The TV Showrunner's Roadmap

1Prepare the Perfect Pitch

Before we get into what and how to pitch your original TV series, first we need to discuss where to pitch it—and that means branding.

Once upon a time, in the old, pre-cable, pre–satellite dish TV, pre-Internet download days, there were three major TV networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC. Decades later, FOX TV became the fourth major network, followed by the WB and UPN—which then merged to become the CW.

And then cable TV exploded—fast and furious—and now we have hundreds of cable networks, each with their own niche audience and content. Niche broadcasting means that each network now has its own signature brand tailored to its core demographic. For example, Lifetime is “Television for Women”; Spike is geared toward men; Nickelodeon ...