Super Bowl Script Cavalcade: The Wonder Years

On the surface, the Super Bowl might seem to be about football and over-the-top commercials, but anyone who's anyone knows that it's really about the episode of television that airs immediately following the game. TV networks have historically used the massive viewership that accompanies the most-watched event of the year in order to cultivate a greater audience for one of their new or currently running shows. This is the cultural phenomenon known as the "Super Bowl Lead-Out Program."   This time slot has seen everything from Lassie after the very first Super Bowl in 1967 to Julia Roberts guest-starring on Friends to a man with an active bomb stuck in his body on Grey's Anatomy to what's sure to be a heart-palpitation-inducing episode of This Is Us immediately after the New England Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday.  

Studying scripts from past post-Super Bowl lead-out episodes can be a particularly illuminating experience for writers. Such scripts are littered with tactics for hooking viewers—viewers whose senses have probably been dulled by too many flashy commercials or perhaps by too much beer.

For the past 25 years or so, the trend among networks has been to air a special, high-budget episode of an already wildly successful show, but this hasn't always been the case. From the mid 1980s to the mid 90s, networks hoped to jump-start the audience for new shows by airing pilots after the super bowl. This tactic didn't work especially well as many of these series were cancelled sometimes within weeks of their initial debut.  

On many counts, one of the most successful pilots to air after the Super Bowl was the pilot for The Wonder Years, which premiered on ABC immediately after Super Bowl XXII in 1988, exactly thirty years ago this year.  

Written by Neal Marlens & Carol Black (The team behind Growing Pains and Ellen), the pilot for The Wonder Years has little in common with the huge guest stars or heart-rending plot machinations of post-Super Bowl TV episodes in more recent years. Rather, it's subtle and uses nostalgia to look at the everyday upbringing of its 12-year-old protagonist. On the surface, it doesn't seem like the type of program that people would double over in desperation to tune into, yet in its debut and in subsequent seasons, The Wonder Years managed to accrue a passionate and dedicated viewer base.

The question is: how does a small, sentimental show without obvious high stakes or attention-grabbing trappings come to garner such a loyal following and become known as a television classic?

The pilot script opens, as nearly every episode of the show does, with an adult man named Kevin Arnold looking back on his adolescence in the 1960s.

Notice how one of the first scenes is a group of kids playing football in the street.

In 1988, this is the perfect sentiment to evoke amongst people watching the biggest football game of the year because they might be watching it with family and/or friends and reminiscing. Part of how The Wonder Years draws people in is by crafting a deeply personal narrative around themes and experiences that everybody has dealt with to a certain extent.

It tells stories about family and misunderstandings between parents and their kids:

It deals with friendship in a really warm and empathetic way:

It deals with first love:

The show even deals also death. In fact, none of the aforementioned topics go un-broached even in the pilot script.  

By 1988, the boomer generation was mostly grown up and probably living in suburbia with children of their own. Most of them probably tuned into the Super Bowl that year. The Wonder Years attempts to speak directly to them by telling stories about events they would have very acute, personal memories of, such as the war in Vietnam or MLK Jr. and JFK's assassinations. By writing specifically about these things, the writers fashion a show that people can feel belongs to them. They take this feeling of personalization one step further by wrapping their stories in the music of the time period. Nothing can "take a person back" like hearing songs from a certain era, so the feeling of nostalgia is multiplied many times over by including popular songs from the '60s. 

Literary wisdom tells us that "the personal is universal." By delving down into the specifics of what it was like to grow-up during the 1960s, the writers here create a story that feels poignant for anybody who's ever grown-up. That's their hook. That's why their show matters to so many people.

Maybe the pilot for The Wonder Years is an exception and not the rule when it comes to Post-Super Bowl Lead-Out programming, but it deserves to be a case study in how it allows anybody regardless of the circumstances or time period of their upbringing to be able to look back on their youth from a distance and imbue certain people and events with deeper meaning and understanding. Isn't that what storytelling is all about?

If you want to study-up on Post-Super Bowl Lead-Out episodes, get your fix in the WGF Library’s collections. We have the following: 

• The A*Team's "Children of Jamestown" - Written by Stephen J. Cannnell, which aired in 1983 after Super Bowl XVII 
• The pilot episode "Gone for Goode" from Homicide: Life on the Street - Written by Paul Attanasio, which aired in 1993 after Super Bowl XXVII 
• Friends’ “The One After the Superbowl,” (Pt. 1 Written by Jeffrey Astrof & Mike Sikowitz; Pt. 2 - Written by Michael Borkow), which aired in 1996 after Super Bowl XXX 
• The X Files’ “Leonard Betts" - Written by Vince Gilligan & John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz, which aired in 1997 after Super Bowl XXXI 
• The pilot for Family Guy - Written by Seth MacFarlane, which aired in 1999 after Super Bowl XXXIII 
• Malcolm in the Middle’s “Company Picnic" - Teleplay by Al Higgins, which aired in 2002 after Super Bowl XXXVI 
• Grey’s Anatomy’s “It’s the End of the World,” which aired in 2006 after Super Bowl XL (and it’s equally incredible follow-up episode “As We Know It” which aired a few days later, both written by Shonda Rhimes)
• House’s “Frozen” - Written by Liz Friedman, which aired in 2008 after Super Bowl XLII. 
• Elementary’s “The Deductionist” - Written by Craig Sweeny & Robert Doherty, which aired in 2013 after Super Bowl XLVII

As always, continue to search our library catalog for all your script reading needs.

