Newsletter 25 – August 2013
CLIENT / COACH SPOTLIGHT
And there’s more where that came from. Doug admits he has almost 42 shows he can choose from to pitch at this point and he’s just getting started. We suspect he won’t be satisfied until he has a television show empire that rivals Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Voice, Celebrity Apprentice, etc. etc. X 50).

“I went to one of the Hit Maker Summits in Florida and met Mark and Jeanne for the first time and brought a number of shows I had created and developed, or semi-developed. I was good at telling stories, but the pitch environment was such a different place, I was being shot down left and right. I sucked. I decided I was going try and rectify that situation by finding somebody who could coach me and help me. I really sat down and started examining the pitch process and the mental process, documents and sizzle reel that are necessary to have a successful pitch. It really has made a huge difference in my career. I just closed my third television deal, so my third series will be coming out soon. But also, at this moment, and as a direct result of working with Mark and Jeanne, in the last 35 days I’ve had 30 network meetings face-to-face.”
CURRENT EVENTS
- The Key Element that all scripted and reality programming must have. A show will not sell without it!
- How to make your series grab the attention of network execs!
- The “Secret” that makes network execs want to work with you.
- What top executive producers do that you may not be doing.
- How to make a concept into a real series that can actually be produced. Go from dreaming to doing!
If you missed the webinar, don’t despair. We’ve recorded the webinar and are now making it available for a limited time.
Find it here:
https://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/accelerate/whatnetworkswant
We are also excited to let you know that the Accelerate Program, which we discussed in the webinar, and which is the most comprehensive program we’ve offered to date to help you fully develop your show along the professional standards and highest entertainment values most sought after in the industry… is now set up so you can join at any time! You don’t have to wait for another cycle of date start times. Here’s the link for more information:
https://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/accelerate/
Accerate! is ongoing virtual group training to help you develop the best stories, characters and episode descriptions that networks want to see and much more.
Once you’re in the program you’ll have access to sample treatment templates and replays of all of the sessions. Thes sessions are conducted live and the course does include two material reviews of your show by Jeanne Simon. You’ll get the latest information on what networks are looking for and how to…
- Develop your idea into a television series networks want
- Build indestructible story structures
- Create irresistible characters that attract star talent
- Gain access to the hidden elements network execs are looking for
- Fulfill your most creative and rewarding potential
- Get there faster than you ever expected!
Find out more about joining the Accelerate Program here:
https://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/accelerate/
IN PRODUCTION
Wayne is writing a feature script for Gem City, based on a TV concept and novel by client Kristin Alexandre. He also just finished a video script for the hotel industry teaching servers how to provide responsible alcohol service. This was a fun script to write since it involved creating characters, dialogue and scenarios of drinking or drunk patrons at casinos, pools, sports bars and restaurants. He didn’t need to do much research, since we’ve all experienced an obnoxious drinker at one of those places or the other. So the next time a bartender at a hotel bar or restaurant cuts you off after three Martinis, you can blame Wayne. (Or the “Under the Dome” drinking game – see “What We’re Watching” section)

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Netflix’s political thriller House of Cards earned 9 nominations; the comedy re-boot Arrested Development earned three; and the supernatural series Hemlock Grove earned two.
Amazon, Hulu and Yahoo are also in the original series game now, so expect them to start tapping serious talent away from the traditional networks and taking pitches from new talent. Amazon already has “Doonesbury” comic strip creator Gary Trudeau for a political series called Alpha House starring John Goodman. (Which we think is even better than House of Cards.)
We’ll see how many Emmys that Netflix actually wins when the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Emmy ceremony airs September 22, at 8 p.m. on CBS.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Never dismiss checking out a series just because it’s old. (to sort-of-quote an old NBC promotion…) If you haven’t seen the show before, it will be fresh and new to you, and you’ll be shocked how soon you’ll love these characters and the laughs they provide (the show eventually spawned three spin-offs, including Lou Grant and Rhoda). The humor is character-based and timeless – as funny as or funnier (funnier, trust us) than any current comedy hits.
Also for the fact every single character reacts in surprise with the same trite phrase, “What the hell?!” In fact, if you made that phrase a drinking game, you would have had to down 11 shots in the first two episodes alone, and would either be a full-fledged AA member or in a coma by the fourth episode. We still have hopes the show can turn around – maybe bring aboard better writers (it just got picked up for a second season of 13 episodes, and King is penning the first episode), improve the dialogue, and come up with a better jaw-drop reaction. We suggest a calm, Spock-like, “Fascinating” might be a good twist. (What the hell?!)
WHERE ARE MARK AND JEANNE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy1AW-l88l