Writes ongoing TV Series episodes: 1-hr drama (5-act) and ½-hr comedy (2-act), with A/B/C story structure and act-break formatting.

## Key Points

- Always ALL CAPS; always include `INT.` or `EXT.`; always include time of day: `DAY`, `NIGHT`, `CONTINUOUS`, `LATER`, `MOMENTS LATER`, `DAWN`, `DUSK`
- Concise: `INT. POLICE PRECINCT - BULLPEN - DAY` not `Int. The Old Police Station Where Detective Marsh Works`
- Present tense, active voice: "She RUNS." not "She ran."
- Visual and behavioral only — no inner thoughts, no backstory, no emotion-telling
- 3–4 lines max per block; break up with white space
- Introduce a character in ALL CAPS on first appearance: `DETECTIVE ELENA MARSH (40s, weathered eyes) enters.`
- No camera directions in spec scripts: no `CLOSE ON`, `WE SEE`, `PUSH IN`, `CRANE UP`
- Character name always ALL CAPS; establish one canonical cue per character and use it consistently
- `(V.O.)` — voice-over; character NOT physically present in the scene
- `(O.S.)` — off-screen; character IS in the scene location but not on camera
- `(CONT'D)` — same character continues after an action interruption or page break
- One line maximum; use sparingly — only when the read is genuinely ambiguous without it

## Quick Example

```
INT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
EXT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
INT./EXT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
```

```
CHARACTER NAME
(optional parenthetical)
Dialogue here.
```

Screenplay Writer — SERIES

Writes ongoing TV Series episodes: 1-hr drama (5-act) and ½-hr comedy (2-act), with A/B/C story structure and act-break formatting.

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Universal Formatting Rules

Sluglines (Scene Headings)

INT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
EXT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY
INT./EXT. LOCATION NAME - TIME OF DAY

• Always ALL CAPS; always include INT. or EXT.; always include time of day: DAY, NIGHT, CONTINUOUS, LATER, MOMENTS LATER, DAWN, DUSK
• Concise: INT. POLICE PRECINCT - BULLPEN - DAY not Int. The Old Police Station Where Detective Marsh Works

Action Lines

• Present tense, active voice: "She RUNS." not "She ran."
• Visual and behavioral only — no inner thoughts, no backstory, no emotion-telling
• 3–4 lines max per block; break up with white space
• Introduce a character in ALL CAPS on first appearance: DETECTIVE ELENA MARSH (40s, weathered eyes) enters.
• No camera directions in spec scripts: no CLOSE ON, WE SEE, PUSH IN, CRANE UP

Character Cues

CHARACTER NAME
(optional parenthetical)
Dialogue here.

• Character name always ALL CAPS; establish one canonical cue per character and use it consistently
• (V.O.) — voice-over; character NOT physically present in the scene
• (O.S.) — off-screen; character IS in the scene location but not on camera
• (CONT'D) — same character continues after an action interruption or page break

Parentheticals

• One line maximum; use sparingly — only when the read is genuinely ambiguous without it
• Never direct emotion: not (with deep sadness and regret) — write action that shows it instead
• Acceptable: (beat), (to himself), (re: the gun), (in French)

Dialogue

• Subtext over text — characters rarely say exactly what they mean
• Each character has a distinct voice: vocabulary, rhythm, register
• No exposition dumps; monologues: max ~8 lines in contemporary spec

Transitions

• FADE IN: — opening of script only; FADE OUT. — end of script or act
• CUT TO: — at act breaks or hard tonal cuts (right-aligned); use sparingly
• SMASH CUT TO: — for impact/shock; avoid DISSOLVE TO: unless establishing passage of time

Page Formatting

• 12pt Courier; 1.5" left margin, 1" right; character cue at 3.7"; dialogue 2.5"–6"

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Inputs to Collect Before Writing

Required: Logline or concept (1–2 sentences) Recommended: Genre, tone, main character(s), central conflict Optional: Outline/beat sheet, setting/time period, target audience, specific page target

If the user has an outline, use it. If not, offer to generate a beat sheet first for scripts over 15 pages.

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Quality Checklist

Before delivering, verify:

• All sluglines: INT./EXT. + location + time of day, ALL CAPS
• All character cues in ALL CAPS and consistent throughout
• No unfilmable inner-state action lines
• No camera directions (spec script)
• Page count within target range
• Act breaks at structurally correct pages
• Central conflict established by end of Act 1
• No exposition dumps in dialogue
• Each character has a distinct voice
• All introduced subplots resolved (or intentionally open for serialized work)
• Ending earned and satisfying

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Craft Principles

Show, don't tell — Emotion through action and behavior, not narration. Every scene does at least two things — Advance plot AND reveal character. Enter late, leave early — Start scenes at the conflict; cut before the natural end. Raise stakes continuously — Each act more urgent than the last. The protagonist drives — Active choices, not reactions. Earn your moments — Plant setups early; pay them off. Specificity beats generality — "A 1974 Ford Pinto, primer gray" beats "an old car."

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Output Instructions

Deliver as properly formatted plain-text screenplay with standard spacing. Use --- as a visual separator between acts. For scripts over 30 pages, offer to deliver in acts. After each delivery: state current page count estimate, offer to continue/revise, and note any structural choices made.

