When it comes to popular TV shows in our “Peak TV” era, industry insiders would have you believe the streaming platforms are dominating - HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+… and the list constantly expands. With only ABBOTT ELEMENTARY truly cracking the Emmy nominations this year from the broadcast world, many believe broadcast series are "dead."

Procedural shows, or "case-of-the-week" series, feature a central plot line that only lasts for that singular episode. Popular procedurals include long-running franchises like LAW & ORDER, the CHICAGO franchise, CSI, and so many more.

Contrary to popular belief, broadcast procedurals are still alive and well, and perhaps even thriving, providing more opportunities for the writers who are prepared to staff on them.

My name is Christopher Hazenbush, and I've helped develop and sell pilots to ABC, CBS, and NBC, including THE NEVER GAME starring Justin Hartley which was recently greenlit for pilot production at CBS. Previously, I worked on the development team behind the successful reboots of HAWAII FIVE-0, MAGNUM P.I., and MACGYVER, so I've seen first-hand how these procedurals can garner millions of viewers throughout their runs.

Want to know more about why procedurals aren't going anywhere and a great opportunity?

Here are 3 reasons why you should push your reps to staff on a procedural or even develop and pitch your own...

1. Solid Ratings

While LA-centric news outlets report more about the flashiest streaming programs nowadays, in all actuality procedural series are still popular shows, according to Nielsen ratings. From the 2021-2022 broadcast season, other than Sunday Night and Thursday Night Football, the top 7 highest-rated broadcast programs were procedural series. And they're keeping up the pace in the new Fall season, too. So far we've seen fresh episodes of procedural series CHICAGO FIRE and CHICAGO MED nab 6.7 and 6.5 million views respectively.

Now, some of you might respond with the latest streaming numbers, but let's also remember that streamers often tout the number of hours watched, which doesn't always correlate to the number of subscribers watching. This is a big reason why there's a lot of talk right now surrounding streamers bringing in advertisers because the classic advertiser model in broadcast television is still a viable and lucrative revenue stream.

And speaking of lucrative, streamers benefit from procedurals and their loyal fanbases, too! After broadcast shows started finding massive success when their seasons landed on streaming platforms (I'm looking at you, CRIMINAL MINDS), those same platforms started investing in broadcast series, including procedurals. Shows like MANIFEST and LUCIFER both moved to Netflix, bringing their vocal fanbases with them. And this year, NBC has added the procedural QUANTUM LEAP to their lineup, where it's finding success on broadcast television and the following day streaming on Peacock. We'll likely even see traditional, broadcast-style procedurals developed directly for streamers.

2. Bigger Episode Orders = Longer Writers Rooms = More $$$

Generally, procedural broadcast shows have much larger season orders than their serialized counterparts, typically averaging around 20-24 episodes per season versus 6-12. That larger order means writers' rooms are typically open for longer periods of time to break the story, polish scripts, and produce all of those crime-fighting, life-saving, sunglasses-flashing episodes.

Even with variations in WGA minimum pay (based on the number of guaranteed weeks worked), staffing on a broadcast procedural for a longer amount of time means more money and a steadier, more predictable work schedule if you’re lucky enough to stay on a show for multiple seasons.

And that’s not even taking into account the greater chance you’ll have to actually write an episode, get paid for it, and collect those sweet green envelopes (residuals,) which isn’t always the case with the streaming space’s “cost-plus” business model.

3. More Opportunities to Learn and Grow

If you’re a new writer trying to break into the TV industry, the harsh truth is that not all writers' rooms are equal. As alluded to above, because streamer episode orders are shorter, they can sometimes incorporate smaller rooms with a top-heavy hierarchy that will write all the episodes themselves. So while you may be officially a Staff Writer, the crunched timeline may mean you won’t get to write an episode yourself, which is kind of the whole reason you came out here, right?

Furthermore, as John Wells recently lamented, many young writers today are not able to actually be on set during filming, or if they are, it’s just to visit and not to actually produce an episode they wrote. This is not only a huge issue for the industry at large but for your career because on-set experience is paramount to getting that juicy next gig with a title bump. You want to make sure that you're looking for opportunities that will give you that on-set experience and teach you the skills to run your own show one day.

In broadcast rooms, by contrast, there’s the potential to have many more opportunities to write episodes, co-write episodes, pitch ideas, and even be on set (if the show shoots in LA.) Of course, each show is different based on the showrunner, production logistics, budget, etc. However, in my professional experience working in this arena, longer broadcast rooms allow for more chances to observe how TV is made and actually get your hands dirty making it. And what’s cooler than that?

Time to Get Your Procedural Pilot Ready

So, what do you think? Are you toying with giving broadcast procedurals a shot?

If so, dive deeper into the world of procedural pilot scripts with me in my upcoming class exclusively through Stage 32, How to Write Your Procedural Pilot Script. In it, we’ll take a closer look at what Studio and Network Executives look for in a winning procedural project so that when you’re ready to pitch the next hit franchise you have the inside track to get a sale. We’ll also explore the elements of a great procedural, so you can write a strong procedural script sample, which is invaluable when looking to be staffed on broadcast series.

See you in class!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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