The Dead Zone - Season 1 Writers' Guide
The Dead Zone - Season 1 Writers' Guide
The Dead Zone - Season 1 Writers' Guide
TO:
SEASON ONE
SOME DONTS:
1.
Although we want stories in which Johnny helps people, we dont want this to
become Touched by an Angel. We must find interesting, unique and fresh
ways to tell stories. No preaching please. Find the unexpected twist.
2.
Dont pitch stories out of the book. Well be integrating elements of the novel
into character development for the first season. (i.e., Dont come in and pitch
Johnny meets candidate Greg Stillson.)
3.
4.
Dont pitch story arcs that run multiple episodes. What we need from you are
self-contained stories.
SOME DOS:
1. We love mysteries. Letting Johnny see a fragment of an image and trying to
figure out what it might mean while a clock is ticking will work well for us.
Johnnys visions do not have to be as clear as they were in the pilot (and the
book); they can be obscure and create puzzles for him to solve. Note: Do not
confuse mysteries with crime solving. We do not want to see Johnny solving a
new crime every week.
2.
3.
Well always embrace new and interesting ways for Johnny to use his powers.
(As well as new ways to visualize those powers on screen.)
4.
5.
Youll make a good impression with the boss if you bring us a story that is about
something. We intend to explore the world in which we live through this series.
Smart pitch technique: begin with, this is a story about... and then tell us the
theme you want to explore (i.e. This is a story about mass paranoia and the
dangers of mob rule, a la the Salem Witch hunts. It begins when Johnnys car
breaks down in a small Maine town and...)
JOHNNY SMITH - Johnny is an everyman man pulled between an ordinary life and
an extraordinary life... struggling to fit into this world with his new talents. How
would you or I (or a member of the viewing audience) adjust to our lives if we were
suddenly given magical powers thats at the heart of Johnnys dilemma and one of
our continuing themes. For example, Johnnys abilities will force him to live in the
glare of unwanted public attention and celebrity. He will often wonder if hes been
blessed or cursed. But through it all, Johnny never loses his natural ability to find
humor in even the darkest of circumstances.
BRUCE LEWIS - Bruce will become a best friend and a continuing source of comic
relief and inspiration to Johnny.
While the plots we tell may be astonishing, it is his relationships with Bruce, Walt and
Sarah that keeps Johnny human and real to audiences.
Recurring:
GREG STILLSON - We think the story of this evil politician will begin towards the
end of the first season. Stillson will be introduced to the storyline through Reverend
Purdys right-wing political organization.
DANA BRIGHT - Dana, an attractive but deeply cynical female reporter will be
introduced in episode two. Later, she will be recruited by Purdy to induce and
perhaps even seduce Johnny to serve Purdys goals. But as Johnny makes a powerful
difference in her life, she becomes dedicated to him. She is a potential love interest
for Johnny who suffers when she sees how much Johnny still loves Sarah. (And
Sarah may become jealous of her as well.)
DR. SHARON WEIZAK - Johnny will seek, in vain, a cure to his condition. We are
exploring the potential of a character, to be introduced early in the first season, who is
a leading expert in her field and could help Johnny understand and harness his
powers. Like so many of the women he meets, she will be profoundly affected by and
attracted to Johnny.
STORIES
As previously noted, while our character arcs continue during the life of the series, we
will do episodes that stand on their own.
In your pitches, please be prepared to tell us in the broadest strokes, the beginning,
middle and end to your story. Try to describe the arc that one of our central characters
moves through during the episode (i.e. Walt begins the episode as a pure skeptic, but by
the end of the story has to acknowledge that Johnny has helped the investigation.)
Please dont work out all the details of your pitch I dont like to sit through a long scene
by scene description. If we like your idea, well break down the structure together after
we buy it. This is important. Keep it simple. Sell us on your passion for the idea.
The guest star should never drive the story. Johnny has to be active not reactive.
I encourage all writers to literally think outside the box I dont want to do traditional
television here. Our ambition is to make each hour a classic of the genre that audiences
will want to watch over and over again.
Come and help us meet the challenge.