Howdy, fellow Content Creators and Dream Builders!  

I've written several posts about the television series I'm creating. If you need a recap, here they are. 

https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@jenniferskyler/howdy-steemit-i-m-jennifer-skyler-writer-and-actress-with-love-from-portland

https://steemit.com/life/@jenniferskyler/how-cancer-cannabis-an-original-comedy-tv-series-idea-by-jenniferskyler-with-love-from-portland

Now that you know a bit about me and the project I'm creating, let's dive into the nitty-gritty of writing comedy for televsion. Woo hoo!

 In TV, we call the first episode of any series "the pilot". The pilot is the test (pilot?) to see if a show has legs with an audience or not. 

As a writer, before I start writing a pilot, I like to do all of my homework - such as deeply developing the backstory of the characters.

For example: 

TINA is in her 30's, lives at home, and has never completed a community college course. She suffers from severe OCD, a nervous bladder, and social anxiety. She's also a brilliant composer, singer, and guitar player. Tina met her best friend, NINA at Self-Esteem camp when they were 12. Nina is also in 30's. Her parents were missionaries, and died when Nina was 12. Tina's mother Sophia took Nina in and raised the girls together. Nina suffers from PTSD, social anxieties, and an unbelievably nervous stomach. She's the lyricist of the duo, and also plays the traveling dulcimer.

Beyond the backstory, I also like to figure out an arc of a first season of episodes - at least - before beginning to write a pilot. All of this helps me figure out how to chart the story arc of the pilot, etc. Then, it's time to write "the pilot" for reals - which is what I'm in the throes of doing, currently. 

Every TV comedy episode is broken up into several sections - bite size pieces, if you will, with room for commercial breaks. First, there is a Teaser - a funny, short bit with our characters that is about 2-3 pages long. An appetizer. It leaves us wanting to see more - which is a good thing. If we were seeing the episode on network TV, the Teaser is followed by a commercial break.

The Teaser ( +commercial break) is then followed by Act One. In the case of the pilot of TINA AND NINA, Act One is when we see the inner-workings of their home-life, school-life, their crushes, and their relationship with each other.  

Between Act One and Act Two, is, you guessed it - another commercial break. 

If Act One is the set-up, then Act Two is the punchline - and, truly, the launch of the series of TINA AND NINA, if you will. Act Two is when Tina and Nina discover Tina's mother Sophia has stage four Breast Cancer, and that after years of social isolation, they must go to work to support Sophia or risk losing their home - risk losing... everything. Tina and Nina literally cannot afford to play small or stay fearful any longer. It's do or die. 

This is the inciting incident that propels our heroes out of the limited, phobia-filled world they were living in, into the the quirky Portland, Oregon workforce. 

After Act Two - wow, you're psychic - is another commercial break.

Following the final commercial break, some show creators like to throw a "Tag" on at the end of an episode, which is often the continuation of a joke set up in the episode. In the case of TINA AND NINA, the Tag is when we will see them singing the song they've been composing throughout the episode. Pretty neat, eh?

So, here it is, the beginning of "the pilot" for TINA AND NINA, the Teaser. 

Stay tuned for Act One, Act Two, and the TAG.

With Love From Portland,

Jennifer Skyler

P.S. Pardon the formatting - Final Draft does not translate easily to Steemit's beta layout. I had to do a l'il improvising.

                                                 TINA AND NINA

FADE IN:

INT. A STAGE

A spotlight shines on a microphone, a guitar, and a traveling dulcimer. Above the stage, is a banner reading “OPEN MIC NIGHT!”

                                                                                  NARRATOR (V.O.)

                This is the story of the sometimes meandering, sometimes meteoric, rise to fame of the comedic                                  singing/songwriting duo Tina and Nina.

Nothing happens. There is a COUGH in the audience. Some SHUFFLING OF FEET.

                                                                                 NARRATOR (V.O.)

                                                     Tina and Nina... Tina and Nina, we’re ready for you. 

The camera pans past the EXPECTANT AUDIENCE to the back of the venue, and rests on the closed Women’s Bathroom door.

INT. WOMEN’S BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS

TINA GIBBONS (30’s), tall, and gawkily attractive, crouches under a hand dryer, frantically lifting her soaking wet skirt up to the hot air. 

                                                                                             TINA

                                                               It’s not drying fast enough! Nina!

Tina quickly hits the button on the hand dryer multiple times.

                                                                                            TINA (CONT’D)

                                                              ...5,6,7,8. 

NINA MATHERS (30’s), short and curvy, quickly adjusts her skirt while running out of a stall. She hurries to the sink to wash her hands.

                                                                                           NINA

                                           I feel SO much better. Don’t worry, they’ll never know it’s pee.

Nina turns to Tina, with a huge smile and two thumbs up. 

                                                                                          NINA (CONT’D)

                 We’re beautiful, talented, and they’re gonna love us. This is our moment to shine. Let’s rock this, Tina!

Nina raises her right hand to “high five” Tina, and promptly PROJECTILE VOMITS down the front of Tina’s blouse.

                                                                                                                                                                                         CUT TO:

INT. WOMEN’S BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER

The bathroom door is slowly swinging shut. Next to the door, in the trash can, are Tina’s blouse and skirt.

INT. STAGE - CONTINUOUS

Tina and Nina sprint onto the stage - Tina is wearing Nina’s skirt, pulled up under her armpits, and barely grazing her thighs. Nina is wearing only her shirt - which barely reaches the tops of her thighs. 

The audience APPLAUDS politely. 

Tina and Nina pick up their instruments and continue trotting right off the stage. 

The audience, confused, SLOWLY STOPS CLAPPING.

At the last moment, Tina turns, reaches her long arm back across the stage and begins to tap the microphone compulsively. 

There’s FEEDBACK. The audience cringes.

                                                                                       TINA

                                                                     ...5, 6, 7, 8, NINA, HELP I CAN'T STOP! 

Nina runs back on the stage, grabs Tina’s hand of the microphone, and yanks her best friend offstage.

                                                                                                                                                                                CUT TO:

INT. TINA AND NINA’S CAR

Tina and Nina sit in the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat in the front of the sedan, staring looking ahead... stunned.

                                                                                          NINA

                                                                     That. Was...

                                                                                          TINA

                                                                     Amazing! 

They turn toward each other and “high five”.

                                                                                         NINA

                                                                  We’ve never made it on stage before!

                                                                                                                                                                                   FADE OUT.