His Ticket In

Jordan Harper is an alumni (alum, alumna? I can never get this) of the Warner Bros. Television Writers’ Workshop (2009). He was staffed on "The Mentalist" through the WB program and is also a short fiction writer.

What's all this have to do with you, why should you care? Well, if you're interested in getting into the WB Workshop, Jordan was kind enough to post the spec script that got him in on his site.

No, you're not Mr. Harper. No, you're not gonna submit the same script. No, your gem of a spec won't be up against the same competition his was. But it starts with the writing and this will give you an example of writing that got noticed and was successful.

You can read the script here.

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They Do Run Run

The Hollywood Reporter has a series of Emmy Roundtable videos with actors and showrunners. The drama showrunners roundtable features Frank Darabont ("The Walking Dead"), Jason Katims ("Parenthood"), John Wells ("Southland" and "Shameless"), Mike Royce ("Men of a Certain Age"), Graham Yost ("Justified"), Kurt Sutter ("Sons of Anarchy"), and Terence Winter ("Boardwalk Empire"). Most of the conversation revolves around issues of running a show and isn't exactly writing related. The later part is a little more interesting. I usually like these types of videos and getting a glimpse into the minds of writers and the creative process; but this one left me a little flat. You can watch the comedy showrunner roundtable here (Warning: this does contain spoilers for some of the showrunners respective series.)

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Summer Season 2011

When the idea of a Summer television season was first introduced a few years ago I was less than thrilled. Maybe I was locked into the notion that TV happened from September-May and the Summer was a time to catch up on missed episodes or go see a Blockbuster.

The initial offerings were weak; mostly reality dreck, show's that didn't make the Fall line-ups and some experiments. Then some shows started to emerge; "The O.C." was an early Summer scheduled breakout, premiering August 5, 2003 on Fox.

Now things are flipped upside down. The starting of the TV season used to be an event for me; I would buy TV Guide's Fall Preview issue — I used to love that thing - and excitedly thumb through it, eager to discover all the new shows. (Side note: those issues are great to look back on years later. Seeing which shows failed, just how long some have been on the air and those you can't even remember. I came across one cleaning up and found a show with Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway and a much different cop show featuring "Psych's" James Roday.)

These days I find myself more interested in the Summer shows than the Fall's new offerings. We're talking "Breaking Bad", "True Blood", "Warehouse 13", "Burn Notice", "Drop Dead Diva" and a boat load more. Enjoy your Summer... TV.


MAY
Monday, May 23
The Bachelorette (ABC) Season Premiere

Thursday, May 26
So You Think You Can Dance (FOX) Season Premiere

Saturday, May 28
CHAOS (CBS) Return from Hiatus

Monday, May 30
The Bachelorette (ABC) Season Premiere
Gettysburg (History) Special Presentation
Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition (ABC) Series Premiere
Platinum Hit (Bravo): Series Premiere

Tuesday, May 31
America's Got Talent (NBC) Season Premiere

JUNE
Wednesday, June 1
So You Think You Can Dance (FOX) Timeslot Premiere
Franklin and Bash (TNT) Series Premiere
Man v. Food Nation (Travel) Series Premiere (This is Man v. Food re-branded)
Love in the Wild (NBC) Series Premiere
Men of a Certain Age (TNT) Summer Premiere
Haunted Collector (SyFy) Series Premiere

Thursday, June 2
Loves Bites (NBC) Series Premiere
NY Ink (TLC) Series Premiere
Children's Hospital(Adult Swim) Season Premiere

Friday, June 3
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (ABC) Return from Hiatus

Saturday, June 4
Niecy Nash's Wedding Bash (TLC)

Sunday, June 5
MTV Movie Awards (MTV) Special Presentation
Teen Wolf (MTV) Series Premiere/Special Night & Time
The Next Food Network Star (Food) Season Premiere
The Glades (A&E) Season Premiere
The Real L Word (Showtime) Season Premiere
Sister Wives (TLC) Mid-Season Premiere
Freaky Eaters (TLC) Series Premiere
Finding Bigfoot (Animal Planet) Series Premiere

Monday, June 6
Master Chef (FOX) Season Premiere
The Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Family) Season Premiere
Switched at Birth (ABC Family) Series Premiere
Last Man Standing (Lifetime)
My Yard Goes Disney (HGTV)
House Hunters On Vacation (HGTV) Series Premiere
HGTV'd (HGTV) Series Premiere

Tuesday, June 7
White Collar (USA) Season Premiere
Covert Affairs (USA) Season Premiere

Wednesday, June 8
CMT Music Awards (CMT) Special Presentation
Locked Up Abroad (NatGeo) Season Premiere

Saturday, June 11
2011 Guys Choice Awards (Spike)

Sunday, June 12
The Glee Project (Oxygen) Series Premiere
The Protector (Lifetime) Series Premiere
Bridezilllas (WEtv) Season Premiere
Ice Loves Coco (E!) Series Premiere
Cool Tools: Consumer Electronics Show 2011 (DIY)
Cool Tools: The Builders Show 2011 (DIY)

Monday, June 13
Nora Robert's Carnal Innocence (Lifetime)

Tuesday, June 14
Cupcake Wars (Food) Season Premiere
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family) Season Premiere
The Nine Lives of Chloe King (ABC Family) Series Premiere
Memphis Beat (TNT) Season Premiere
Hawthorne (TNT) Season Premiere
Gene Simmons Family Jewels (A&E) Season Premiere

