Forgive my ignorance if this thread or one like it already exsists. I didn't see anything at first glance.
Can anyone fill in a N00b on specifically how to format hour long teleplays for a series? or point me to the thread where this discussion exsists?
is it anything like the 3 Act structure explained in the other thread (catalyst, big event, ect.)  Thanks.

i'm not a one post wonder. i plan to fully participate on this board.

An hour-long show is typically a forty-four page script.  The idea is one page per minute, with eight minutes set aside for commercials per hour.  Where those commercials are located depends on ...

... look, a distraction!

*runs away*

40 pages -got it. is each commercial break considered the end of an Act?

That was hilarious Alan, why can't you be like that more often.

Talk to George, I do write T.V. series but I also do it screenplay style and ignore the act breaks which I think bog down a script especially if people are reading it. I keep the act break stuff in my personal copies.

Stargate Horizon is  a good example of a teleplay written in format. http://www.stargatehorizon.com/

Quoted from SwapJack 40 pages -got it. is each commercial break considered the end of an Act?

No, not 40 pages.  44 pages.  In a typical mass-market show, the commercial breaks are at the end of the so-called acts.

Yeah 44... got it. thanks guys

For US network TV, hour dramas typically have 55-60 page scripts. If you're writing a spec for a particular show, try to get some actual shooting scripts from that show. Each show has little differences in structure and format, so the actual scripts are your best bet.

Usually four acts, sometimes five.

http://www.finaldraft.com/resources/tipsandarticles/tvwriter19.php4

For example, CSI Miami "Extreme" ep 210 from 2003. 59 pages total. 4 pg teaser, 11 pg act I, 14 pg act II, 13 pg act III, & 17 pg act IV.

Buffy (from ten years ago, but still relevant, IMHO) "Weclome to the Hellmouth". 57 pages total. 3 pg teaser, 14 pg act I, 12 pg act II, 15 pg act III, & 13 pg act IV.

Grey's Anatomy, "The First Cut is the Deepest" from last season.  60 pages total. 11 pg teaser, 9 pg act I, 11 pg act II, 11 pg act III, 9 pg act IV, & 9 pg act V.

Worth checking out some of the TV pdf's in the script section. The ER script, "Motherhood" is a fine example of TV script format and structure.

The Buffy script books stay fairly true to the original shooting script format. Available at a lot of libraries and used. Worth checking out for the writing as well as the format.

thanks odocoileus, that's what i've been looking for.

One key to TV writing is that each Act has to end with a hook of some kind to bring the audience back after commercials.

Some other examples on simplyscripts are the fan scripts of TV shows, most notably Buffy Seasons 8 & 9. Something Inbetween / Chris and Sunday are also good examples showing off TV format. While unproduced, they at least show what it looks like.

If you look through the TV Scripts, you can find quite a few that are actual drafts as opposed to transcripts as well.

One thing you'll find is a variance on the number of Acts and whether they have a teaser and/or epilogue. This is all show dependant.

As for the actual structure, they will still follow that basic arc, but TV shows tend to have more characters and each character will have their own arc through the episode. It's up to you to decide which arc provides the best hook.

i'm definetly into the whole 24 and Lost way of doing things. ending every segment with a hook and every episode with a cliffhanger. thats the way to go.