I spoke recently with a colleague of mine who is the Executive Vice President of Programming for a major network. He tries not to tell people what he does for a living. Once people find out, they can't keep from pitching him stories. He's been on the receiving end of pitches from doormen, barbers, caddies, policemen, firemen, convenience store clerks, and dentists (try turning down your dentist's program idea when he's holding a drill!) among others. He says that his answer to the question, "Would you like to hear my idea for a show?" from anyone other than a professional is an emphatic "No!"
Why is that? Shouldn't he be on the lookout for the best stories and ideas, wherever they come from? It may surprise you to find out that most programming executives do not face a shortage of ideas -- they face a shortage of creative people who can make those ideas into compelling television shows.
That's why top producers can earn lavish amounts of money. They have proved they have the creative discipline to create quality programs every week or ten days, maintain that quality through all phases of show creation, and get the best work from their staff week after week of twelve hour days.
To make your program idea a success you must start cultivating your own creative discipline. Work on your idea every day. Develop your characters and situations in detail. Visualize how it will look on screen. You must act like a professional, if you want professionals to take you seriously. Otherwise programming executives like my friend will file your idea the same place they file the ideas they receive from all amateurs: the circular file under their desk.
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