The Black List - Episodic Script Formatting Guide

The Black List

July 2024

While the nuts and bolts of formatting a pilot for television are essentially the same as

that of a feature lm, there are some key differences between the two mediums. Feature lm

writing is all about telling a story that can be contained within the connes of a three-act, two-

hour lm (at least, most of the time) but television is about nding ways to expand the story

and characters to grow and change over multiple hours and (if you’re lucky) seasons of TV.

Many TV writers get their start working on established shows, and understanding the

professional format of a television series is essential: adaptability is perhaps the most

important skill for a television writer to have, as a TV series is an ever-evolving narrative

medium (especially in the streaming age) that requires a writer to change along with the

narrative goals within the series.

Understanding the fundamentals of TV script formatting will serve emerging television writers

well as they pursue a variety of paths in the world of television, and allow them to focus

on the project in front of them, whether they’re in the writer’s room for a storied series or

pursuing a new original project on their own.

This guide will be divided into the following sections:

Episodic Script Formatting Guide

1. Proper Formatting

2. Page Count

3. Audience

4. Type of Series

5. Scene Direction

6. Proofreading +

Presentation

7. Spec Pilots + Pilots Based

on Other Material

8. Final Notes

9. Additional Resources

All scripts should be written in Courier 12 pt. font, with standard screenplay margins. This

standardized font size and page format allows industry professionals to estimate the length of

each series and its episodes based on the length of the script. It is no exaggeration to say that

99% of studio executives or industry professionals will NOT read a spec pilot that is written in

a different font or “cheats” the usual page margins.

Screenplay formatting is very complex,

adhering to a specic set of standards that

make the script more efcient to read and

analyze. Virtually every aspect of a pilot

has been standardized, from the scene

heading placement to the style of the

page numbers. A simple online search will

yield countless comprehensive style and

formatting guides for pilots in all currently

used formats - we have also included

several formatting resources at the end of

this guide.

Dialogue has the most complex formatting

and is often where mistakes occur, due

to the large amount of dialogue in most

screenplays. Serious writers would do well to invest in professional software.

Just as reading a feature script should be as close as possible to the experience of watching

the nished lm, a TV pilot should give the reader the same dynamic experience of watching

the show. While the line between what makes a series basic broadcast, “premium cable” or

streaming is constantly shifting, benchmarks like teasers/cold opens, act breaks, and signaling

the end of a pilot are still welcome in television scripts.

Looking for

screenwriting software?

Try these:

Arc Studio

Celtx

FadeIn

Final Draft

Highland

MovieMagic

WriterDuet

Proper Formatting

If you do include these markers in your pilot, we recommend centering, underlining and

capitalizing them so they stand out on the page. If you decide to use act breaks in your pilot,

which follows the traditional broadcast format for pilots, we recommend the same formatting

as well as mentioning the End of An Act before a new one begins. Some TV writers choose

not to include act breaks or other series markers in their pilots, as they aim for a streaming or

premium cable series that would not feature traditional commercial breaks.

But as a general rule, when it comes to structure, 4-5 acts plus a teaser is standard for

an hour-long series, while 3 acts sufce in a half-hour. Even if you don’t mark these acts

specically in your script, it’s still important to keep these structural guidelines in mind as

you’re writing. Many comedies also include a tag at the end of each episode. Tags can take

several forms, but most often they play off of a continuing storyline from the series, call back

to a joke from within the episode, or complete a joke that was established in the cold open.

Tags are no more than three pages long, and play after the episode’s formal act structure

ends.

With so much guidance available regarding proper screenplay format, an improperly

formatted pilot does not speak well to the competence of the author or their awareness

of current television standards in contemporary Hollywood. While some writers push the

boundaries of “normal” script format (think the scripts of Damon Lindelof, Phoebe Waller-

Bridge, or Michaela Coel), those examples are very much outliers and not the expected

industry standard for emerging writers. Emerging TV writers should resist the urge to give

their scripts “extra personality” by using different fonts or unique formatting.

END OF ACT ONE

Proper Formatting, continued

Industry executives and producers use a simple guideline when reading a pilot: one page

equals one minute of screen time (this is where standardized font size and margins come in).

