Despite popular (and fairly legitimate) concern, it definitely is possible to write for TV if you are based in New York rather than Los Angeles. There are some shows that staff and shoot there, of course, like Law & Order, many talk shows and the soaps (see partial list below). And with a connected Los Angeles agent and some well-timed trips to the Coast, hour-long drama assignments for L.A.-based shows also could happen at the freelance level. This would be pretty tough, but this is Hollywood, so nothing is impossible, right? Yes, ultimately, you will want to live here in L.A. to take advantage of the bulk of work being here. But you don’t need to live here to get hired. You just need to meet the right people who do.
If you haven’t already, a good way to get into the networking mix while you’re in NYC is to join an organization like the Producers Guild East or the NATAS (the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) if you have enough credits (or as an associate if you don’t), or the IRTS (International Radio & Television Society Foundation), which has outstanding educational and networking seminars with both East and West Coast execs throughout the year.
Now for the recon. Here are the TV shows currently produced in NYC:
PRIMETIME TV SHOWS:
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American Justice
Backdrop NYC
Behind the Label
Black Donnellys
Blueprint New York City
The Bridge
City Classics
Cool in Your Code
Dateline NBC
Eat Out NY
Fashion in Focus
Fashion Week in Focus
Full Frontal Fashion
Inside the Archives
It’s My Park
Knights of Prosperity
Law & Order
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Media 3.0 with Shelly Palmer
New York 360
New York Noise
NYC Paradetown USA
NYC TV Presents
Primetime Live
Rescue Me
Reservations Required
Secrets of New York
Six Degrees
The Sopranos
Summer in the City
Videofashion! News
What’s Cooking at Gracie?
20/20
30 Rock
48 Hours
60 Minutes
DAYTIME & LATE NIGHT TV SHOWS:
All My Children
As The World Turns
Between the Lions
The Early Show
Entertainment Tonight
Fox and Friends
Good Day New York
Good Morning America
Guiding Light
Inside Edition
In the Mix
Judge Hachett
Late Night with Conan O’Brien
The Late Show with David Letterman
Live From Lincoln Center
Live with Regis and Kelly
Martha
Maury Povich Show
The Metropolitan Opera
The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet
Montel Williams
Newshour
NFL Today
One Life to Live
The People’s Court
Reading Rainbow
The Rachel Ray Show
Saturday Night Live
Sesame Street
The Today Show
The View
Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
CABLE TV SHOWS:
Art in the 21st Century
A&E Biography
American Morning
Anderson Cooper 360
The Backyardigans
Bloomberg LP
Blue’s Clues
Blue’s House
Blue Collar Style
Broadway: The American Musical
Change of Heart
The Charlie Rose Show
Cheap Seats
CNN
CNN Presents
The Colbert Report
Cold Pizza
Consumer Reports TV News
Court TV
Cold Case Files
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
“E” Television Special
Egg the Arts Show
Emeril Live
Food Nation with Bobby Flay
Go Diego Go
History vs. Hollywood
Howard Stern
In a Fix
Inside the Actors Studio
Isaac Mizrahi Show
The Movie Mission
Newsnight with Aaron Brown
Nick News
Now with David Brancaccio
Paula Zahn Now
Project Runway
Room Raiders
Total Request Live
U Pick Live
VH1 Top 20 Countdown
Weekend Today
What Not to Wear
The Wonder Pets
With this list in hand, a few (okay, A LOT OF) clicks at IMDb.com will let you know what production companies run these shows and the names of the showrunners, so you’ll get a sense of what names to check for when you see industry seminars, panels and other events happening. And if you do get to meet them, while most would not take a spec, all will tell you who the top 3-5 agents/agencies are that they are open to take scripts from. And that will help focus your efforts on the rep front, as well.
The rules from there are the same as they are here. Have 2-3 excellent spec scripts for current shows. You can’t send a spec to that actual show, so you’ll want options to get into the door at multiple productions. Second, don’t set your sights on getting staffed immediately or nothing. I want you to start as a staff writer, but a freelance assignment is a great in (and a coveted one – these are competitive and often are favors). And the writer’s assistant, as abused and unloved as this poor schlub is, is often the first one to fill an open staff seat.
Once again, it looks like a lot of work and waiting to get to the pot of Hollywood gold, yes? Of course it is! But it certainly is worth it if you can make it into the handful of writing positions on shows back East or here in Los Angeles. People manage to do it every year. I hope you do, too.