High-End TV: What is it, How do You Write it, and Reasons it may Fail Your Story

22 Sept

What is a Medium?

Click HERE to read more about story mediums.

What is High-End TV?

High-End TV (HETV) is an expression which essentially translates to ‘big budget limited series’. And when I say big budget, I’m talking Hollywood blockbuster levels of funding.

Projects of that scale, inevitably, don’t last for very long. Producers aren’t going to commission a 23-episode season of a drama with a budget that would bankrupt Disney. Stories are told episodically over the course of, on average, 3 to 13 episodes, concluding in a way that is satisfying if truly the end, but leaving enough open to explore more if commissioned for further series.

Similarly to movies and blockbusters, HETV series come with full press tours, a premier, and adverts on bus stops.

There’s no clear definition on the best genre for a HETV project, but they do better when they are genre pieces. Tried and tested genre tropes are enticing to big name producers and, increasingly, A-list actors and celebrities.

Something else you’ll commonly find with a HETV project is ‘source material’. Whether it’s a book, true events, or a beloved movie, HETV series rely heavily on a pre-existing audience.

But you’re a writer, and you only care about what it is to write for HETV, so here are your main considerations if choosing to write for such a high-stakes limited series:

The series is one story, told over multiple episodes (between 3 and 13)
Despite being one story, rules of episodic storytelling must still be adhered to.
Set-pieces aren’t essential, but help elevate the ‘high-end’ element of HETV
The pace should be deliberate, but never sag. Every shot is going to cost a lot of money, earn them.
So, avoid the mid-series slump with a strong mid-point that changes the game

Examples of High-End TV

Sherlock (BBC)
Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
Broadchurch (ITV)
House of the Dragon (HBO)
The Crown (Netflix)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
His Dark Materials (HBO / BBC)
Kaos (Netflix)
Lost Boys and Fairies (BBC)
Foundation (Apple TV+)
It’s a Sin (Channel 4)

Benefits of Writing for High-End TV

The Budget:
I mean, who doesn’t love to be told that whatever they put on paper will be realised in the most stunning way imaginable?
The Scope:
As you can see from the above list, HETV can be as intimate as a tale of adoption, or as enormous as a Galactic War.
The Support:
As far as you’re concerned, writing is at the heart of HETV. Nothing moves until the script is ready. You’ll be provided with some of the best and brightest script editors around to help lift your story to new heights, and keep you on schedule.
The Audience Reach (For Now):
We’re still in the era of peak TV. For now, it’s where audiences are. Admittedly, they’re all on streaming services, but from a production perspective, writing a HETV drama is a surefire way to get your story on bus stops and in eyeballs.

Drawbacks of Writing for High-End TV

Loss of Copyright:
You may have seen the story of True Detective, creator, Nic Pizzolato, who was NOT the writer of series 4 of his own show, nor was he asked to. There’s been a back and forth about how bitter Nic truly is about it, but the bottom line is the same. Despite creating the show, the studio had no qualms continuing it without him. Whether you agree it was the right decision or not, you need to be aware that success in this field can be a double-edged sword.
No Guaranteed Future / The Netflix Effect:
I’m still bitter about Kaos, and chances are you’ve also been burned by Netflix’s need to commission great drama and then ditch it as soon as it’s not the next big thing (and sometimes when it is). So, if your story is too big to be told in a single series, maybe look elsewhere (or get a two series commission, but good luck with that!)
Telling a Single Story:
The one thing that network and lower budget drama has that HETV doesn’t really have is the ensemble cast. Foundation only has a core cast of about 5, with three actors playing multiple generations of Emperor Cleon. Even when sprawling an entire galaxy, HETV drama doesn’t have time for too many sub-plots. For some, that’s great news, but for writers that love a dense and well-explored story world, it’s not so fun.