Unlike feature lms, which can have varying page counts, the page count for television scripts

is strict, and should be kept in mind when ideating any new TV project. Even if writing for a

miniseries or limited series, all television pilot episodes must fall into one of two categories:

the one-hour format, or the half-hour format.

Page counts are essential to

networks and executives because of

that all-important advertising space,

something that must be accounted

for when writing for television.

That being said, a number of new

series, such as ATLANTA and

CHERNOBYL, have explored more

exible show lengths in the half-

hour and hour-long formats on

streaming platforms and premium cable networks.

The Black List accepts scripts for hosting and evaluation in the half-hour format from 20 to 45

pages for single-camera and animated scripts, and from 35 to 65 pages in the multi-camera

format. For one-hour pilots, we accept scripts from 45 to 75 pages in length.

There is one formatting note that differs in multi-camera scripts from single-camera scripts:

the dialogue is double-spaced throughout the script. Because of this, multi-camera scripts

are between 35 and 65 pages in length. The basic rule of a minute of screen time per page

is still very much in play here, as the high and low ends of each page count are reective of

the aims of the series: a half-hour comedy on a major network needs to allow more time for

commercials than one on a premium cable station, and the same rule applies to one-hour

shows. This still applies to multi-camera scripts intended for streaming services: while there

may not be proper commercial breaks, the formatting of double-spaced dialogue remains the

same.

All television pilot episodes must

fall into one of two

categories:

one-hour format

or half-hour format

Page Count

The broad, ever-evolving spectrum of distribution possibilities for a TV series in the

current media marketplace presents a unique challenge to the writer when considering their

audience. Understanding what type of platform a series is best suited for is imperative in ne-

tuning its content and structure.

Premium Cable & Streaming

HBO, Showtime, Netix, and beyond

These networks offer the most freedom in terms of format and content, but also attract

the biggest talent and prestige projects. Premium cable networks and streaming platforms

allow graphic content, so if a series is skewing toward more adult themes and content, it will

probably be best suited for the premium cable arena–shows like HOUSE OF THE DRAGON,

YELLOWJACKETS and SUCCESSION are a great example of this.

Many premium cable networks do not include commercials, so some pilots for a network like

HBO or Netix can have a slightly higher page count than those on basic cable or broadcast.

However, these pilots still need to adhere to the standard act structure–and, with more

streaming networks adding commercials into their series, it is important to be mindful of

where a commercial break could potentially live within your pilot if necessary.

Audience

Basic Cable

AMC, FX, A+E and beyond

Basic cable networks have continued to develop boundary-breaking original content like

RESERVATION DOGS, INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and YELLOWSTONE that includes

adult themes but doesn’t go quite as far as premium cable content–at least, not most of the

time or not outside of the 10PM broadcast hour.

Though fewer households now subscribe to cable than did a decade ago, many basic cable

series also have a life on streaming platforms (think FX series that also stream on Hulu) so it

is important to keep ALL potential audiences in mind when crafting a pilot for basic cable, as

well as potential act/commercial breaks that may impact a pilot’s overall structure.

Broadcast

NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, CW

Traditional broadcast series still reach the widest audience of television viewers, and

therefore, garner the most prominent advertisers. Recent broadcast successes like ABBOTT

ELEMENTARY, THIS IS US and GHOSTS have shown that there is still a robust audience that

craves fresh spins on familiar TV formulas even via the most traditional channels.

As a whole, graphic sexual and violent content aren’t present in broadcast series due to

broadcast standards and practices, though there’s no hard line between broadcast and basic

cable. TV remains an ever-evolving medium, and shows like HANNIBAL have pushed the

boundaries of broadcast as far as they’ll go in recent years.

Audience, continued

Understanding which type of network and audience a TV series is best-suited for goes

hand in hand with deciding its format. Choosing the category a given series falls into is just as

important as choosing the appropriate audience.

There are four basic types of series: One-Hour Serialized (GAME OF THRONES, SQUID

GAME); One-Hour Procedural (LAW & ORDER, CHICAGO MED); Half-hour Single Cam

(CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, AMERICAN AUTO); or Half-hour Multi-Cam (THE CONNERS,

ONE DAY AT A TIME).

