Re: Developing a New TV Series
I’m kicking off the development of a new TV series concept. Even though I’ve been doing this for decades, the process is less like following a checklist and more like planting seeds and nurturing a garden - it requires patience, attention, and room to let the characters and narrative grow.
I’m constantly reflecting on what’s worked for me in the past. I've compiled some elements I often consider when jumping back into the development pool and figured I’d share a few.
Embracing the Unknown
One of the most liberating aspects of series development is accepting that you don't need all the answers upfront. Some of the best story elements will emerge during your creative process. Stay flexible and open to incorporating new insights as they arise.
Escalating Stakes and Brutal Sacrifices
Great stories force characters to make impossible choices. Design your series to generate situations where characters must choose between what they say or think they want — and what they really need.
The tension between the two will help you find moments of sacrifice and consequence that create emotional peaks audiences will remember.
Find Your North Star
A series needs a guiding light - a core vision that pulses through every episode. This isn't just about the plot; it's about understanding the fundamental truth your story explores. Is it about redemption? The cost of ambition? The power of a chosen family?
This theme will be your compass, guiding every character's decision and plot turn.
This should be more about you and less about the show. What do you care about? What’s driving you to make this thing? What relatable and relevant human experiences have you had that are worth sharing and exploring via the show?
Character Creation: Going Deep
The most memorable characters are icebergs - what we see is just the tip of their complexity. For each character, dig deeper into their personas via questions like:
- What are they afraid of?
- What makes them happy?
- What is their darkest secret?
One of my fave words — Synecdoche
Give each character a unique "touchstone" - a physical object or habit that reveals their personality. Maybe your scientist character mutters equations when stressed, or your healer instinctively reaches for lavender. Small details make characters feel human.
The Relationship Matrix
Characters don't exist in isolation. The magic happens in their interactions - the friendships that form, the romances that bloom, the rivalries that simmer. Map out these relationships like constellations, looking for interesting patterns and potential conflicts.
I scribble their names in circles on a piece of paper and connect them with different colors - red = enemy - green = ally. Sometimes, I even draw circles around the circles to visualize the group.
Building Your Tentoples via “Broken Six”
The garden metaphor’s great, but you can also think of the structure of your series as the foundation of a house. Each season needs load-bearing walls - key story milestones that support everything else.
I use the "six broken things" approach: identify six significant elements that need resolution by the season's end. This gives your story both direction and flexibility.
When scribbling feature scripts, the broken six model is a go-to. As my understanding of serialized TV has progressed, I find myself breaking season one via the eight-sequence movie structure and porting over the broken six.
Back to The Power of Love
Every character needs something they love - a partner, a place, a practice, family, knowledge, justice, or belonging to something. This love makes their struggles meaningful and their victories sweeter. Giving the actor something to play and the audience something to root for.
Tying It All Together
These practices aren't rigid rules but tools to help you craft a story that resonates. Series development is more art than science. You might have a completely different methodology for getting the work done. Different questions to ask yourself. Different priorities and metaphors and — well… different everything.
That’s totally cool. Do whatever it takes to get off page one and get all the elements working together - character quirks informing relationships, themes echoing through plot choices, love driving conflict, and earning your resolution.
Get comfortable tapping your personal experiences and worldview to craft narratives rich enough for audiences to get lost in, with relatable and relevant characters compelling enough that you’ll want to shepherd their journeys for multiple seasons.
