Writing TV Drama – Three Months

From pitch to pilot – work on your original TV drama with leading industry professionals.

With weekly teaching and group workshopping on Thursday evenings hosted on Zoom, this course will help you hone your craft and make real progress with your TV script. It’s ideal for those looking for a practical online alternative to a postgraduate screenwriting course.

Across three months, 15 talented writers will each develop an idea for a drama serial, write a 60-minute pilot episode and evolve a plan for further episodes – supported by the expert teaching of experienced screenwriter and producer Jamie Nuttgens.

Plus you’ll attend three Zoom masterclasses from leading TV industry professionals, including Curtis Brown’s Theatre, Film and Television agents, and an in-depth one-to-one tutorial from an experienced producer or script editor.

What does this course give you?

• Live teaching sessions on Zoom: Jamie will teach on topics important for developing and writing a TV drama serial. Topics include character development, structure, plot, endings and more.
• A community of writers: Our selective applications process means that you will be writing your TV drama in a peer group of 15 students working at a high level. We have developed a bespoke online learning platform exclusively for our students. Here you can give and receive feedback, and discuss the week’s topics with your fellow students and tutors. Many of our former students have found their trusted readers with us – and form strong working friendships with classmates which go on long after the course is over.
• Group workshops: On 10 evenings, Jamie will lead group workshops live on Zoom giving dedicated feedback on 2,000-word extracts of your pilot script. Each student gets two workshops focused on their own work across the course.
• One-to-one tutorials: You'll get a 25-minute one-to-one tutorial with Jamie, as well as a 45-minute tutorial with an experienced producer or script editor.
• Three industry masterclasses: Top TV professionals share their expertise during these special Zoom sessions. Key leading figures of the TV production process will guide students through the process of drama development, with focus on students' work. In one session, TV agents from Curtis Brown will talk about the agent's role and answer questions on the industry and how to get your work noticed.
• Share your work with agents: At the end of the course all students will be invited to informally share the first fifteen pages of your pilot script (max 2,200 words) plus 50-word pitch and 300-word outline for the series with the Curtis Brown agent team. Agents may request to see more.

Course schedule

All teaching and workshop sessions will take place on Thursday evenings from 7pm to 9pm (unless otherwise stated below). Please note that precise dates of sessions and details of course speakers are subject to change.

Course fees

Our selective applications process means that you will be writing your script in a peer group of 15 students working at a high level.

The course fee of £2,100 (inclusive of VAT, please note that additional fees may apply if you’re based in a country with a higher VAT rate than the UK) per student is payable, in full, by bank transfer or debit/credit card before the start of the course. (Please note, card payments will incur an additional transaction fee.) However, if you are unable to pay the full fee upfront, let us know and we can arrange an instalment plan.

Ready to apply?

Please apply with the opening of your pilot script (up to fifteen pages – maximum 2,200 words) in industry standard format, 300 words synopsising your entire pilot episode and 300 words synopsising the rest of your serial. All of these materials need to be in the same document, as you can only upload ONE PDF file.

We will be reading and responding to applicants throughout the application window. We, therefore, advise people who are keen to join this course to apply early.

The CBC team will select applicants based on the quality of the writing sample provided.

Please upload your application via the form on this page. If you encounter any problems during the application process, or have any more questions about the course, please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk for assistance.

Scholarship place

The Breakthrough Scholarship for TV Screenwriters of Colour will award one talented writer of colour with limited financial means a place on this three-month Writing TV Drama course. Deadline Sunday 26 Oct.

Breakthrough Scholarship for TV Screenwriters of Colour