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Ever wonder how to go from idea to green-lit series? In today’s in-depth episode, we take you step by step through the process of starting with a title and ending up with a TV show that premieres September 9th on Oxygen! It’s called Snapped: She Made Me Do It. We’re going to tell you how we did it (and why Oxygen is such a terrific network to work with.)
Idea to Greenlight — A Long Journey (But Worth It)
[tweet_box]How We Sold Our New TV Show: Step by Step[/tweet_box]
It all started when Joke was on her way to film our MTV True Life Special. She called at 5:30am and said, “I’ve got a great title for a new crime show.”
She was totally right…but it would take over two-and-a-half years to prove it!
She Made Me Do It
No, Joke didn’t make Biagio pitch this show (she didn’t have to! Exciting idea!)
“She Made Me Do It” was the original title Joke dreamt up for what was destined to become our first crime recreation series.
The new show, now called Snapped: She Made Me Do It premieres Wednesday, September 9, at 10pm on Oxygen.
(And listen to this episode to find out why we’re THRILLED Oxygen added “Snapped” to the front of that title.)
If you’ve listened to this podcast for awhile, you’ve heard us talk about various aspects of creating and pitching shows.
However, today’s episode is about the practical, hands-on application of those techniques. We take you through the five steps we faced in getting Snapped: She Made Me Do It on the air.
Oxygen: A Great Network to Work With
We’re so blown away by our experience with Oxygen, mainly because they’re encouraging us to try new things and be creative at every turn. Their open-mindedness has lead to one of the best looking shows we’ve ever produced.
Have a look at the Snapped: She Made Me Do It trailer below:
Crime with Heart
Despite the attention-grabbing title of the show, it was very important to both of us and to Oxygen that that heart of the show always lie in victim advocacy.
Snapped: She Made Me Do It works hard to include as many family members and friends of the victims as are willing to participate.
We personally think crime shows are at their best when they serve as morality tales, and remind viewers that victims are real people, not characters on a TV show.
A Process That Lasted Over Two Years
There is rarely a “straight line” from idea to TV series. There were a lot of stops and starts on this project. Thankfully, we had terrific execs at Oxygen who never stopped believing in the show.
Just a few of the things we cover today:
- The importance of your title — and when to change it!
- The materials we created to sell the show
- What the network asked us to deliver before they could pick the show up
- Why “no” isn’t “no” forever
- The greenlight process
And so much more! Press that giant red “PLAY” button above and learn all about the steps it takes to go from idea to TV series.
Transcript Coming Soon!
Helpful and Related Links
Check out our Tips, Tricks and Controversies when making Reenactment Shows for hands on advice on cinematic storytelling with reenactments.
Our podcast episode on Style Guides and How to Make Them
Everything you want to know about Making Pitch Tapes and Sizzle Reels
Another episode we did recently on developing, pitching and selling recreation shows.
Our official announcement for Snapped: She Made Me Do It
E! Online did a great announcement about the show.
We got “trade speaked” — Oxygen Makes Joke Crime Order
Official Oxygen Snapped: She Made Me Do It press release.
Okay, you know why you’re reading this…you want to break into unscripted television! One way to do that…pitch to us, of course! Let’s make some TV together. Here’s how: