by Erik Bork | Dec 16, 2017
At the heart of a good original TV series idea is one big problematic situation. It somehow affects all the series regulars. And it leads to endless new stories. It’s not unique to particular characters, but is the over-arching reason for the series’...
by Erik Bork | Feb 26, 2017
When coming up with an idea for a television series, and writing a pilot script, writers often make the mistake of approaching it like a feature. Meaning, they focus on a single main character, with a single problem and goal. That’s not how television works. I can...
by Erik Bork | Aug 1, 2015
I think the best television characters want something they can never have — and spend every episode pursuing it. What makes them compelling is that they are under siege, in some way, by the world around them, and unable to secure that version of their life that they...
by Erik Bork | Jun 23, 2014
With the rise of somewhat unlikable main characters in cable dramas like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and True Detective, anti-heroes are everywhere. We don’t need to “sympathize” or even “root for” the main character(s) in a story anymore, it seems — as long as...
