TV Script Format: The Complete Guide to Writing a Killer Pilot
TV Script Format: The Complete Guide to Writing a Killer Pilot
Writing a feature screenplay and writing a TV pilot are two very different exercises, even though both rely on Courier font and share the same basic layout rules. A reader at a network, streamer, or production company can spot a script that ignores teleplay conventions within seconds — a missing act structure, no cold open, a rhythm that doesn't match episodic television. The result: a genuinely strong pilot can get passed over simply because its form signals an unfamiliarity with the medium.
This guide breaks down the specifics of TV script format, the structure readers expect from a pilot, and the tools that let you produce an industry-standard document without burning hours fighting tab stops and paragraph styles. Whether you're writing a multi-camera sitcom, a single-camera drama, or a commercial-free streaming series, you'll walk away with the essentials — plus a straightforward way to stop worrying about formatting altogether with software like Slash.
What makes TV script format different
TV script format inherits the ground rules of feature screenwriting — 12pt Courier, standard margins, all-caps scene headings — but layers on conventions specific to episodic television.
Single-camera vs. multi-camera. Dramas and most modern comedies (single-camera) follow a layout close to feature film format. Sitcoms shot in front of a live audience (multi-camera, think Friends or The Big Bang Theory) use a distinct format entirely: double-spaced dialogue in all caps, stage directions in parentheses and bold. Mixing up the two is one of the fastest tells that a script came from a beginner.
Act structure. Unlike a feature, which runs as one continuous piece, a TV episode is broken into acts separated by commercial breaks — and even on ad-free streaming platforms, the convention has stuck around because it shapes narrative rhythm. A typical episode opens with a teaser (or cold open) followed by four to six acts, each ending on a small cliffhanger designed to keep the audience watching.
The cold open (or teaser). This is the opening scene, before the main titles, meant to hook the viewer in under three minutes. In a pilot, it's often the single most rewritten scene in the whole script — it has to establish the world, set the tone, and create enough of a hook to justify watching the full episode.
Page count and pacing. The "one page equals one minute of screen time" rule still applies to television, but with tighter ranges per format: roughly 22 pages for a 22-minute sitcom, 55 to 65 pages for a one-hour drama. A pilot that runs long is an immediate red flag for professional readers.
These conventions aren't administrative box-checking — they reflect real production and editing constraints, and following them signals that you understand the medium you're writing for.
How to structure a TV pilot
A pilot has a dual, almost contradictory job: tell a complete, satisfying story in 25 to 60 minutes while also making the audience want to come back for episode two. That's what separates it from a feature script, which is built to close the book entirely.
Establish the world and characters without info-dumping. A pilot needs to introduce the protagonist, their world, and the series' central hook — often within the first twenty pages. It's tempting to over-explain the rules of the world too early; the strongest pilots deliver information through action and subtext rather than expository dialogue.
Build an A-story and a B-story. Most episodes weave together a main plot (the A-story), often tied to the season's larger arc, with a secondary plot (the B-story) that develops a character or relationship. This interlacing keeps the episode's pace varied and avoids the flatness of a single storyline stretched across 45 pages.
End every act on tension. Each act break should land on a question, a reversal, or a revelation that re-hooks the audience. It's a genuine writing skill: thinking in mini-cliffhangers roughly every ten pages, without it feeling mechanical.
The tag or epilogue. Many series close on a short scene after the final act — a beat of humor, a last-minute twist, or something that sets up the next episode. It's often a show's stylistic signature.
For a pilot specifically, remember you're selling both a single episode and a multi-season series concept at once. The strongest readers judge the series' potential just as much as the quality of the episode in front of them.
The best software for writing a TV script
Teleplay formatting — multi-camera especially — is one of the most painful things to get right by hand in a standard word processor: tab stops, paragraph styles, act-break management. This is where your choice of software makes a real difference.
Final Draft remains the historic industry standard and ships with full teleplay templates. But its price (over