Unscripted TV development: how to watch TV like you work in development

Do you have a passion for unscripted TV? Are you brimming with ideas? Can you spot trends, subjects and/or people who would make great TV? Would you like to learn about the TV development process for unscripted TV show ideas?

How to watch TV like you work in development is the second episode of a five-part series of short courses that will do just that. In this live online session we will look at:

• Active and strategic viewing
• Analysis – what’s on? What’s missing?
• Predicting the future
• Talent, trends and reading the zeitgeist
• How life experience charges your creative process: the power of untold stories

This session is supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund which invests in training for the unscripted workforce thanks to contributions from broadcasters, SVoDs and production companies.

Who it's for

This short course series is aimed at entry level and early stage screen professionals who have an interest in working in unscripted TV development. You don’t need to have any prior industry experience.

If you're already working in development for unscripted TV, you may be interested in the upcoming Summits for development teams happening across the UK, run by Mission Accomplished with support from the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund.

What it covers

Attendees are recommended to attend the full series of five episodes to maximise their learning. There will be four instances of each, spread out between January and July 2023. You can find more details and specific dates for the other episodes via the links below:

• Development 101 
• How to watch TV like you work in development – See dates at the top of the page
• Start your engines
• Talk of the town
• The perfect pitch

Course tutor:

Sophie Morgan is a BAFTA nominated and RTS award-winning film and TV producer and commissioning editor. As head of development for production companies such as September Films, Cineflix and World of Wonder she has developed, pitched, won and exec produced hundreds of hours of TV content for all major broadcasters across all genres.

Sophie's credits include the series Star Lives (ITV Saturday night entertainment), European Nightmare (BBC daytime), Pete Burns Unspun (Channel 4 popular documentaries), Haunted Homes (ITV2 entertainment), Clubbing On The Frontline (Channel 4 current affairs) as well as originating and exec producing Channel 4’s first original digital content This is a Knife.

Sophie also set up and ran September Films’ Los Angeles development department and ran LA-based indie World of Wonder’s (Ru Paul’s Drag Race) UK division. As commissioning editor for Living TV, she commissioned and exec produced the channel's highest rating series of Britain’s Next Top Model and the channel’s highest ever rating series Jade and Jade: With Love following Jade Goody’s battle with cancer.

How to apply

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘Apply for ticket’ and follow the instructions to apply for your place: you must login or register before you are able to complete your application.

If you are no longer able to attend, we ask you to please use the 'decline ticket' function on the right hand side of the page so that we can release your place. Our sessions are often oversubscribed so we’d like to give other freelancers the opportunity to fill available spots. Thank you for your consideration.

Applicants must:

• Be over 18 years old
• Live in the UK and have evidence of the right to work in the UK
• Have completed full-time education