LOS ANGELES, CA, March 21, 2010
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Veterans 30 Rock and Mad Men, two long-standing spec kings, were dethroned in the 2010 list of Hot Television Specs (speculative scripts), published this week by TV Calling.
Out with the old, in with the new: NBC's Parks and Recreation, only in its second season, was a close runner-up to CBS' multi-camera sitcom The Big Bang Theory amongst the half-hour comedy specs.
HBO's fresh True Blood was also pumped into the drama category, joining rank with another serialized one-hour, Breaking Bad. Mainstream procedurals were also among the hot properties with Chuck and The Mentalist.
The spec list was arranged through a cross-referencing of various sources, including staffed writers, major writing blogs, and several social networks (mainly Twitter). A total of forty shows currently on the air were combed through, regardless of their network of origin, genre, or duration. The scripts' longevities were each time determined through a study of ratings, popularity, as well as the shows' level of serialization.
Other categories inside the spec breakdown include "Over-Specced" (shows that have passed their prime), "Wild Card" (specs that will soon become mainstream), "Outsider" (scripts that will stick out from the pack), and newcomer "Gambler" (riskier shows that could pay off).
Science-fiction-oriented dramas were very present this year, with six of them making the list, including FOX's Fringe, Syfy's Eureka, as well as neophytes Stargate Universe and Warehouse 13. From Modern Family to Glee, first-season successes are also getting noticed early, leading to a quicker and shorter spec cycle. USA Network's White Collar, which bowed its season one only a few weeks ago, was named this year's "Dark Horse". Ratings juggernaut NCIS: LA was deemed a "Wild Card" that will soon follow the footsteps of its mothership as a spec to watch. 30 Rock and Mad Men, two of the hottest shows in town, were unexpectedly pinned down as "Over-specced," based on the cluttered amount of scripts following their consecutive Emmy and WGA wins.
About TV Calling
Established in June 2008, TV Calling has been a constant source of analysis and information about the entertainment industry, and especially television.
Dealing with a variety of subjects ranging from spec script writing to "breaking in", story arcs, character psychology, and reviews, the site also centers on the two core components of television: its writing, and its writers.
There, concrete advice meets business analysis in a no-holds-barred perpetual discussion about the industry, and the art that fuels it.
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