76-212 Introduction to TV Writing

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

This is a course in dramatic television writing. Teleplays differ from feature screenplays in distinct ways. We will focus on the fundamentals of writing a teleplay, including idea development, story structure, story breaking, characters, dialogue, scene work and timing. Students will use professional screenwriting software and learn how to properly format and design their teleplay, which is a document used to tell a visual, character-driven story. We will screen and study content from the Prestige era of television, half-hour and hour cable and streaming from 2000 to roughly now. Weekly writing exercises will lead to work on one collaborative script and one solo script.

Prerequisites: 76-101 or 76-102 or (76-106 and 76-107) or (76-106 and 76-108) or (76-107 and 76-108)

Offered: Fall 2026, Spring 2026

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