Courses > Television writing

Our television writing course is made up of ten lessons that cover the following topics. Click on a link below to find out more about a lesson. Each lesson is accompanied by exercise work and you will be invited to work on your own ideas as well during the course.

• Lesson 1
• Lesson 2: Introduction to TV play writing
• Lesson 3: Charcterisation
• Lesson 4: How to construct your own TV play
• Lesson 5: The non-straight play
• Lesson 6: How to write TV films
• Lesson 7: Adaptation of the novel
• Lesson 8: How to write a documentary
• Lesson 9: Comedy scriptwriting
• Lesson 10: Getting started

Lesson 1

This lesson is devoted almost entirely to the actual scripting part of a television play. First of all scripts in the wrong way, then the right way, pointing out how and where the beginner is likely to go wrong. Every essential aspect of successful TV scripting is covered.

Lesson 2: Introduction to TV play writing

This lesson covers:

• Standard lengths for television plays.
• The break for commercials
• Actual running time excluding advertising material
• Where the beginner can find ideas for plays
• Subjects peculiarly suitable for TV.
• Deciding on the number of characters
• Synopses of five outstanding TV plays and their seven vital ingredients
• How television entertainment differs from that of the stage and cinema

Lesson 3: Charcterisation

This lesson covers:

• The art of thinking 'inwardly'
• The psychology of your audience
• remembering that they are at home
• How that fact determines whether your play is going to succeed or fail
• A master formula in 12 words
• The necessity of simple dialogue for maximum drama; a classic example of a famous TV play showing part of the actual script
• How your TV screen can be your residential coach

Lesson 4: How to construct your own TV play

This lesson guides you step by step in the construction of an actual play. (And it is the sort of material, an idea that you, the beginner could have thought up!). Starts with an ordinary human situation, fits into a dramatic framework, and stage by stage brings it to completion.

Lesson 5: The non-straight play

This lesson covers:

• The play in which two (or more) stories run concurrently
• the flashback play
• the 'impressionist' play
• Examples

Lesson 6: How to write TV films

This lesson covers:

• Definitions and descriptions of the main types of TV films (many produced as series and serials)
• Anthologies
• Crime series
• Western
• Tin Operas
• Situation Comedy
• Soap Opera
• The most popular length
• What you must put across in the first three pages
• The test of a valid plot

Lesson 7: Adaptation of the novel

This lesson covers:

• Definition of the term 'dramatist'
• Novels are dramatised for plays, not adapted
• Types of novel; the period classic, the modern classic the novel that tells a story and nothing more
• The theme of the novel
• The historical and social background
• Discovering the essence of the novel
• What to leave out.
• The construction, the balancing of the characters, the danger of letting the minor but more colourful characters run away with the dramatisation
• Recreating the novelist's style
• The novelist dialogue
• Writing an original play out of the novel or interpreting the novel

Lesson 8: How to write a documentary

This lesson covers "the documentary":

• Documentaries are factual, informative
• They cover Religion, Science, Politics, Crime, Music, Sociology, Health, Motoring, The Home, Travel, etc.
• the six steps in the production of a documentary
• the draft
• Analysis of a successful documentary
• Actual pages from a finished script
• The art of writing commentaries
• A few don'ts
• Use of counter points
• Drama documentary
• Other documentary forms

Lesson 9: Comedy scriptwriting

This lesson covers:

• Types of comedy reviewed: Stand-up comedy, topical gags by solo artists, writing for particular artists.
• Two-handed comedy, right writers for the right artists
• Situation comedy, drama with laughs
• Comedy adaptations
• Farce
• Satirical comedy
• materials must come from life

Lesson 10: Getting started

This lesson covers:

• Getting a start
• The importance of an 'idea' note book
• Selling your goods
• Books and paper you should read
• Where to find news of policy changes, forecasts of new series and serial programmes