E47 - Indie Panel: Script & Development - How A Network Series Becomes A Reality

The Catalyst Storieroad Institute in partnership with The Wrap proudly presents, Script & Development: How a Network Series Idea Becomes a Reality.

 

Our guests are:

• Cort Cass - VP of Drama Development at ABC Studios
• Steve Basilone - Exec Producer, "The Goldbergs"
• Elaine Loh - Writer, "Gossip Girl" at HBO Max

Topics include:

• The Origin of the Idea: From the Writer’s Head to the Executive’s Desk
• The rules of acceptable pitching
• How do networks decide what gets put into development? 
• What does the day-to-day of development entail?
• How does a showrunner staff the writers' room?
• How do staff writers create the scripts?

 

Cort Cass is a Vice President of Drama Development at ABC Studios. He previously served as Vice President of Comedy Development at ABC Studios and has spent the last 15 years in various positions within the company. In these positions Mr. Cass develops and oversees series across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. For ABC Network he shepherded Emmy and Golden Globe nominee BLACKISH as well as AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE, SPEECHLESS, and STUMPTOWN. Previous series credits include HAPPY ENDINGS, DOWNWARD DOG, TROPHY WIFE, HELLO LADIES, THE MAYOR, and GRANDFATHERED among many others.

 

Steve Basilone graduated from Emerson College and moved to LA in 2003, where he has written and produced close to 200 episodes of television, working for critical and commercial successes like Happy Endings and Community. In 2015, he wrote a feature for Focus Films, and in 2017 Basilone and long time collaborator, Dan Levy, wrote the sequel to the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito classic, Twins, for Montecito Pictures. For the last five years Steve has been serving as Co-Executive producer for the ABC hit, The Goldbergs. Currently Basilone’s working with Levy on his NBC show, Indebted, while finishing his feature directorial debut, Long Weekend.

 

Elaine Loh was recently staffed on the new Gossip Girl reboot for HBO Max and is now writing for Dynasty on The CW. She is humbled to be a fellow in the HBO Writers Program, as well as to have been named on the Young & Hungry List and as one of the Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2019. She has had scripts place in the world-renowned PAGE Awards (Silver Prize), Austin Film Festival (3 times), Final Draft Big Break (Top Ten), Tracking Board Launch Pad (Top 50), and the ISA (Grand Prize). She wrote/directed the short form series DOXXED, which won Best Short Comedy at Catalyst and Best Achievement at Raindance.

 

Thank you to The Wrap, WDSE-WRPT in Duluth, and the National Academy of TV Arts & Sciences for supporting Catalyst Storieroad.