Guest Column ‘HTWFA’ | #26 Choosing a series idea -

One way to choose a concept for a series is to look at what’s getting high ratings on the air. The problem with this method is that it’s possible that, if there are several such shows already on the air, you may have already missed the wave, and that type of show may be on its way out. However, it’s a good bet that if there is a new hit series on the air, other buyers will be looking for a show from within that same genre. After Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies became a huge hit, several new “baby” shows were born. Just a few examples are The Flintstone Kids, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry Kids, and Baby Looney Tunes.

The pendulum swings in the animation industry, so you’ll find boys’ action is hot for a while, then it fades and whacky comedies are hot. Sometimes buyers will all want pre-sold ideas, like popular toy products, then a few years later everyone wants fresh ideas created by newcomers. If you have a great series idea, but they’re not buying it right now, just put it on the shelf and wait till the pendulum swings back your way.

Another way to create a series is to option an existing property. You might find a successful, but not hugely popular, series of children’s books, or a new comic book and, for a small option payment, secure the rights and develop it into a series. The reason I say “not hugely successful” is that if a property is a smash-hit the chances are good that a big studio is going to buy it for a very high price. You’ve got to be clever and look for properties that have a following in a niche market that the masses haven’t caught onto yet. Or maybe a property that was successful several decades ago is ready to be refreshed. Men In Black, for example, was a relatively obscure comic book before it became a blockbuster movie and animated series.

Existing properties can be found in the publishing market (books, comic books, comic strips), in the toy market, in the gift or greeting card market, and elsewhere. You might even find a property that is hidden within another property. Muppet Babies started out as a single scene within the live-action movie The Muppets Take Manhattan.

(Jeffrey Scott has written over 700 animated and live-action TV and film scripts for Sony, Warner Bros., Disney, Marvel, Universal, Paramount, Columbia, Big Animation, Hanna-Barbera and others. His writing has been honoured with three Emmys and the Humanitas Prize. He is author of the acclaimed book, How to Write for Animation. To work with Jeffrey visit his website at www.JeffreyScott.tv.)

Read other articles from this series:

#1 The difference between live-action and animation writing

#2 Tools of the Trade

#3 It all begins with a premise

#4 The secret to developing your story

#5 Finding the scenes that MUST be there

#6 How to write an outline

#7 How to easily transform your outline into script

#8 A brief introduction to script writing

#9 How long should your scenes be?

#10 How to (and NOT to) edit your writing

#11 How to write description