In Place of Beautiful - Thoughts on Introducing Female Characters

Writers, we have a problem. The problem is "beautiful," "pretty," "attractive," "cute"… and a few other adjectives of similar meaning.

The problem is that it’s nearly impossible to find a screenplay or pilot script that doesn’t introduce its female characters using one of these words.

I work in a script library. Once a patron pointed this out to me, it’s a phenomenon I can’t seem to un-see. From the greenest of beginners to the most seasoned Emmy and Oscar winners; from the very beginning of cinema to TV episodes that aired last week, it’s like we can’t write a character who identifies as female without including the qualifier that she’s good-looking. Then, some of us think we’ll get bonus points if we specify that she doesn’t realize she’s good-looking.

This cliché has been the norm for so long that many of us are apt to not even notice. (By the way, this includes many women writers and it includes me.)

Screenwriting is predicated on economy of language. Because words in scripts are used more sparingly, the ones that make it to the page really count.

Think of all the critical creative decisions on a film or TV show, i.e. who the casting department seeks out for the role, how the actor interprets the role, how the character is received, how we’re influenced by the story, etc. that all take root in the lean selection of words put forth by the writer.

As age-old Hollywood wisdom tells us, it starts on the page.

And yet, despite knowing the importance of our word selection, when it comes to our female characters, we continue to use the same careless, generic, appearance-related adjectives—words used so frequently and without purpose that they start to lose all meaning.

Aren’t we aware enough to realize that using these flimsy words in a perpetual cycle is the very genesis of how we start to limit women’s participation not only in the stories we tell, but more so in the industry that supports the telling of those stories?

Beautiful, pretty, attractive, cute…

When we resort to including these words in something as pivotal as a character’s introduction, we reinforce the idea that a character’s other qualities are only worth noticing so long as she’s physically attractive. We give the impression that we couldn’t be bothered to dig up a more specific word so therefore the role must be inconsequential.

When used, “beautiful, pretty, attractive, cute…” tell us that it’s in the woman’s very nature to be an object of desire—even if she’s a hugely active character, even if she’s the hero and even if it’s a story primarily about women.

By contrast, male characters’ physical appearances seem to be described less in such stock terminology. Leaving out generic descriptions of how they look enables us to see them as more unique and perhaps more autonomous.

Could it be that some of the threatening, diminishing conduct towards women in this industry (such as that which has been brought into greater light recently) actually begins in the language we include in our scripts?

If this is true—if harmful, negative behavior can begin in our words—then the change that so many of us seek can also begin in our words. Simply put, altering the narrative can literally start on the page.

As writers of all gender identities, races, religions, creeds and stripes, we get to strike the match that ignites the fire, and it can be through actions as small as re-thinking how we describe our characters.

Oh, dear writers, script readers and anyone who makes movies or TV who just happens to be reading this, I’m giving you a New Year’s Resolution. Any time you come across a description in a script that reads like this…

Or this….

… whether it exists in a friend’s, client’s or, most importantly, your own work… try to see empty words like "beautiful," "pretty," "attractive" and "cute" as the blank spaces they are, then make a mental Mad Lib for yourself. Create a space that’s waiting for you as the writer, collaborator or giver of feedback to fill it with something alive, unique and purposeful. I suspect many actors have used this technique for a long time.

Stumped about what words to put in that blank space? Here are a few ideas to jump-start your imagination.

• First and least creatively, google some thesaurus terms. Words like "alluring," "magnetic," even "lovely" sound marginally more thoughtful and specific than the standard "pretty" or "attractive" even if they do allude entirely to how the character looks.

• It’s easier to write with specificity when you’re thinking of a real person as you go along. Whether you’re picturing the actor who will play this character or a person the character is inspired by, you’re more likely to focus on things like mannerisms and behaviors rather than resorting to generalizations or stereotypes. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous in the library. He imbues every character with a kind of warmth and individuality.

• Just leave it blank. If it’s a good script, you won’t have to go into detail describing what the character looks like because what we need to know about them will come through in what they do. The pilot scripts for Insecure, Girls and Jane the Virgin describe their leading ladies minimally without ever referencing their physical appearance.

