Writing TV Drama

Course Content

Drawing on his substantial experience as a TV dramatist and showrunner, Colin teaches a professional approach to screenwriting that will mark you out as someone who understands what producers and commissioners want. Discover how to use an established genre to turn the story that you want to write. Establish the world of your drama on the page so that a production team will get everything they need to know – but crucially no more than that. Put your protagonist in a hostile situation and figure out what they must do to overcome it. And learn how everything on the screen talks – not just dialogue.

By the end of this course, you should have written at least the first 10-12 pages of your script and have the confidence to be able to deliver your pilot to an industry standard.

What does this course give you?

• Video modules: Work through six modules comprising pre-recorded teaching videos and substantial notes by Colin Teevan. You’ll learn the fundamentals of screenwriting, including an understanding of what should definitely go in your script and what should be left out, how to write compelling action and zingy dialogue, and how to pitch your work to the industry.
• Writing tasks: Weekly screenwriting tasks to help you explore and understand the teaching topics and progress your TV drama.
• Scene studies: Read five short scenes from Colin’s own screenplays and hear him discuss his own script decisions in-depth in five videos demonstrating how his teaching works in practice.
• Resources & notes: You’ll get additional resources and teaching notes and a list of recommended watching.
• Professional feedback: An expert CBC editor will give brief written feedback on several of the students' practical assignments every week, with all students receiving feedback on one of their screenwriting tasks. Students are also given the option to purchase additional end-of-course feedback from our expert editors.
• Student forum: Find your writing community on our private student forums. Upload your completed screenwriting tasks, give and receive peer-to-peer feedback, and discuss the week’s topics with your fellow students.