I must admit I’ve not watched this one, don’t want to be influenced, but my understanding is that this show went for the comedy hook, whereas I’ve written a drama that features funny people.
The main character is against the idea, but they are unable to find other funding and so he very reluctantly agrees, but it turns out going against his better interests, just as he had feared.I cannot imagine a more life disrupting paradigm than seeking family funding for a startup
Mike isn't proposing yet-another-reality-show, this appears to be a fictional drama with comedy elements.
What I propose would make my show a drama would be the inherently dramatic situation that starting a business is for real people. There would of course be interpersonal dynamics to consider as well. My personal belief is that shows which aren't believable are second rate, so I've done everything I know to do to not go down that artificial action path. Might end up too slow for some people, but in the end I would hope it rings true across the board. Thanks for posting.
Sort of depends on whether the audience knows what's believable. My wife never really could tolerate any of the wildly successful medical shows for long because she knows too much real medicine. Many of my lawyer friends and relatives feel the same way about procedural courtroom dramas. But these shows obviously appealed to a mass audience given that they were wildly successful. Most of your audience isn't going to know a damned thing about running a brewery (or starting a real business for that matter), so your plots only need to be plausible to the uninformed. Of course, you still might feel that you were putting out a second-rate product because of your own knowledge of what's actually believable, but how much sleep are you going to lose over that if your show is wildly successful?
This is so true. I figure to hold myself to the highest standard I can and have the show ring true to experts. This is why I have contacts within the brewing community review all my writing for this particular project. I figure if I get beer brewers to sign off, then they will be more willing to help spread the word/make recommendations that people watch. Thank you for commenting!
There will be an emphasis on getting the brewing parts right, but the show isn't so much about a brewery as it is about people who run one, if that makes sense. It will be more far reaching than just watching brewers at work, to be sure. Thanks for posting!
Not quite the tone, but not far off. I’ve described how I think it could work by comparing it to Friends meets Six Feet Under. It’s about the people running the brewery as much so as about the company itself.
Company logo as it stands...
I watched that. It's 1 season for a reason. haha
I fear you'll not be a fan of my would-be show. The young people setting out to open the brewery are fresh out of college and stuck in neutral. They have to figure out how to reprioritize things and then gain the confidence and momentum they need to run a business. I can't have that all happen in a single episode and come across as believable, unless I just jump ahead in time, but that would be to overlook all the interesting things they'd be doing during to get the place off the ground. Ultimately, it's a coming-of-age story in many respects, so it's a bit of a slow burn. But who knows, if it comes around, perhaps you'll give it a chance, which is all I can ask. Thanks for the post!
The good thing along those lines is that I have made many contacts across the industry willing to share ideas from actual experiences, and they also keep my technical writing realistic. PS - You might be a good candidate to read the script. Happy to send it to you. Just fill out the request on my project website: lotsbrewing.com
The two most important things!
I love Ozark! It’s not the most believable show, but the acting is great and the storylines compelling. The stakes are higher in that one than in mine, but the intent is to make LOTS BREWING be realistic and, therefore, identifiable. And my characters are much more sympathetic. I agree with your point about the show not being about brewing so much as about the people who run a brewery. I’ve said it before, so forgive my repetition, but it’s about a brewery in a way similar to Cheers being “about” a bar. Thank you for you post, and if you are willing to give the script a read to see what I mean for yourself, just reach out and I will gladly provide you a copy.
Funny you should say that as I’ve had dozens of brewers volunteer to share their mishaps with me. They will have their trials and tribulations (in and out of the workplace) for sure.
Its a real podcast. Worth a listen. Kind of interesting take on the industry. Not sure how much the failures really help others though. Mostly just a ***** fest. So far im amazed at how little business acumen or common sense most of the guests have. Its no wonder they all failed. The heyday of craft beer for beers sake is over. Its a completely different industry.