• Tell us the character’s occupation instead. This takes focus away from what the character looks like and puts it on what the character does.

• In instances of the dreaded, “beautiful but doesn’t know it” or “broken, but beautiful” type of introduction, think of the kind of person this character becomes by the very end of the script. What has she discovered about herself that she didn’t know before? What kind of person has she become? How has she changed? If you have trouble with this, think of some of the great female character arcs in movies and TV from Thelma of Thelma & Louise to Betty of Ugly Betty to Katherine of Hidden Figures to Daenarys of Game of Thrones. In what way do they become different over the course of the story? Those are the words to use in place of beautiful.

If you’re still worried that you’re falling into the use of an annoying cliché or that you might be perpetuating the omnipresent stereotypical or overused narrative with your descriptions, ask somebody to give you feedback on them.

… and if you don’t have anybody to give you this kind of feedback, feel free to bring your character descriptions to the WGF Library. This script librarian would be happy to give you slightly objective perspective on your character intros.

I’ll keep calling attention to this issue until empty words like beautiful, pretty, attractive and cute are replaced with a slew of dynamic adjectives and nouns and we feel empowered to become each and every one of them.

I’ll soon be back to my regular posts on cool scripts to read in the library. Now and always, keep writing!

WGF Staff's Favorite Films of 2017

As 2017 winds down, the Writers Guild Foundation staff reflects upon the films that made us cheer, weep, belly laugh, or stare slack jawed in awe this year. Here are each of our top 3 favorite films and a bit about why we loved them so much. Of course, you can find screenplays for all of our #1 favorites on the shelves at the WGF Library.  Libbie Anderson, Volunteer and Programs Coordinator

#1: Call Me By Your Name. It's vulnerable and devastating, but also kindhearted and sensitive. It's the kind of movie that leaves you emotionally and almost physically exhausted, but you walk away feeling like a better person. It's that powerful. 

#2: Lady Bird #3: Personal Shopper

Javier Barrios, Acquisitions Manager

#1: Coco. I'm obsessed with the after life. I loved that it portrayed a Mexican holiday—Day of the Dead—in a correct and respectful manner, and that it was used as a plot device.

Lauren O'Connor, Librarian

#1: Wonder Woman. It treats its female hero with sincerity and as the subject of her own story. Plus, she holds true to her convictions as she develops them, kicks a lot of ass and has to make a big existential choice by the end. Basically, it felt like watching a biography of myself.

#2: Girls Trip #3: Coco/Patti Cake$ (tie)

Enid Portuguez, Director of Communications

#1: Lady Bird. I haven't been so charmed by a movie in a long time. Writer-director Greta Gerwig's hilarious dialogue and the exquisite, observant way she deals with the turbulent relationships between mothers-daughters, best friends, and high school boyfriends kept me captivated from beginning to end. 

#2: Get Out #3: The Florida Project

Hilary Swett, Archivist

#1: Get Out. Jordan Peele made an extraordinary film by blurring the limits of genre, making it socially conscious, and making it highly enjoyable. 

#2: Lady Bird #3: Blade Runner 2049

WGF Staff's Favorite TV Shows of 2017

There were just too many outstanding series to choose, let alone rank, in 2017. This year, we saw new voices emerge, plus stories and characters that explored perspectives that were refreshing, disturbing, thought provoking, and poignantly complex. Here are the Writers Guild Foundation staff's top 3 favorite TV Shows of 2017. You can find scripts for most of these shows in the WGF Library.  Libbie Anderson, Volunteer and Programs Coordinator

#1: Halt and Catch Fire. I'm a latecomer to Halt and Catch Fire (I may or may not have binged all four seasons in less than a week). I loved watching the evolution of this show and I'm so happy that characters like Cameron Howe and Donna Clark exist in TV. 

#2: The Handmaid's Tale #3: Better Things

Arun Baheti, Director of Operations and Finance

#1: American Crime.  It never bought into the rosy, happy notion that good people can overcome bad things through hard work or doing the right thing; rather, good, striving people can end up in bad situations with bad endings, and that those fit into the larger context of societal structures.  And for never hiding from the complexity inherent in big issues—no neat, tidy answers.

#2: The Good Place #3: Ken Burns' Vietnam

Javier Barrios, Acquisitions Manager

#1: The Good Place. I like it because it’s not afraid to ask the big questions: What’s it like when we die? Is it too late when you die to become a better person? 

Lauren O'Connor, Librarian

#1: G.L.O.W. If I must pick one series, it's G.L.O.W. because I'm a sucker for any kind of Bad News Bears/team of losers story. Beneath its snarky veneer, it just has so much heart. 

#2: This is Us/Big Little Lies (tie) #3: Game of Thrones

Enid Portuguez, Director of Communications

#1: Big Little Lies. This show appealed to so many of my senses and sensibilities—the gorgeous landscapes and interiors, the all-star cast of phenomenal women, the perfectly curated soundtrack, Alexander Skarsgard. Murder mystery aside, I could have watched these ladies plan a bake sale for an hour. 

