📺 A Writer's Guide to TV Structure

Structuring the One-Hour Drama

Most hour-long dramas weave multiple plotlines together, organized by importance:

The "A" Story: The main plotline.
The "B" Story: The second most important plotline.
The "C" Story: A smaller, tertiary plotline.

The teaserDramatic material before the titles, designed to hook viewers immediately. is the material shown before the opening credits. Its primary function is to grab viewers "faster than the enemies, which are the remote, mouse, or esc button".

The traditional template for a one-hour network drama, built around commercial breaks. Each act must end on a cliffhangerA moment of jeopardy, a shocking reveal, or a dramatic turning point. to keep the audience from changing the channel.

Basic Four-Act Grid

(T)	ACT I	ACT II	ACT III	ACT IV
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

4-Act Structure Breakdown (by Page Count)

Act 1
(~17 pgs)

Act 2
(~13 pgs)

Act 3
(~15 pgs)

Act 4
(~15 pgs)

Some networks mandate five or six acts to create more commercial breaks, resulting in a "speeded pace" with shorter acts.

5-Act Structure Breakdown

Each act is roughly equal, about 12 pages.

6-Act Structure Breakdown

Each act is roughly equal, about 10 pages.

Instead of building to act-break cliffhangers, shows without commercials often break stories "by character". The primary concern is keeping you watching the next hour, so the most important cliffhanger is the one at the very end of the episode.

Structuring the Half-Hour Episode

While sharing principles with one-hour dramas, the half-hour comedy (sitcom) has its own distinct, fast-paced structure, typically running about 22-25 pages.

Half-Hour Structure Breakdown (Hover Over Slices)

A short, punchy opening scene that happens before the title credits. It's often a self-contained joke or situation that grabs the audience's attention and sometimes introduces the episode's theme or A-story problem in a lighthearted way.

This is the setup. The main goal or problem of the A-story is introduced, and the character's plan to achieve that goal is set in motion. The B-story is also typically introduced here. The act ends on a turning point where the initial plan hits a significant snag.

The "muddle in the middle." The characters try to solve the problem from Act One, but their efforts only make things worse. Complications escalate, new obstacles arise, and plans backfire spectacularly. This act ends at the character's lowest point, where the situation seems hopeless or has reached maximum chaos.

The resolution. The characters make one last, often desperate or unconventional, attempt to fix everything. The A and B stories are resolved, and the characters learn (or fail to learn) a lesson. The climax of the story happens here.

A very short scene after the main story has concluded. The tag is almost always a final joke that provides one last laugh, often calling back to a smaller joke from earlier in the episode. It serves as a fun, conclusive beat before the credits roll.