The people who have worked to become a successful TV writer come from many different places and backgrounds.  Many did not even work in the entertainment industry- they were just everyday people with an idea.  Most successful TV writers started at the bottom, worked odd jobs at some point, and overcame some sort of obstacle or hardship to get where they are today.

David E. Kelley is known as the creator of Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, and Ally McBeal among other successful television shows. Born April 4, 1956 in Waterville, Maine, Kelley was raised in Massachusetts and attended the Belmont High School. He studied at Princeton University, graduating in 1979 with a degree in politics. He went on to Boston University School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor. While there, Kelley wrote for the Legal Follies, a sketch comedy group which still holds annual performances. He began working for a Boston law firm after completing his degree and in 1983, Kelley began writing a screenplay. Though he considered it only a hobby, the legal thriller was optioned by a studio in 1986 and became From the Hip, released in 1987.

In 1986, Steven Bochco was looking for writers with a law background for a new legal series in the works with NBC, titled L.A. Law. After seeing Kelley’s screenplay for From the Hip, Bochco made him a writer and story editor for the show. Kelley kept his law office in Boston as a hedge in the first year; however, as his involvement in the show expanded, he became executive story editor and co-producer until in 1989, Bochco left the series entirely, making Kelley the executive producer. Kelley left the show after the fifth season in 1991, but was brought back as a consultant when the ratings fell.

Kelley formed his own production company in 1992 after co-creating Doogie Howser, M.D. David E Kelley productions made a three-series deal with CBS, with its first creation, Picket Fences airing in 1992. The show was critically acclaimed but the audience was never sizeable enough to sustain it. Picket Fences ran for four years, earning a total of 14 Emmy awards including consecutive wins for Outstanding Drama Series. Though Kelley did not feel ready to produce two shows at one time, he bowed to pressure from CBS to develop a second show and in 1994 launched the medical drama Chicago Hope. Much like Picket Fences, Chicago Hope would receive high critical praise, but only average ratings. Kelley ended up writing most of the material for both shows, though he only initially intended to write the first several episodes of Chicago Hope, a total of roughly 40 scripts. Kelley ceased day-to-day involvement with both shows in 1995; however, when Chicago Hope faced cancelation in 1999, Kelley came back into production, firing most of the cast members who had been added since he left the show and bringing back star Mandy Patinkin, and resumed writing episodes.

Kelley would go on to write and produce Ally McBeal, which premiered in 1997 on Fox, and later Boston Public, which ran for four years starting in 2000. The deal which Fox made with Kelley, in place for six years starting in 2000, reportedly made Kelley the highest-paid producer in TV history in return for first-look rights at his projects. The same deal produced Boston Legal, which premiered in 2004. From 2007 to the present, Kelley has continued to write for television, with mixed results; The Wedding Bells premiered in fall 2007, but was canceled after seven episodes. Kelley was the creator and executive producer of Harry’s Law which premiered in January 2011; it was canceled in 2012 even though it was the network’s second most-watched drama because its audience included too little of the 18-49 demographic.

In addition to writing for television, Kelley has successfully written several screenplays, including Lake Placid in 1999 and To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday in 1996. Kelley has won 10 Emmy Awards and been nominated for several more, along with receiving four prestigious Peabody Awards.

Anyone can make a TV show, movie or webisode concept presentation package with New Show Studios.  You do not need special credentials, background or a college degree to pursue an idea.  As long as you have a clear idea of what your basic idea is and you are able to verbalize this, New Show Studios is happy to help.

New Show Studios can help you take action and pursue your TV show, movie or webisode idea.  The company has a unique method of creating show concept packages that give network and movie studio executives a professional quality view of your idea.  They can take your idea, develop and package it into a demonstration video and send it off to producers and executives in the entertainment industry. 

Remember that even with the best presentation materials new entertainment development is high risk and there is very little likelihood that your idea will be successfully licensed or result in profit to you.

There is a wide variety of different types of reality television shows out there.  There are dating shows, makeover shows, home remodeling shows, ones that follow the lives of celebrities and more.  But one thing that every popular reality TV show has in common is that they all began as just an idea. 

