How to Write a TV Talk Show Proposal

How to Write a TV Talk Show Proposal
Published: Dec 22, 2010
Updated: Jan 10, 2019
2 minute read

Typically, talk shows go to former celebrities who no longer act but want to stay in the limelight. This does not mean you are unable to submit ideas and proposals for your own TV-talk show. Industry executives are always looking for the next, great show and are open to ideas. But to have your TV-talk show successfully green-lighted you need to not only have a great proposal but a little luck.

Write a one sentence synopses of your TV show. Synopsize your show to one sentence because if you can't sell the TV show in one sentence, no one is going to buy it. Expect that executives who get hundreds of show ideas aren't interested in reading an essay on your show, so that single sentence is what gets you through the first screening process.

Write up exactly what the show is and what it aims to achieve in full, precisely and concisely. Expect the first read of your script and information to be done by individuals who make minimum wage and who are trying to move up in the industry; if they are bored quickly your proposal ends up in the trash just as quickly.

State who is the target audience: a larger target audience means more potential revenue for the show and the entertainment industry is all about money.

Become friends with the script readers or other individuals at the studio you are sending the proposal to. Knowing the initial person who reads the script means it's more likely to be to passed up to their boss.

Stay persistent. Give up after one rejection to guarantee you aren't going to make it in the entertainment industry.

Greyson Ferguson

Greyson Ferguson is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in film and television. He currently resides in Lansing, Michigan where he works on independent film projects and writes for numerous publications.…

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