Story Maps: TV Drama: The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot

a shocking yet inevitable turn

Make sure you build contrast and conflict into each one.

We want to see our hero realize their own true power and unleash a show of strength that makes them come into their own.

External and Internal Goal:

The protagonist is thrown into a meaningful skirmish (First Trial) that produces some kind of failure or victim (First Casualty), which can be themselves, another character or a figurative death, like a loss of innocence.

strong sense of place, time and tone, and an expression of the central theme of the series.

Show us who we will be following for 100 hours, in an active, unique way that says something about this person and their current, or soon-to-be, place in the world.

A TV series must have a central conflict that is inherently fascinating, rife with high stakes and requires significant time to solve.

A, B & C story: There should be at least two plot threads in your pilot—these are referred to as your “A” and “B” stories. It’s up to you if you want to add a C, D or more. Each “story” represents a line of action, which is a character pursuing a goal with a beginning, middle and end.