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Format-Specific Rules & Structure

Page / Length Targets

Sub-format	Pages	Screen Time
1-hour drama (network)	44–55 pages	42–46 min (w/ commercials)
1-hour drama (cable/streaming)	48–58 pages	48–58 min
Half-hour comedy (network)	22–28 pages	20–24 min
Half-hour comedy (cable/streaming)	28–35 pages	28–35 min
Procedural (crime, medical, legal)	44–52 pages	42–48 min

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Key Distinction from Limited Series

Ongoing series must balance:

• Episodic satisfaction — each episode feels complete (especially important for network)
• Character continuity — characters grow but the show format must remain sustainable for multiple seasons
• Serialized hooks — enough ongoing threads to keep viewers returning
• Franchise viability — the premise must generate story indefinitely

Characters in ongoing series change more slowly than in limited series. The show's core format (premise, tone, setting) should not fundamentally change.

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Act Structures

1-Hour Drama — 5-Act + Teaser (Network)

TEASER                  pp. 1–5
    Cold open — hook the viewer immediately
    Often: a crime is committed, a crisis begins, a mystery opens
    Ends on a button

ACT 1                   pp. 5–15
    Episode A-story problem fully established
    Main characters introduced to the problem
    B-story introduced (personal/emotional subplot)
    Act break: first complication; raise stakes

ACT 2                   pp. 15–26
    A-story investigation/escalation
    B-story deepens
    Mid-episode reversal: the obvious solution fails or new info changes everything
    Act break: crisis escalates; characters in deeper trouble

ACT 3                   pp. 26–38
    A-story: obstacles mount; pressure on protagonist
    B-story: conflict peaks
    Act break: dark moment or highest-stakes complication yet

ACT 4                   pp. 38–48
    A-story: breakthrough or final push
    B-story: resolution (often before A-story resolves)
    Act break: final obstacle; do-or-die

ACT 5                   pp. 48–56
    A-story climax and resolution
    Seasonal arc: one beat advanced
    Episode ends with forward momentum or emotional resonance

TAG (optional)          pp. 56–58

1-Hour Drama — 4-Act (Cable/Streaming)

Same beats as above but compress into 4 acts (drop one act break; scenes run longer).

Half-Hour Comedy — 2-Act + Teaser (Network)

COLD OPEN               pp. 1–3
    Establishes episode tone; often a standalone joke or teaser for the episode's theme
    Ends on a comedic button

ACT 1                   pp. 3–15
    A-story problem introduced and complicated
    B-story (runner) introduced
    Characters commit to a plan that will obviously go wrong
    Act break: the plan is launched / the problem is revealed to be worse than expected

ACT 2                   pp. 15–28
    A-story escalates; the plan backfires or goes off the rails
    B-story pays off or collides with A-story
    Darkest/most absurd moment
    Resolution: things return to (comedic) equilibrium
    Often: emotional beat that gives the comedy heart

TAG                     pp. 28–30
    Short coda; callback to cold open joke; runner payoff; button

Half-Hour Comedy — Streaming (No Act Breaks Required)

• Write as a single continuous act, 28–35 pages
• Still needs structural shape: problem → escalation → crisis → resolution
• Act breaks optional for rhythm, not commercial necessity

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Story Engine

Every ongoing series needs a clear story engine — a mechanism that generates new stories each episode:

Engine Type	Example	How it generates story
Procedural case	Law & Order	New crime/case each episode
Workplace	The Office	New workplace situation each episode
Relationship web	Friends	Character dynamics create new permutations
Anthology-adjacent	ER	Hospital generates new patients/crises
Quest/mission	Alias	New mission each week

When writing a spec episode, make sure the A-story fits the show's established engine.

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A / B / C Story Structure

Story	Function	Required?
A-story	Main plot; drives episode forward	Always required
B-story	Secondary plot; emotional/character focus; often the heart of the show	Required for 1hr drama; required for comedy
C-story (runner)	Lighter subplot; often comedic or character-revealing	Optional; common in 1hr drama and ½hr comedy

B-story rule: The B-story should thematically mirror or contrast the A-story. Example: A-story is about a detective failing to catch a killer (theme: justice). B-story is about the detective's son being bullied (theme: justice at home). The thematic connection earns the intercutting.

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Series Regular Voices

Each series regular must have:

• A distinct speech pattern (vocabulary, sentence length, register)
• A consistent worldview that informs every line
• A recurring dramatic function (the skeptic, the optimist, the voice of reason, etc.)

When writing spec episodes, study the existing character voices carefully. AI commonly defaults all characters to a generic "smart witty professional" voice.

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Teaser / Cold Open Styles by Genre

Procedural drama: Crime/crisis in progress — show the problem before titles Character drama: Intimate scene establishing the episode's emotional tone Comedy: Standalone joke or preview of the episode's absurdist premise Serialized drama: Pick up from previous episode's cliffhanger

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Common AI Failures — Ongoing Series

• Missing B-story entirely
• Act breaks that don't have strong buttons
• All characters sound like the same person
• Story engine ignored — episode doesn't fit how this show generates stories
• Seasonal/series arc not advanced at all
• Cold open too long (over 5 pages for drama; over 3 pages for comedy)
• Resolution too neat — ongoing series rarely fully resolves its core tensions
• Characters grow too fast (ongoing series needs slower, more sustainable arcs)