9 Questions Television Writers Must Answer When Developing A Television Show by Peter Russell

In this Film Courage video interview, screenwriter and script doctor Peter Russell shares 9 questions television writers must answer when developing a TV show.

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#tvwriting #Screenwriting #Screenwriting101

[TOFinc]

Q 1: What is the Great World your show is set in?
Q 2: What is the Theme of your show?
Q 3: What are you passionate about?
Q 4: What do you believe in?
Q 5: Why Watch Every Week?
Q 6: Genre?
Q 7: What are the Parents of your show?
Q 8: What's the Unsolvable Question for the Hero?
Q 9: What's the Core Wound of the Hero?


These are the 9 questions Peter Russell states in the video. Q 3, Q 4 & Q 6 were quickly overlooked compared to the rest in the video.

[NathanAllotey]

00:10 - What's a great world? (World Building)
02:25 - What is your theme? What do you want to say about the world?
05:16 - What do you believe in? What's your passion?
05:28 - What's the Great Question of the Show? What's the hook every week?
06:40 - What are the parents of the show? What shows are similar to this one?
07:20 - What is the unsolvable dilemma for the hero?
09:45 - What's the big core wound in your hero? How does it work in your show?

[carrotface]

This is the BEST VIDEO I have ever watched in a looong time! I can't express how excited it made me to just listen to him and realized ''YES! This is what I want to do for a living.'' I am an animation student in Turkey and my biggest dream is to be a screenwritter on day and pitch my own animatied show to Netflix. Although I have been strugling with university a lot lately. I have all theese animation homeworks - which I am very happy with, so no problem there cuz I WANT to learn everything I can about animation making - but I am in love with ''storytelling'' and this video just rekindled my love for writing and now, I'm back on track. Thank you so much for such a powerful video.

[ajtaylor]

I just started my spec script for a TV show, and the one question I got stuck on was the core wound that my hero faces. I went through certains shows such as "Legion, " "Sons of Anarchy, " "The Assassination of Gianni Versace, " "Ozark, " and countless others to study what makes those key characters hurt, and once I got it, I found something for my protagonist. Any time Peter Russell speaks, my ears are wide open.

[sohndustin]

He really missed theme of Orange is the New Black... Piper's sexuality is just a facet of her grappling with the box society put her in as an upper-class white woman. The whole show centers around the figurative boxes (societal expectations) and the literal boxes (prison cells) society placed these women across race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.

[Red_Proton]

Mr. Russell didn't have to take the time to share his knowledge and experiences. I am grateful for his willingness to share and inspire. I do not often get the opportunity to be in the same room and/or speak with someone as successful as Mr. Russell, and yet I got an hour and a half with him. And I can come back and experience it numerous times, now. Thank you.

[sxafterseen]

This guy has so much love for this! It’s inspiring

[xmira]

this is so helpful, I'm writing a comic book and this will help a lot, tnx.

[MochitoMaker]

That's amazing. Haven't heard such great insights put so succinctly.

[hellojellomellow]

Peter Russell was an incredible scriptdoctor and teacher.

[zacharycbraddy]

I love the way he verbalizes "Themes", "Premise" and "Hooks". "The great question". All of that. Perfect. More with Peter, please.

[truecrimestories]

Love what Film Courage is doing. Your content is *always* an encouraging source of inspiration.

[jeremiahnoar]

Thanks Mr. Peter Russell and Film Courage. I've been having trouble putting the theme of my script of about 8 years into words. But I think I've just figured it out 4 seconds ago!

[popeaustini]

i really appreciate these videos - keep them coming thanks

[trompentertainment]

I’m writing a television show at the moment and I’ve just started writing the series bible.This video is amazing as it’s helped me describe my characters

[marknoahsotelo]

Amazing advice and great insight! But I have read over and over that unless you are already working in TV or have a hook up no studio or network wants pilots from new writers. What do you guys think?

[wussgood]

The way he didn’t even let her finish the question

[ronreidjr]

I like when he said, Ya?!! His list is amazing!!! Thanks film courage this is the best film school ever during this crazy time!!!

[meg-k-waldren]

Prospective student hands Peter Russell a pilot spec script that absolutely delights him. Conversation the next day would probably go like this:

P. Student: I know it needs quite a bit of polishing up. I --
Peter: shhh. You've got a great nucleus here. A lot to build on.
P. Student: Sooo... your class, eh, how much?
Peter: For you. It's free.

Lol. I've never seen anyone so passionate about TV shows, it's almost contagious. I actually have a pilot 1st draft for a show. Once I touch it up a few drafts, Peter's the script doc I really wanna work with on it.

[Septiviumexe]

Why is it that many old people in the industry seem to hate fiction? Is it because they cant get their head around theoretical scenarios which involves watching the worlds development? Does tech confuse them?