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The TV spec of the season

December 12, 2005 Television

Veteran TV writer Ken Levine, whose [blog](http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/) was recently added to the list on the right-hand side, has a post up about [which TV shows would be best to spec](http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2005/12/my-spec-is-earl.html) this season.

For readers unfamiliar with how TV staffing works, here’s the rundown.

Writers hoping to get staffed on a given show (or frankly, any show — it’s a tough business), write sample scripts of shows currently on the air. So, if you’re looking to get a job writing on a show like CSI, you’d write a sample (spec) episode of a one-hour crime drama. You wouldn’t necessarily write a CSI, but rather a newer show that people like. Maybe Numbers. Or Numb3rs.

God, I hate what Se7en hath wrought.

The goal is to write an episode of a show that most everyone likes, _but isn’t sick of yet._ Ken suggests “My Name is Earl.” For me, the choice would have to be “The Office.” My assistant Chad and his writing partner, who hope to staff on a sitcom this year, wrote a terrific Office spec that should serve them well.

Sadly, I’ve read two or three spec episodes of “D.C.,” the failed drama I created at WB. For a brief time, it was considered a good spec because of the challenging structure (five main characters, at work and at home) and opportunity for comedy.

Trust me: write a show that lasts more than seven episodes.

Related Posts

  1. Television specs
  2. Researching and writing The Circle
  3. Whether to pitch or to spec

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