You hear that? It's the sound of exhaustion. Every TV writer you know is burnt out, and the main reason is that they're working all the time, with no breaks. Writing in Hollywood used to be kind of cyclical. There was this thing called "Pilot Season" where most TV networks would buy a bunch of screenplays, produce a few pilots, and then pick the best of those to go on the air. The shows that were purchased staffed writers. And if they stayed on the air, they provided great wages for years. Now, pilot season doesn't exist anymore, or more accurately, it never ends. Let's dig in. Pilot Season Never EndsAs soon as streamers came onto the scene, they challenged why shows were all bought and sold during one time of year. And they won. While network shows went off the air in the summer, streaming shows were available year round, and because they had no time slots to fill, they constantly needed a stream of new shows for people to check out. Now, while network shows still have traditional seasons, writers are working year round pitching to streamers to try to sell their wares. Another wrinkle is that networks also changed what they do. They're not spending as much money researching and developing ideas, like they used to with pilot seasons. Instead, they're just picking a few shows to go to air. That means, the writers who used to get staffed on those other shows are out of a...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today