Gauging Length...

1 page = 1 minute for feature film screenplays.

However, for a 30 minute sitcom spec, I would aim for 35-40 pages.

Hello Scoot,

There are many factors involved in writing for TV that you have to take into consideration. The answer to your question, indeed the very layout of your script, will vary greatly depending on the type of TV show, whether it’s cable or network TV, whether it's taped or shot on film and a number of other factors.

For instance, episodic drama shows usually run to sixty minutes and have four acts plus a teaser (short opening segment that sets up the upcoming episode) and a tag (wraps up the show and sometimes gives trailers from next episode etc.)

Sitcoms might be thirty minutes long, have a two-act structure (these are all based on commercial breaks), have a teaser and a tag, and run twenty six pages if on film, forty two on tape.

Plus many shows have what is called a show bible that gives info on the characters (do’s and don’ts), how many pages per act, etc. Basically a guideline of how the producers want their show to be written.

The best thing to do is find a site that has TV scripts (google is your friend) and study TV shows in the genre you wish to write in.

Good luck!

In reply to the sample you posted in the critique forum, I pointed you to BBC Writersroom whose script archive has downloadable comedy scripts in PDF format, including this one from Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps which weighs in at 50 pages for a 30-minute ep with no ads. But, that probably has something to do with the half-page BBC sitcom format. Maybe you should try reformatting your own script pages like this so you can estimate how much you need to write per episode. It's not an exact science, only a rough guide. At some point you'll have to read your own material out loud and calculate how long it runs in real time.

-Derek

Screeplay length

It varies. Once, when I was converting my collection of Star Trek (TOS) episodes from VHS to DVD, I figured the averages for the 3-season run as follows :
PROLOGUE:
Teaser 1 minute
Opening Credits 1 minute
Ads & Station ID 3 minutes
Act 1 11 minutes
Ads & Station ID 3 minutes
Act 2 11 minutes
Ads 3 minutes
Act 3 11 minutes
Ads 3 minutes
Act 4 11 minutes
Ads 1 minute
Closing Credits 2 minutes

Going by the 1 munter per page guage, thats 45 minutes of screenplay. I'd write 60 pages and plan on losing 15 on the cutting room floor and/or in editing.

For a 30-minute sitcom episode, I'd do 30 pages minimum and allow for some to be cut.