Good Practice for TV

The Stage has obtained an early copy of a new good practice guide compiled by the Writers' Guild of Great Britain, which is designed to outline how broadcasters should work with writers of television dramas.

Called Working with Writers - A Good Practice Guide, it was put together by Anthony Read, a screenwriter with more than 200 credits to his name, and includes contributions from British Guild members Edel Brosnan and Ming Ho.

The guide points out some of the common problems television writers encounter during their jobs:

"As the director and his team take over, the script is often regarded as just one element of the overall production. It is easy to forget that everything else depends on the script. Regrettably, it has become common practice to keep the director and writer apart - producers and editors may fear that their own authority will be undermined, or believe the writer needs protection from the demands of the director. Either way, they do both writers and director - and themselves - a disservice," it reads.

The guide recommends writers should be able to meet directors at least once because it "may spark off productive new ideas". It also suggests "the creator of an original work should be involved in final casting sessions for their lead characters".

It also addresses issues such as dropping writers from long-running series with no explanation, the best way to provide feedback on writers' scripts, and recommended payment for story outlines and treatments.

The Writers' Guild of Great Britain will distribute the guide when it is published in September to broadcasters and independent production companies in the UK.