Keeps Viewers Watching

How a TV Premiere Can End With a Cliffhanger That Keeps Viewers Watching

Exploring the science, business, and storytelling craft behind why so many fall TV premieres end with a heart-stopping cliffhanger.
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Why Exposition Is One of the Toughest Challenges in a TV Premiere

Why Exposition Is One of the Toughest Challenges in a TV Premiere

Explore why crafting elegant exposition—the vital who, what, and where of a story—is the biggest challenge for any new TV show in the fall.
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How Studio and Network Feedback Can Reshape a TV Pilot Before It Airs

How Studio and Network Feedback Can Reshape a TV Pilot Before It Airs

Discover the hidden world of network notes, where executive feedback can make, break, or completely transform a TV pilot before it ever airs.
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How an Opening-Credits Sequence Can Define a New TV Series

How an Opening-Credits Sequence Can Define a New TV Series

In the age of the 'Skip Intro' button, a show's opening credits are a bigger gamble than ever—and a more crucial tool for defining its identity.