Looking for TV series advice: I have a saga involving historical characters (dead) and I wonder if I should dive into the history of these people or create new characters based on the true characters, giving them new names and related situations? At issue: There is archived TV footage of some of the characters. Some characters are world famous. Is it a good idea to cheat that? Or should I boldly go forth with my interpretation of history, featuring real people?
Screenwriting : Treatment of historical characters? by Oscar Williams
Works at Tumbleweed Production Group ♦ Writer, Screenwriter, Producer, Author
2 years ago
Treatment of historical characters?
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
2 people like this
Thanks. All opinions are helpful. I think in terms of the history and the real characters. To dance around it is most tedious, but, doing so would free up liabilities and potentially explore areas not otherwise attainable. To put it another way, it's very easy to make stuff up that didn't happen, is out-of-character, and may be just wrong. However, that is balanced by the old adage, "Don't let the truth get in the way of telling a good story."
1 person likes this
Well said Viktor Bury
4 people like this
For me, this would all come down the marketing value of the people in question vs the amount of research and potential litigation involved. There's no point going through a ton of historical information and risking legal action over an individual nobody has heard about, cares about, or doesn't have some kind of curious draw which will attract sales.
3 people like this
CJ, thanks. Generally, dead people have no claim to make. Some of the main characters in my story achieved world fame in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. That doesn't mean you've heard of them, but the true story is part of the draw. When truth is stranger than fiction, when strange worlds are explored, viewers are curious. I guess the diciest part is when celebrities do bad things... but they're dead celebrities. The list of celebs from which I can draw include music, film, TV, photography, and sports. Some politicians in there too. There is a tell-all aspect to my work, though the focus is drama.
2 people like this
Well said CJ Walley and have a great weekend!
4 people like this
I just signed up on the: https://www.scriptrevolution.com/ and I am going Patinum CJ Walley
2 people like this
I am not sure if your concern regarding writing about the real historical figures is life rights? There is an exception to the legal protection of life rights for public figures. Anyone whose life has been covered in 3 or more sources is considered a "public figure" and loses their life rights. This is why we can make TV shows about JFK or Aretha Franklin without their estate's permission. Of course life rights can be a great selling point so if you can get them you should, but if these people are famous, you are in the clear legally. That said, the requirements of narrative storytelling and television structure trump historical accuracy any day! You should strive for authenticity - that the story "feels real" rather than accuracy, which is the domain of documentaties. Even if you use real people and real events, narrative television should aim to illuminate an emotional truth, not a literal one. If you have any other questions, I work a lot on historical fiction shows and have taught about writing them extensively.