
If you read my last blog, you saw the first nine steps to writing a detective screenplay for TV. The original list is too long for the blog. Here are the next nine steps.
10. The following records are difficult to obtain: a. tax records (IRS won’t cooperate) b. home telephone number (telephone company wants a two year contract) c. name of TV service provider (keeps changing) d. password to home computer (suspects keep forgetting)
11. (Select all that apply below):_________________ lead(s) to (pick a number) ____suspects. . a. the evidence b. the witnesses c. the video tapes d. the confidential informant e. intuition f. gut feeling g. good luck %They haul them in to interview them individually.
12. The interview room has a one-way mirror (mandatory). The suspects have no idea that there is a one-way mirror because they never watch TV.
13. One witness must look the most innocent (mandatory) because (he/she) is a (select all that apply): a. nun/priest b. virgin c. Democrat d. has an iron clad alibi e. passed a polygraph test f. passed the drug test g. is cute
14. Another suspect must look very guilty because (she/he) (select all that apply): a. is a Republican b. failed the polygraph test c. has no alibi d. voted for Nixon e. looks guilty (shifty eyes, sweaty, bad hair do) f. driver’s license expired.
15. The detectives must show the guilty looking suspect all the evidence they have collected (mandatory) and tell the suspect all their theories on how the crime was committed. The suspect must still deny everything.
16. All the suspects must lie (mandatory).
17. The detectives paste pictures (mandatory) of all the suspects and list other clues on a white board. %18. The detectives discover that for the guilty looking suspect (select all that apply): a. the alibi checked out b. the polygraph malfunctioned c. the suspect had a prescription for the drugs d. the suspect lied about voting for Nixon e. the suspect looks cute after cleaning up f. the (DNA/prints) do not match the crime scene evidence g. their contract with the studio expires soon. %This formula will work for Castle, The Mentalist, CSI, Criminal Minds, Major Crimes, Glades, and many other TV detective shows.