Start with the idea
Characters, worlds, formats, and story engines—the pieces that turn “this could be interesting” into a television series.
14 free episodes. Pick one that sounds useful and start there.
The collection
Episode 117 · June 28, 2019
Great titles…Survivor. Big Brother. The Curse of Oak Island. Say Yes to the Dress. Unmasking a Killer. These shows have catchy titles to help viewers… and network execs…understand what the show is all about....
Episode 112 · January 31, 2019
Today’s episode is coming to you straight from the waiting area of the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport! Why? Because we just attended RealScreen 2019, and we’ve got some stuff to share. Wha...
Episode 81 · September 6, 2016
Do you develop ideas wisely? You already know (from many episodes here at Producing Unscripted) how we feel about ideas. TV show and movie ideas, in and of themselves, are not worth much. It’s how you packag...
Episode 51 · April 14, 2015
When you start talking to a network, studio, or even a production company, one piece of creative material becomes crucial… your style guide. But what is a style guide? What goes in it? And why do politics an...
Episode 43 · December 9, 2014
We had a meeting last week. Like many meetings we take, someone had a great idea for a reality TV show or documentary series. It was set in an interesting world, but this person wasn’t sure if the idea would...
Episode 36 · August 19, 2014
You’ve discovered an amazing, real life person that you are sure could be a reality TV show…now what? Today, we give you 3 concrete steps to greatly increase your odds of selling a character-centered show. O...
Episode 31 · June 10, 2014
Developing a Follow-Doc or Hybrid with some great characters or attachments? (And of course, you know what those words mean because you’ve checked out the great 8, right?) Better figure out your Story Engine...
Episode 19 · December 24, 2013
Chad Gervich (author, executive producer, TV writer and reality producer) is back for part 2 of how to turn a book into a TV show. Plus — for the first time EVER in public, we share how we accidentally foole...
Episode 18 · December 10, 2013
In what may be our most fun and useful episode yet, our guest Chad Gervich (author, executive producer, TV writer and reality producer) shares invaluable tips, explaining how to turn a book into a TV show. T...
Episode 16 · November 12, 2013
Many of you are pitching us shows. We’ve teamed up with a few of you. Most of you, however, are making a huge mistake. Today, we’ll correct that… Change Your POV Too many of you are pitching us shows that ha...
Episode 15 · October 29, 2013
A lot’s going on this week! Our new show Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne on A&E was announced, our old show Scream Queens is available free on HULU, and we’re telling you how to create competition reality shows. Cr...
Episode 7 · July 9, 2013
Reality TV worlds and documentary locations need to be populated with amazing characters. However, sometimes, those characters are not enough to sell a show. That’s when the show’s world or setting becomes h...
Episode 6 · June 25, 2013
Reality TV characters, documentary series subjects — any real life person you want to put on television? Don’t waste your time, money, or other resources unless they have these 6 Must-Have Traits. The 6 Must...
Episode 4 · June 8, 2013
Want to develop shows for unscripted television, whether documentary series, reality TV, or documentary specials? There’s one thing you just can’t get around.You need great tape. Unless your plan to develop...