Wednesday, June 15
Hot in Cleveland (TV Land) Summer Premiere
Happily Divorced (TV Land) Series Premiere
Rocco's Dinner Party (Bravo) Series Premiere

Saturday, June 18
Outcasts (BBC America) Series Premiere
The Inbetweeners (BBC America) Season Premiere
Come Fly With Me (BBC America) Series Premiere

Sunday, June 19
The 38th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (CBS) Special Presentation
2011 Miss USA Pageant (NBC) Special Presentation
Drop Dead Diva (Lifetime) Season Premiere
Falling Skies (TNT) Series Premiere
TV Land Presents: The AFI Award Honoring Morgan Freeman (TV Land) Special Presentation

Monday, June 20
Hoarders (A&E) Season Premiere
Intervention (A&E) Season Premiere

Tuesday, June 21
Wipeout (ABC): Summer Premiere/Special Night
101 Ways to Leave a Game Show (ABC): Series Premiere
Combat Hospital (ABC) Series Premiere
Staten Island Cakes (WEtv) Series Premiere
History Detectives (PBS) Season Premiere

Wednesday, June 22
Real World/Road Rules Challenge (MTV) Season Premiere

Thursday, June 23
Wipeout (ABC) Timeslot Premiere
Burn Notice (USA) Season Premiere
Suits (USA) Series Premiere
Expedition Impossible (ABC) Series Premiere
Futurama (Comedy) Season Premiere
Rookie Blue (ABC) Season Premiere
Wilfred (FX) Series Premiere
Louie (FX) Season Premiere

Sunday, June 26
True Blood (HBO) Season Premiere
Leverage (TNT): Season Premiere
Falling Skies (TNT) Timeslot Premiere
The Marriage Ref (NBC) Season Premiere
37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (CBS) Special Presentation

Monday, June 27
Weeds (Showtime) Season Premiere
The Big C (Showtime) Season Premiere

Tuesday, June 28
I Kid With Brad Garrett (TLC) Series Premiere

Wednesday, June 29
Love In The Wild (NBC) Series Premiere
Royal Pains (USA) Season Premiere
Necessary Roughness (USA) Series Premiere
Melissa and Joey (ABC Family) Season Premiere

Thursday, June 30
Ugly Americans (Comedy) Season Premiere
Extreme Chef (Food) Series Premiere

JULY
Sunday, July 3
Ultimate Crash: House, Bath, Yard (DIY)

Monday July 4
Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular (CBS) Special Presentation
Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular (NBC) Special Presentation

Tuesday July 5
Teen Mom (MTV) Season Premiere

Thursday, July 7
Big Brother (CBS) Season Premiere
An American Family (PBS)

Friday, July 8
Torchwood: Miracle Day (Starz) Series Premiere

Sunday, July 10
Big Brother (CBS) Timeslot Premiere
Masterpiece Mystery: Agatha Christie's Miss Marple Series V (PBS)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) Season Premiere

Monday, July 11
Warehouse 13 (SyFy) Season Premiere
Eureka (SyFY) Summer Premiere
Alphas (SyFy) Series Premiere
The Closer (TNT) Season Premiere (Final Season)
Rizzoli and Isles (TNT) Season Premiere
Bad Girls Club (Oxygen) Season Premiere
HGTV Design Star (HGTV) Season Premiere

Tuesday, July 12
MLB All-Star Game (FOX) Special Presentation
Rescue Me (FX) Season Premiere (Final Season)

Wednesday, July 13
Ghost Hunters International (SyFy) Season Premiere
The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants (Showtime) Series Premiere
Damages (Directv) Season Premiere

Friday, July 15
Great Performances: Rigoletto From Mantua (PBS)
Haven (SyFy) Season Premiere
Man Caves: Bert The Conqueror (DIY)

Sunday, July 17
Zen (PBS)
Breaking Bad (AMC) Season Premiere

Monday, July 18
Hell's Kitchen (FOX) Season Premiere
Degrassi (Teen Nick) Season Premiere

Tuesday, July 19
Web Therapy (Showtime) Series Premiere
Ludo Bites America (Sundance) Series Premiere

Wednesday, July 20
Hollywood Hi-Tech (DIY)

Sunday, July 24
Same Name (CBS) Series Premiere
Entourage (HBO) Season Premiere (Final Season)
The Venture Bros (AdultSwim) Special Presentation

Wednesday, July 27
Are We There Yet? (TBS) Season Premiere

AUGUST
Tuesday, August 2
Take the Money and Run (ABC) Series Premiere

Saturday, August 6
Friday Night Dinner Series Premiere (BBC America)

Monday, August 8
The Bachelor Pad (ABC) Season Premiere
Karaoke Battle USA (ABC) Series Premiere

Monday, August 15
The Lying Game (ABC Family)

Sunday, August 28
The 28th Annual Video Music Awards (MTV)

Monday, August 29
Showcase Showdown (HGTV) Series Premiere

Tuesday, August 30
Quirky (Sundance) Series Premiere





Assembled from these sources. Let me know if there is anything missing 'cause I'll probably want to watch it too.

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Access Granted

The 2011 Writer Access Project honorees have been selected and posted on the WGA site along with their scripts. (This year with class photos of the writers as well. Is it just me, or does the blonde in the first pic look like she played a psychic a few years on NBC?)

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