Breaking Into Hollywood - How Do I Pitch a Reality Show

As a long-time professional in reality TV, I routinely am asked "How do I sell my own reality TV show?" - which I'm happy to answer based on both personal experience and industry expertise.  These days, though, I prefer to talk more specifically about "how to get a pitch meeting" to "shop" your show. That's because the expression "selling a reality show," honestly, is a bit misleading. It suggests that someone "buys" your reality show, and that, therefore, money changes hands in that process. As I explain more fully below, that is not typically part of our business model, especially one's first time out. So let me first clarify that the two real verbs in our industry are "pitching" (or "shopping") a show in the beginning, and "getting an order" for a show at the end (which may be a pilot order or a series order for multiple episodes - not always 13!).

As you try to shop your first show, please, right now, reframe your language to say "How do I get a pilot or series order for my show?" That will more clearly set up the journey you are about to embark on, and it will keep you focused on your actual goal in the process.

Next, I want you to reframe your initial step in this process, the pitch, from the singular to the plural, as in, "How do I pitch my own reality shows?" You never want to scratch and claw your way into a meeting, at last, and bring only one idea. There is a lot of opportunity sitting across from you at that moment, and if they say, "That pitch is not right for us - what else do you have?"...well, your having nothing else is going to be a shame.

So are you with me? You are not trying to "sell a reality show" anymore. You now are trying to "pitch multiple reality shows" to try to "get an order" for at least one of them. Here's how you are going to do this.

There is one main way to pitch any reality show, and that is through someone you know. If you feel resistance or despair or skepticism upon reading that statement, stop for a moment and regroup. That is not a flip answer - it is an industry truth, and embracing it will help you strategize correctly towards your goal. You simply must actively and regularly seek to meet people who will enable you to pitch - without being perceived as a parasite in the process.

How do you start networking effectively? Ideally, you or someone involved with your projects is a reality industry professional, so you should first reach out to the heads of any production companies where you have worked to see if they are a fit for your particular genre of show or will make an introduction to a prod co or network on your behalf. In addition, professional groups like the TV Academy and Producers Guild offer many resources, from meeting network heads to educational and social gatherings where you can network and try to set up meetings, so your team's reality insider(s) must take advantage of those. Finally, a reality professional absolutely can cold call development heads at networks for shows they have worked on to try to get a meeting, but it is a tougher route.  Ultimately, it doesn't matter if you reach out to a prod co or a net; it matters that you find someone who will take your call AND that they have a track record making shows like yours that actually air.

If you do not have anyone on the team with a reality track record, it is a harder job to shop a show, understandably (since that represents starting at the very top of a tough industry), and appreciably harder to stay attached to it since you would not be bringing valued experience to the table. It still can be done, with a lot of cold calling and persistence - and a focus on the unique and exceptional talent (like a Cesar Milan) that you have built the show around. Reality show ideas are not hard to come by (please believe that), but great talent is, and that will be your in!  Otherwise, you are asking for a favor in getting any meeting, and that can stick you in the "parasite" column quickly, even if it seems unfair.  You can pitch to either nets or prod cos; again, that will be determined mainly by whom you can meet and convince to take your pitch. Expect to sign a release, as well.

I always point out that our business model usually does not include a show's creator being paid for getting a green light (be prepared, in fact, to spend money to "sell" your show). In non-fiction, an order often instead triggers a small development fee that goes directly to the production company hired to flesh out the project, which is usually a company the network has a close and trusting relationship with. So as you list the reasons you want to sell the show, remove "making money" from the list and push ahead. Money comes AFTER production begins if you can stay attached (which is easier if you already have reality credits), so be sure to have an experienced non-fiction attorney on your team to fight for you to have a production position if it sells. That's where some of the expenses come from.

What about the agent option? It is very unlikely you will be able to secure a reality agent unless your team's reality insider is an established show runner, or at least at the senior producer level on a show. Non-fiction agents don't typically rep shows or projects; they rep talent. That's because, per the last point, there is no money in selling reality shows, but there is considerable money in taking 10% of a show runner's weekly salary. If you (or your team's reality person) have management level credits on a successful show, it is perfectly all right to cold call agents to try to set up an introductory meeting. Your job there is to convince them you are hirable onto many shows at the management level and that, again, you have multiple pitches ready to shop so they can try to sell a show for your own production company once you have the credits to warrant that (for which they can fight for a bundling fee as you hire all of their other clients to the show's staff).

Are you ready now to pitch your show?  That depends on if you have multiple projects prepared to present and have networked your way into effective people to present those projects to.  As you delve deeper into this difficult but exciting experience, I recommend you focus on success in reality TV in terms of having a successful career in reality TV because that is where you can both sell a show AND make money in the process.