#2: Better Things #3: Mindhunter

Hilary Swett, Archivist

#1: Better Things. I love watching a female in charge as the writer/director/star. Beautifully shot episodes. The reality and complications of families and all the feelings. Episodes that convey the ambiguity and space between ordinary happiness and quiet pain. Surreal, imaginative, joyful moments that sneak up on you and let you free. 

#2: The Handmaid's Tale #3: Veep

Job Posting: Development & Communications Assistant

APPLICATION WINDOW IS NOW CLOSED - WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS. THANK YOU! Looking for your occupassion?  Tired of raising money for causes that don’t inspire you?  Love writers and writing? Want to work at the nexus of the arts and entertainment and public service?  Willing to read a longish job spec and submit a resume that’ll make us want to meet you?  Look no further!

We are looking for a motivated, detail-oriented, disciplined, emotionally intelligent person to help us raise money and market us in ways that help us raise money.  This full-time position is ideal for someone with 2-3 years of experience in non-profits, politics, or fundraising.

 In this role, you will assist the Executive Director with (and learn) everything related to fundraising from individuals and foundations.

This is a job for someone who wants to be part of building up an organization, will never make excuses, has a contagious sense of humor, and is willing to roll up their sleeves. You made it this far.  Now decide if the daily responsibilities are ones where you have both experience and interest.

DAILY DUTIES:

• Develop, nurture, and maintain relationships and cultivate new and existing constituents into donors
• Conduct outreach and cultivate relationships with WGA members/volunteers
• Seek out, schedule, and coordinate meetings for the ED
• Work with Communications to design, develop, execute, and monitor digital fundraising appeals, media outreach, and social media messages
• Make your colleagues laugh (seriously, we are fun and we want someone who is also fun; this is a non-profit, so we aren’t paid enough to be serious all the time)
• Create and manage donor database. Accurately enter and track all contacts with donors in our CRM system
• Assist with ongoing programs, events, and marketing where donors and potential donors are present (i.e., all of our events)

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Excellent communication skills
• Disciplined, painstaking, precise, sharp, detailed, self-aware
• Spidey sense
• Comfortable multi-tasking without getting all frazzled
• Relationship builder with the flexibility and finesse to manage by influence
• Infectious laugh and sense of humor
• Sincere commitment to work collaboratively with all constituencies, including WGF and WGA staff, board members, volunteers, donors, program participants, and other supporters
• Self-starter, able to work independently

ASSUMED BASIC SKILLS:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office
• Social media savvy (please know what a hashtag, IG story, and engagement mean)
• Able to charm and befriend on the phone and in person
• Understand and appreciate the art and business of television and film
• Willing and able to learn and be coached
• Smart, witty, considerate
• Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound
• Like people. We mean really, really like people and enjoy meeting new people. You’re the person that makes friends while in line at the dry cleaners (not that you’ll have to pick up anyone’s dry cleaning… unless they want to donate a million bucks)
• Demonstrated ability to develop a plan of action, achieve buy-in, and execute to the plan successfully
• Getting stuff DONE
• Not raised by wolves, willing to pitch in even if it isn’t your job
• Able to think on your feet and manage through situations without ruffling feathers

THE BUREAUCRATIC BIT (a.k.a., the Blah Blah Blah):

Interviewees will be chosen very selectively. Please be sure you meet the qualifications before you apply.  A persuasive cover letter or note describing your understanding of our organization and why you are a good fit will get our attention. Getting your shining personality across will increase your odds.  Thinking of a skill you have, that you know we need, but that we didn’t list above will get you serious bonus points.  Referring to something specific from our website or this notice in your subject line will prove you read and understood this job posting; not doing so will prove that you just applied randomly to jobs by clicking on a job website. Submitting your cover and resume in one convenient, combined, printable document (PDF or Word) makes our lives easier and increases your chances of having both read.  In short, your email/cover matters.  A LOT.

While our salaries are very non-profity, our benefits are outstanding and include health insurance, paid time off, sick leave, a pension program, access to special screenings, and super way cool co-workers.  Plus, our offices are in a great part of town, across the street from the Farmers Market at 3^rd and Fairfax.

We are an equal opportunity employer. You must be eligible to work legally in the United States without employer sponsorship.  You must have a valid California driver license.  A job offer is contingent: Hire is subject to the results of a background check.

SUBMIT BY EMAIL ONLY.  NO CALLS.  DO NOT EMAIL STAFF OR THE ED DIRECTLY (doing so is disqualifying).  We’re expecting a large volume of applications, so please be patient, and give us at least three weeks.

Email your cover letter and resume by December 15 to: wgf.careers@wgfoundation.org