Room Raiders is a series that combines the features of a dating program with a reality format. On the show, three men or women have their rooms inspected or “raided” by another single man or woman. The raider does not meet or see any of the three singles, and makes his or her choice on who to date based solely on the contents of the rooms. The three contestants watch the raids taking place from a van and make comments or jokes. When the raider has finished with each of the three rooms, the three contestants then raid the raider’s room. The raider confronts the three and makes his or her choice. Typically the contestants and raider are opposite sexes, though some episodes feature gay or lesbian contestants/raiders. The first episode was filmed at Tulane University and featured Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey raiding each other’s rooms for the purposes of promoting the show. There have been eight seasons of the show, including Room Raiders II, Room Raiders: Miami, and the most recent Room Raiders 2.0. Beginning in the Miami season, each episode has a theme; for example “Best Friends,” “Twins,” or “Double Trouble.” Several episodes also feature celebrity guests. The show’s running time is thirty minutes per episode, with the segments fitted around the commercial breaks.

It was created by Sara Nichols, who also worked on Total Access 24/7, as well as producing video documentaries like From Janet. To Damita Jo: The Videos. Nichols has worked on productions for Lifetime, MTV, NBC, Nickelodeon and ABC Family. She was born in Buffalo, NY and attended Syracuse University, earning two degrees: a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The College of Visual and Performing Arts and a Bachelor of Science from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Nichols founded the company Emotional Pictures. Nichols has also worked on TV series such as Gastineau Girls, Growing Up Gotti, and has worked with individuals in a variety of positions in the entertainment world including Stanley Tucci, Uma Thurman, Chris Rock, Beyoncé, and the band Evanescence.

Room Raiders premiered in 2004, with episodes still being produced to date. MTV has a history of off-beat dating programs and an even more storied history in the reality TV genre. In the early 2000s, the reality genre exploded in popularity, and multiple channels capitalized on the format to attempt to produce low-cost programming. MTV brought its experience in dating programs and reality television together into a new format. The show airs in Lithuania as well as the United States, where it premiered in 2010 on the channel LNK.

If you have a reality show idea of your own, New Show Studios can help you take action and pursue it.  The company has a unique method of creating show concept packages that give network and movie studio executives a professional quality view of your idea.  They can take your reality show idea, develop and package it into a demonstration video and send it off to producers and executives in the entertainment industry. 

Anyone can make a reality TV show concept presentation package with New Show Studios.  You do not need special credentials, background or a college degree to pursue an idea.  As long as you have a clear idea of what your basic idea is and you are able to verbalize this, New Show Studios is happy to help.

Remember that even with the best presentation materials new entertainment development is high risk and there is very little likelihood that your idea will be successfully licensed or result in profit to you.

The reality TV show genre has been around since the 1980’s, but it really exploded around the year 2000.  Today there is a wide variety of different types of reality television shows out there including dating shows, makeover shows, cooking shows, ones that follow the lives of celebrities and more.  While many reality TV shows are competitions where cast members get voted or kicked off throughout the season, some feature a constant cast that viewers get to see each week and really get to know and love.

One reality TV show cast that viewers have fallen in love with is the cast of Duck Dynasty. The program follows the Robertson family, who are all involved in the running of the Duck Commander Company, the business that Phil Alexander Robertson, the patriarch, began in 1973 with the innovative duck call of the same name. The company now makes a variety of products for duck hunting enthusiasts, though its flagship products are still duck calls. The cast includes Phil Robertson and his wife, Marsha Kay or “Miss Kay,” Phil’s younger brother Silas or “Si,” and Phil’s three sons: Willie, who is the company CEO, Jason or Jase, in charge of manufacturing, and Jules Jeptha, or “Jep,” who films and edits the DVDs of the Robertson family hunting. The show also features the men’s wives, with the exception of Silas’ wife, and a few cast members who are not related to the Robertson family, but who are either employees or otherwise connected to the family and business. The show airs on the A&E Network; the family was previously featured on the series Benelli Presents Duck Commander, which aired on the Outdoor Channel. Interest in the family increased beyond the niche market of the Outdoor Channel, and A&E produced Duck Dynasty.

The Robertson family is no doubt popular among viewers because of the fact that their business is their passion; almost every episode features several of the family members either hunting or going fishing outside of their work day. The family business model is also intriguing: every part of the family assists with the running of the family, including the matriarch, “Miss Kay.” There is also the aspect of the show that its subject matter naturally sheds light on unpretentious rural family values. The characters are not rude, but they are not stuffy. The men all have long, flowing beards; the women are polished but no-nonsense. The interest in a family that works together and interacts not just interpersonally but also professionally is high. Viewers have latched onto the lifestyle of the family, and are interested in their continued success.

