Television Development: How Hollywood Creates New TV Series

by Bob Levy

Development is a large and central part of the American TV industry, and yet the details of how it works – who makes development decisions and why, where ideas for new shows come from, even basics like the differences between what TV studios and TV networks do – remain elusive to many.

In this book, lecturer and acclaimed television producer Bob Levy offers a detailed introduction to television development, the process by which the Hollywood TV industry creates new scripted series. Written both for students and industry professionals, Television Development serves as a comprehensive introduction to all facets of the development the terminology, timelines, personnel and industrial processes that take a new TV project from idea to pitch to script to pilot to series. In addition to describing these processes, Levy also examines creative strategies for successful development, and teaches readers how to apply these strategies to their own careers and speak the language of development across all forms of visual storytelling.

Written by the renowned producer responsible for developing and executive producing Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, Television Development is an essential starting point for students, executives, agents, producers, directors and writers to learn how new series are created. Accompanying online material includes sample pitches, pilot scripts, and other development documents.

A companion website for the book is available

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 18, 2019

Reviews

[David Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: In 1983 when I was at a 6 week academic summer program for high school juniors, the author was my teacher's assistant. I was probably 17 and he was probably 20? Anyway, we hadn't talked in DECADES and then I came across his book. He was an executive producer for TV's Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars. Wow. So I reed the book even though I have no intention (yet) of pitching a TV series in Hollywood. Nevertheless, this is an instructive behind-the-scenes look at how an idea goes to an actual TV show. And it's brimming with actionable advice about how to TRY to make it in showbiz. The author teaches at UCLA film school, and this read like was monitoring his class for a few months. Really good stuff for writers and creatives.

[William McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book... Given the complexity of the subject and the enormous amount of content to cover and explain, I thought the book was well-organized and well-written. The Glossary and Index will make this my go-to reference book. And the companion website with pitch and other real-life examples is a big plus.

[a man duh · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so so helpful. a great introduction to tv development!