So You Want to Pitch a TV Series?
Here’s exactly what you need in your pitch package and how to approach each piece like a pro.
I’ve spent the last two weeks turning The Alumni into a TV-ready concept. Not as a vague idea, not as a wish, but as a complete pitch package designed for actual industry submission.
Here’s what I did:
First, the shape had to change. A novel can hold thoughts, memories, and internal shifts. Television doesn’t want your inner monologue—it wants action, contradiction, dialogue and behaviour. The story still takes place in Moors Wood School, still follows Clare Rogers as she returns for a careers day and ends up trapped with her old classmates, but the pacing and structure had to be completely rebuilt. What had once been an unfolding psychological thriller novel has become something much tighter, cleaner, and cinematic. I’ve restructured everything into six episodes, closed the world in, and turned up the tension.
Once I had the series shape, I started writing what was required to pitch it properly. Not vague outlines or long-winded explanations, but the documents that commissioners, labs, and producers actually expect to see.
In this post, you'll learn:
What each part of a professional TV pitch looks like
How to write a one-page treatment that actually hooks
What to include in a strong series overview (without oversharing)
How to approach your show bible like a world-builder, not a novelist
Why your pilot sample matters more than your full script
What a personal statement should and shouldn’t say
The difference between a good idea and a pitch-ready story
This is your no-fluff guide to adapting fiction for the screen and building a pitch that holds up in the real world.