There are two distinct types within the one-hour format–the procedural, and the serialized

drama. Procedurals follow a blueprint each week, and often deal in a “case of the week”

format that allows viewers to drop in even if an episode or episodes are missed - shows like

THE X-FILES and ER perfected this formula even while sometimes including more serialized

storylines. Archetypal characters are often used within the one-hour format, so that any

viewer can watch any episode of the show and have a general idea of what the series is about.

Serialized dramas don’t follow a blueprint each week and rely on viewers watching every

episode as their plot lines and character arcs progress each weekthink MAD MEN, THE WIRE

or DEADWOOD. Both procedurals and serialized dramas can use elements from each other,

but the former is mostly reserved for broadcast or basic cable, and the latter often nds a

home on basic or premium cable. Procedurals are better suited for syndication as well, and if

successful, provide networks with a strong potential for continued viewership.

The half-hour format is usually reserved for more comedic series, including the sitcom. These

series follow a three act structure, often including a teaser (also called a “cold open”) and a tag

at the end.

Single camera shows like BARRY or MYTHIC QUEST are shot more like feature lms, giving

them a more cinematic look. Each shot is set up and lmed, as opposed to multiple cameras

capturing a scene from many angles. Single camera shows don’t require as many xed sets as

multi-camera sets, and offer more versatility within shot selection and the overall look of the

show. However, the single camera format is also much more time-consuming to shoot, and

therefore more costly, which can mean more pressure from a network to excel.

Type of Series

Multi-cam shows like WILL & GRACE or SEINFELD often shoot in front of a studio audience,

and are dependent on a few key sets in which most of the action takes place. Actors perform

a scene, and it is captured from multiple angles, which provides more of a traditional sitcom

look. Multi-camera shows often include a laugh track, and can be shot for a lower budget

because of the economy found in shooting a scene from multiple angles, and the coverage

it provides for actors. These shows can be made quickly as well, and follow a formula within

their joke set-ups. Some feel that the multi-camera format is limiting because of its rigid set-

up for actors and directors, but many series still perform well within this format.

Even with all of that being said, many contemporary, emerging creators are pushing the

boundaries of what can be a one-hour show and what can be a half-hour show. The comedy

TED LASSO features episode lengths from 29-49 minutes and some dramatic storylines,

which skews into one-hour territory; SWARM, a horror series, features chills and thrills even

within a half-hour format. While the Black List welcomes unique spins on familiar TV formats,

your pilot must adhere to our half-hour or one-hour format page limits (listed above in

Section 2) in order for your script to be properly hosted and evaluated on the site.

Limited Series

Beyond the standard one-hour and half-hour formats, the limited series and miniseries

format has become quite popular once again in the age of streaming, with everything from

FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE to TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN to UNDER THE BANNER OF

HEAVEN exploring the format fully. The terms “limited series” and “miniseries” are sometimes

used interchangeably, but there are small differences between them. Both are reserved

almost exclusively for dramas, but include a clear timeline of when the series will end.

Limited series last longer, usually between 6 and 12 episodes (NINE PERFECT STRANGERS),

while a miniseries (BRIDESHEAD REVISITED) is typically 4-6 episodes, sometimes broadcast

in blocks of two to create more of an event for the viewer. Either choice is a great option for

writers with an idea that needs more time to develop than a feature lm, but would struggle

to justify multiple seasons of television. In rare cases, a limited series will get picked up for a

second season (think BIG LITTLE LIES), but typically the series reboots in a way that is atypical

for TV – take the second or third seasons of AMERICAN HORROR STORY as one example.

Type of Series, continued

While novelists and other types of writers have the luxury to write in whatever voice they

please, pilots should always be written in present tense: “He leans through the doorway and

nods to her,” rather than, “He leaned through the doorway and nodded to her.” Established TV

writers and published television scripts for completed series lms may occasionally break this

rule on the page, but for emerging writers, present tense descriptions of only what we can see

onscreen are always best.

The scene direction should strive to always keep the reader (and eventual viewer) in the

moment. Writing dynamic screen direction is key for any script. For example, which of these

two scene directions read more cinematically?

