A TV series which was totally written before filming began
I need to settle an argument! I want to know if there is a TV series which 1) was completely written before filming started, and 2) was "short" - 1-2 seasons or something.
Note that I am interested in things which were written solely for television; so adaptations of Shakespeare or Dickens would not apply. The argument is actually about the attitude of network executives, who might not be interested in running something which wouldn't have the potential to last forever - regardless of the quality of the show under consideration.
I think a TV series which was totally written after the pilot or something might be ok too.
Anyone have an example?
Best Answer
In Arnold Kane's autobiography, My Meteoric Rise to Obscurity, he fondly remembers his involvement with the production of Make Your own Kind of Music, a one-hour music/variety program that aired in 1971. He says
We wrote all the scripts before production started
It was only an eight-episode summer-replacement series, but it seems to meet the requirements.
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Are TV shows written?
TV shows typically focus on the writing rather than the visuals to drive the story. Movies are more cinematic than most TV shows and involve more considered cinematography. TV shows require more writing in the long-run.Do TV shows film during the season?
A pilot is the first episode of a show -- they're shot, fittingly, during pilot season, between January and May. If the network likes the pilot, it will pick up the show for the season and make it a series. When the network approves a pilot for filming, several things must occur.How long is a TV season?
Thus, a "full season" on a broadcast network now usually runs from September through May for at least 22 episodes. A full season is sometimes split into two separate units with a hiatus around the end of the calendar year, such as the first season of Jericho on CBS.Why are TV shows only 10 episodes?
Actors, writers and producers seem to agree that storytelling can be more focused and deeper when presented over a shorter season. "I think you can attract the talent you want by having a shorter season and you can tell more interesting stories," "X-Files" star David Duchovny told Variety.9 Questions Television Writers Must Answer When Developing A Television Show by Peter Russell
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Answer 2
The British show SPACED consisted of two "series" each 7 episodes long. Each series was completely written before filming began. It allowed them to have more natural call-backs and to keep a more strict control over the tone of the program. It's also brilliant and funny and made by the chaps who brought us Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End.
Answer 3
The BBC recorded and broadcast a series of 37 Shakespeare plays. So that's a series which was completely written (hundreds of years) before filming began.
I don't know if you'd consider 37 episodes to be short. I'd say it's long compared to most UK TV series, but perhaps fairly short compared to most US TV series.
There have also been various adaptations of books that would probably qualify (e.g. Jane Eyre, Pride And Prejudice, Tom Jones).
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