If you have a reality show idea of your own, New Show Studios can help you take action and pursue it.  The company has a unique method of creating show concept packages that give network and movie studio executives a professional quality view of your idea.  They can take your reality show idea, develop and package it into a demonstration video and send it off to producers and executives in the entertainment industry. 

Anyone can make a reality TV show concept presentation package with New Show Studios.  You do not need special credentials, background or a college degree to pursue an idea.  As long as you have a clear idea of what your basic idea is and you are able to verbalize this, New Show Studios is happy to help.

Remember that even with the best presentation materials new entertainment development is high risk and there is very little likelihood that your idea will be successfully licensed or result in profit to you.



Do you have an idea for a new TV show, movie or webisode?  Click here to submit your idea.

There is a wide variety of different types of reality television shows out there.  There are dating shows, makeover shows, home remodeling shows, ones that follow the lives of celebrities and more.  But one thing that every popular reality TV show has in common is that they all began as just an idea. 

Dirty Jobs stars Mike Rowe as the host, performing difficult, strange, disgusting or otherwise messy occupations alongside the typical employees. In the course of the show, a worker or team takes on Rowe as a fully involved assistant for a typical work day, attempting to complete every task as well as he can in spite of discomfort, hazards, or personal revulsion. The crew, which includes a field producer, cameramen, and an audio technician, typically also get dirty due to the proximity, and are sometimes pulled in to help as well. Rowe makes jokes, usually of a self-deprecating variety, though he also takes occasional jabs at the producer Dave Barsky; rarely does he make more than the occasional playful jab at the workers he is assisting. The opening of the show features the Rowe commenting—usually in the midst of a dirty task—“My name’s Mike Rowe, and this is my job. I explore the country looking for people who aren't afraid to get dirty — hard-working men and women who earn an honest living doing the kinds of jobs that make civilized life possible for the rest of us. Now, get ready to get dirty.” The show’s setting was changed to Australia for the eighth season, and was advertised as Dirty Jobs Down Under; however, the other seasons have all featured American locations. The show was canceled after 8 seasons in November 2012; the first non-pilot episode aired on July 26, 2005.

The show was actually created by host Mike Rowe, who has also worked as a narrator for multiple programs, including How the Universe Works, American Chopper, and Ghost Hunters. Starting in September of 2012, Rowe began hosting How Booze Built America on the Discovery Channel. He was originally tapped to be the on-screen hose of Deadliest Catch; however, when Dirty Jobs was picked up, he was told to choose which show he wanted to appear in on-screen. Rowe was apparently informed by Discovery at the time that the two shows would air back-to-back on the same night, and the change of tone and style would be unsuitable. Rowe has also worked as a spokesperson for multiple companies, including Ford Motor Company, Lee Premium Select Jeans, and Caterpillar. Rowe was born in Baltimore, Maryland in March of 1962, and became an Eagle Scout in 1979; his service project included reading aloud to students at the Maryland School for the Blind, which is what initially interested him in narrating. He would go on to sing professionally at the Baltimore Opera before working for QVC in the early 1990s.

While hosting Evening Magazine, a program on a local San Francisco channel, Rowe appeared on a segment called “Somebody’s Gotta Do It,” which profiled a number of unpleasant professions; the concept would be the genesis of the show Dirty Jobs. After completing a graphic piece on artificial insemination of cows, Rowe received countless letters expressing shock, horror, and disbelief, and sent the tape to the Discovery Channel, who commissioned the series.

If you have a reality show idea of your own, New Show Studios can help you take action and pursue it.  The company has a unique method of creating show concept packages that give network and movie studio executives a professional quality view of your idea.  They can take your reality show idea, develop and package it into a demonstration video and send it off to producers and executives in the entertainment industry. 

Anyone can make a reality TV show concept presentation package with New Show Studios.  You do not need special credentials, background or a college degree to pursue an idea.  As long as you have a clear idea of what your basic idea is and you are able to verbalize this, New Show Studios is happy to help.

Remember that even with the best presentation materials new entertainment development is high risk and there is very little likelihood that your idea will be successfully licensed or result in profit to you.