The two men shule around each other, forming a circle.

They both wear red boxing gloves on each st. They raise

their gloves in front of their faces, getting into position

as they wait for the match to start. The referee rings the

bell, signaling the start of the ght. Man #1 punches Man #2

hard and knocks him out, which means Man #1 wins the ght.

The two men circle each

other.

They raise their sts.

DING

Man #1 lunges forward, his right st slams into Man #2’s

face. KO.

The crowd goes wild.

Scene Direction

Pilots are not books; they are meant to mimic the feeling of watching an episode of television.

If something exciting is happening, it should be written in an exciting way to try to suggest

how intense the scene will be once lmed. Readers and viewers should be able to connect

with the energy and tone of a given scene through screen direction along with dialogue

There is no hard and fast rule for HOW to write screen direction–especially since distinct

material across genres will have different needs for screen direction–but looking at modern

examples can be extremely helpful. We recommend reading recent Emmy Award-winning

scripts as well as episodic and serialized scripts that have been nominated for WGA Awards to

provide a closer look at the current state of screen direction in successful TV scripts.

And, if you’re in Los Angeles, the Writer’s Guild Library has an extensive public collection of TV

scripts for produced shows from the last fty years of television history that can be otherwise

quite difcult to nd..

Scene Direction, continued

“Watch TV.

Read Scripts.

Write Pages.”

-Adapted liberally from Scott Myers, Go Into The Story

A simple spell check is not sufcient for proofreading a screenplay, although it is a good

place to start. The issue is that many writers will simply use the wrong words while spelling

them correctly, such as “collage” vs. “college” and the old standbys “your/you’re” and “their/

there/they’re.” Many programs such as Grammarly help nd these kinds of errors and x

them. We recommend downloading such a program for all professional writing work.

Spelling errors, missing or incorrect words, and poor punctuation can devalue an author’s

script before it even has a chance to grab a

reader’s attention. A harrowing death scene

loses its intensity in a heartbeat with poor

spelling or a misplaced exclamation point. No

executive is going to bet big on a spec script

that would barely receive a C+ from a high

school English teacher. Elements like character

name changes can also become a major issue if

not caught in the proofreading stage–they may

confuse the reader, and ultimately, distract from

the reader’s overall impression of the script.

In addition to a spell check, submitting authors

should have a friend, family member, or

colleague with some experience in editing look

over their work and ensure that everything is

perfect. The author themselves knows what the script is trying to say and has the potential

to gloss over mistakes in a proofread because they are already familiar with the ow of the

words.

We strongly recommend that all writers get an outsider to take a critical eye to their work

before they invest in an evaluation or submission. Reading a script out loud can also be a

great way to catch elusive errors–even established writers like Aaron Sorkin recommend this

method of proofreading and script revising.

ILSA

But what about

us?

RICK

Well We’ll

always have

Paris.

Proofreading

While many writers use tools such as treatments, show bibles, outlines, storyboards, or even

playlist links to help pitch their material, The Black List only accepts pilot PDFs for evaluation

purposes. No additional materials will be evaluated by your reader, nor can the Black List

accommodate the sharing of such materials with readers on the site. You are certainly

welcome to create these materials and share them with interested readers elsewhere, but

they will not factor into your evaluations on blcklst.com.

What is a Show Bible?

A show bible is essentially one document that contains everything about your show that

you’d want to pitch to get your show made. Though show bibles are permitted on the site for

industry members to view in addition to your script, readers will not evaluate a show bible, nor

will they factor into a reader’s overall score for your script.

That being said, the show bible can be a valuable asset that allows writers to explore larger

themes, character arcs, and season-long dramatic events that may not be initially apparent in

their original pilot.

How do I Make My Show Bible Stand Out?

An outstanding show bible includes sections that explain the logline for the series as a

whole, the aims of the series as a whole over its rst season and entire run, an idea of budget

and central locations for the show, a detailed exploration of the themes, larger character

directions (these are brief character biographies), and short summaries for later episodes/

plot developments. For higher-concept series like SWEET TOOTH, a show bible can include

concept art, or a lookbook. John August has provided some excellent examples of the various

formats a show bible can take on his website.

