How to Turn a Book – Or Any Property – Into a TV Show with Chad Gervich

In what may be our most fun and useful episode yet, our guest Chad Gervich (author, executive producer, TV writer and reality producer) shares invaluable tips, explaining how to turn a book into a TV show. This advice will work for any attaching any property, from business to podcast. Most importantly, you don’t have to be rich or have Hollywood clout to do it. This Episode Our very first guest, Chad Gervich, brings the good stuff. * How to reach out to an author or business owner if you think their product could be a TV show * How much money you really need to spend to do it (hint – you can afford it. Really.) * Three actionable steps to carry you through the process of taking a book or property from idea to pitch. About the Amazing Chad Gervich Chad Gervich, award winning playwright, TV writer, book author, executive producer, and very funny man convinced his boss, Warren Littlefield, to take a chance on us many years ago. This was especially amazing for us, since Warren was the former president of NBC, and personally put Seinfeld, Will and Grace, ER, and about a million other huge shows on the air. He created, in name and content, Must-See TV. An Inspiration for Aspiring Talent Everywhere Chad has been a champion of new talent, and a guide to aspiring dreamers, for years. One of the few teachers in the world who actually has a career in the field he teaches in, Chad Gervich is the rare kind of guy anyone would be lucky to know. His new book How to Manage Your Agent is available now, and is probably the most practical approach to getting, keeping, and working with a Hollywood agent ever written. (Full podcast episode on getting and keeping a Hollywood agent featuring Chad’s advice coming in January.) He also wrote the indispensable Small Screen, Big Picture (our post about it) that covers everything about working in television, both scripted and unscripted. Yes, we’re a little biased because he’s our friend, and we’re interviewed in both books, but trust us…this is good stuff. Our First Show Running Gig Our first show-running gig was on a show called Foody Call. It began life as a little-known book, Cook Your Way Into Her Pants, which Chad plucked from obscurity, developed into a TV show, and sold to the Style Network. This episode we relate the very useful and step-by-step approach Chad used to make it all happen, full of tips you can actually use yourself. Stay Tuned for An Insane Confession Next episode, we’ll admit how we accidentally tricked Warren Littlefield into going to bat for us in the most outrageous way, and how that lead directly to the career we have today. Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne Update As mentioned in the podcast, Variety broke the news that our new show Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne will premiere Monday, January 13, at 10pm on A&E. Here’s the official story. Press the giant red “Play” button above to learn Chad’s secrets…and even hear a little juicy gossip about how Joke was way cooler than Chad and Biagio when they all attended UCLA together. (Don’t tell Chad we said that!) Transcript coming soon!

Om Podcasten

*Named "New and Noteworthy" across all podcasts, as well as TV & Film, Arts, and Education. Subscribe now. Ready to create, pitch, and sell documentary series, unscripted TV shows or reality series and specials? From creating pitch tapes to meeting with TV networks, developing your ideas to discovering reality TV stars, this podcast features tips on working in unscripted film and television that you won't find anywhere else. Get top-industry secrets and even pitch your shows to Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers and Unscripted Television Producers Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina. Recently, the duo have helped both new and experienced producers bring projects to television on MTV, BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL, INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY, A&E, and CNN/HLN. Your show could be next. Subscribe now. ABOUT JOKE AND BIAGIO: With over a decade of experience in unscripted film and television, this married couple has made TV shows, specials, and pilots for CNN, HLN, A&E, The CW, Biography Channel, NBC, CBS, Discovery, Investigation Discovery, Discovery+, E!, IFC, Logo, Oxygen, Style Network, VH1 and MTV. Their feature length documentary DYING TO DO LETTERMAN played in theaters across America, was invited by the International Documentary Association to qualify for Academy Award® consideration, and named “New and Noteworthy” on iTunes alongside The Dark Knight Rises, Brave, and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Subscribers to this podcast will learn the secrets of the Unscripted TV and Film worlds, and how to apply them toward career success. Subscribe today.