Reddit reviews Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd edition: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV

There are a TON of books out there about writing television and comedy in particular and they can be really helpful, but the best way to learn is really to read scripts. Second to that is what I and my colleagues like to refer to as daring to fail (just write your story), if you have a great story, structure can always be taught and worked out.

If you're working on writing a spec, the best thing you can do is collect as many copies of scripts for the show you're planning to write a spec for and use them as a map - those scripts will inform you about how that particular show is structured because even though there are industry standards, all shows are unique. Depending on length some shows might be 5 acts and a teaser (if it's a one-hour) or 3 acts and a teaser (most half hours), or any other combination of acts and teasers and kickers.

When you're reading these scripts pay close attention to the act-outs to see how the writers typically like to end each act and where the beats fall.

As for books, Show Me the Funny is a good resource. The Hollywood Standard is a staple. Writing the TV Drama Series is one of my favorites, and even though you're looking to write comedy, it is an excellent resource. I haven't read Inside the Room, but I've heard great things about it and it's on my list, so it might be worth a look.

One other thing I will point out is that when you're looking for books that are specifically to be used as resources for writing television, I would steer clear of most books published prior to 2009. I only say that because television more than film has really evolved in a very short amount of time and you want to make sure you're getting the most up to date information.

Other resources to take a look at would be Jon August's Blog, Jane Espenson's blog (though she hasn't updated it in quite awhile), Ken Levine's blog, The Aspiring TV Writer, and The Artful Writer.

I also HIGHLY recommend subscribing and listening to the Nerdist Writer's Panel with Ben Blacker. It's chock full of amazing advice, tips, and great stories from a ton of current television writers.

Hopefully some of this will be helpful! Good luck in your writing endeavors!

You might enjoy reading Writing the TV Drama Series by Pam Douglas.

If you want a book, Writing the TV Drama Series is pretty well respected around here. I've got it but have yet to read it. I've been too busy writing.

If you're looking at TV drama, Writing The TV Drama Series by Pam Douglas isn't bad.

EDIT: You said "it seems it should be a lot easier locating beats and acts in a series where commercials doesn't mess everything up." -- I'd say the opposite is true for television. You literally have act breaks on the page for network shows. It really doesn't get clearer than that.

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I struggled with this a lot because I attempted TV pilots after writing features. While simon2it's approach makes a lot of sense, I'd also recommend keeping a few other things in mind:

In network television, commercial breaks DO equal act breaks (at least, that's the norm). And that does mean up to seven acts as opposed to the traditional 4/5 because the number of breaks are on the up. So for studying television structure, broadcast shows (1 hr dramas and 1/2 hour sitcoms) are the best point of entry for newbies, or writers who're trained in features. Watch as many pilots as you can (as these typically lay the structural foundation for episodes to follow), and READ as many pilots as you can. You'll find act breaks on the page. These are available online, but if you struggle to find them, drop me a PM with your e-mail ID and I'll send you a few. I just checked the pilot script for ABC's American Crime, and it has five acts (maybe I'll watch the pilot in a couple days and let you know how this reconciles with the commercial breaks). Mr. Robot doesn't have act divisions on the page.

Next, I'd advise against approaching television structure using Save The Cat or any similar paradigm. I suppose it's theoretically possible, but in my experience, you need to shed "feature thinking" if you really want to understand television structure, which is more liberal and allows you to just focus on telling a really good story. For instance, sitcom episodes are often not goal-driven (as is the norm in features), but tend to build towards a future event which serves as a third-act set piece. Network procedurals might be comparable to features, but things will get really muddy if you use a feature lens to understand cable and streaming.

In sum, to understand television structure: watch tv pilots, and read tv pilots and episodes. Everything you can get your hands on. That's the best education you could possibly have. If you'd like to complement this with theory, I'd recommend these books:

Writing the TV Drama Series, by Pamela Douglas
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-TV-Drama-3rd-Professional/dp/1615930582/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452403878&sr=8-1&keywords=pamela+douglas

Future of Television, by Pamela Douglas
http://www.amazon.com/Future-Television-Guide-Creating-World/dp/1615932143/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452403878&sr=8-2&keywords=pamela+douglas

Into the Woods, by John Yorke
http://www.amazon.com/Into-Woods-Five-Act-Journey-Story/dp/1468310941/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1452403897&sr=8-9&keywords=into+the+woods

Also check out Writing the TV Drama Series.