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I know you've come to know and love the 3-Act Structure, but TV scripts actually have 4-5 Acts for an hour-long drama. They still follow the 3-Act Structure in terms
of presenting a problem, raising the STAKES, and resolving the PROBLEM, but there are more dramatic breaks for commercials.
In a TV script, every act (including the teaser or cold open) needs to be centered, capitalized and underlined. The end of the act should follow the same format, so the
end of Act Two should read: "END OF ACT TWO" in your script. (Study examples to ensure you get the exact terminology.)
This general rule applies to features as well, but it's MUCH stricter in the TV-world. There is little wiggle-room if your script is too long since the time slots are tight. You only get an hour, so even if what you have is really, really good, it can't
go over. (Under penalty of TV death.)
If you're writing a spec script for an hour long drama, you should aim for 53-60 pages total over the course of 4-5 acts. Sitcoms are typically 3 Acts. Single-Camera
half-hour sitcoms usually run 28-32 pages long and multi-camera sitcoms are usually 40-48 pages long.
Single-camera sitcoms often follow the format of hour-long dramas and featureswhen it comes to SPACING. Typically, multi-camera sitcoms are filmed in front of
a live audience have double-spaced dialog which accounts for the longer page counts. Of course, there are EXCEPTIONS, so be sure to read script examples for
the show you’re writing a spec for.
A successful television script has its commercial breaks in EXACTLY the right place. For network TV, commercial breaks are unavoidable, but every show does
them a little bit different. Become an EXPERT in the show you’re spec'ing and read example scripts to see where they usually break and when. Some shows have 4,
others have 5. You need to match the show you're writing.
Once you've determined where your breaks need to fall, you need to make sure you have extra compelling DRAMA at those breaks. Commercials on network (and
cable) TV are a fact-of-life, so if your show needs to cut away you need to leave the viewers with a dramatic event strong enough to insure they’ll come back AFTER
the commercials.
When writing a feature, you're used to descriptive character introductions including general physical appearance and age. When writing a TV-spec, the characters are
known. No need to describe Phil Dunphy, we know what he looks like! Save these for new characters you're introducing.
When writing a feature, the second act is usually the LONGEST. In TV, the first act is typically the longest. This is because shows often need a little more time to
HOOK the audience before the initial commercial break. You have to get your viewers invested in the story so they'll stick through the commercials later.
Apart from including a character list and double-spacing your dialog, multi-camera sitcoms filmed in front of a live audience have their own set of RULES. For
example, character exits and entrances are underlined, and major sound effects are often marked with a colon. Just another reason to read episode scripts of the show
you're spec'ing. It's important to MATCH their format!
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