Presentation

The Black List strongly discourages writers from uploading material that is based on intellectual

property that the writer does not own or have explicit permission from the intellectual property

owners to deploy.

IP refers to intellectual property, which is any product of the human intellect that the law protects

from unauthorized use by others. Examples of IP include: lms, plays, novels, articles, comic books,

TV series, etc, that have not fallen into the “public domain”. An example of an unacceptable IP-based

pilot might be an unauthorized animated JUSTICE LEAGUE series, an original pilot about the early

years of Dr. Mel before THE SOPRANOS, or a spec series nale episode of THE SIMPSONS.

Older works that are no longer under copyright protection are considered in the public domain and

may be available for public use. Writers are allowed to upload material based on older work that is

in the public domain. Learn more about what that means here: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/

Use of the Black List in no way improves the likelihood of such a pilot getting produced, and the

Black List organization will not assist in connecting screenwriters who have deployed intellectual

property they neither own nor have permission to adapt with the original intellectual property

owners. If you have uploaded a pilot based on IP you do not own or have permission to adapt to the

site, you will be asked to remove the script from the site - we will also not evaluate it.

For scripts based on real people, we recommend consulting with a legal advisor regarding the legality

of doing so and what rights are necessary or desirable to acquire in connection with the exploitation

of your pilot. For example, inclusion of defamatory or highly personal/private information regarding

real people could expose you to legal action as well as the inclusion of individuals who are not public

gures.

While spec pilot episodes were once a major avenue for emerging TV writers to get a foot in the

door, they have become less popular in recent years due to a number of legal and nancial factors

- most showrunners and other key TV creatives will now not read spec episodes of series they are

currently working on. Spec pilot episodes can be a helpful instructional tool for developing writers, as

it is a worthy exercise to explore writing in your own voices within the connes of an already-existing

TV show, but the Black List will not host or evaluate them on the site.

For more information about how long copyright protection lasts in the U.S. please see the U.S.

Spec Pilots + Pilots Based on

Other Material

Remember that TV pilots serve two functions: they introduce the reader to the world of the

show, but they also must work as a stand-alone piece of entertainment. Make sure that your

submitted pilot is fun to read and watch–even if the pilot doesn’t get picked up to series, it can

always serve as a great writing sample for what you can do as a TV writer. It is very possible

to create a bad pilot from a great series concept, and it’s a trap many writers fall into because

their focus is entirely on the goals of the entire series, rather than the impact of the pilot

episode.

Television has evolved at an

especially rapid pace in the last

decade, particularly due to the

ever-expanding streaming market

for series. Emerging TV writers

would be wise to stay up to date

with current series, broadcast,

and market trends by reading the

trades–having a better sense of

the contemporary realities for TV

across all platforms is crucial in

thinking about the kind of show

you would like to craft.

Likewise, writers aiming for a

career in television are advised

to think about potential paths through that ecosystem: Are you aiming to be the creator

and showrunner of your own series? Or is your original pilot meant to be a sample used for

stafng purposes on other shows? Do you hope to climb the traditional television writing

ladder and advance through the ranks? Keeping these big questions in mind can be helpful

for TV creators at all stages of their careers–as the denition of what “television” itself actually

means continues morphing in the current media marketplace, television writers should keep

exibility, persistence, and an appetite for evolution in mind when thinking about their own

careers in TV.

“...even if the pilot

doesn’t get picked up

to series, it can always

serve as a great writing

sample for what you can

do as a TV writer.”

Final Notes

Want more?

Celtx has provided a thorough, current guide to current standards for writing a pilot here.

MasterClass also offers a thorough and intensive guide to proper screenplay formatting here.

The Screenwriter’s Notebook on our blog offers a variety of helpful links and

recommendations for screenwriters at every level of their career.

And check out our in-house blog Go In the Story, where you can access check THOUSANDS

of articles, interviews, and essays on the art and craft of all things screenwriting, expertly

written and curated by Scott Myers, author of THE PROTAGONIST’S JOURNEY.

Happy writing!

Additional Resources