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 | Apr 9, 2016
What’s the key thing to focus on when developing a TV series idea? The answer is simple: the characters. Specifically, a web of entertaining-to-watch characters who have conflicted relationships with each other. Ideally, you would also have a big, intriguing,...
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 | Jan 4, 2014
I eventually watched HBO’s THE WIRE, over a decade after its five-year run began. Once I started, I found myself binge-watching through the first three seasons. This show was never a clear hit with audiences, and didn’t win many major awards. But WGA screenwriters...
by Erik Bork | Sep 17, 2013
What most interests me about Downton Abbey is how it so masterfully demonstrates two qualities that I am obsessed with, when it comes to good writing and good serialized TV writing, especially. 1. It makes us care about the people. God, does it make us care! To me,...
by Erik Bork | Jun 28, 2013
I couldn’t resist creating a chart that breaks down the recent WGA member-voted “Best written series of all time” by decade and type of show. What conclusions, if any, can be drawn from this? (If you have trouble viewing the document below, you might...
