Script Development on Unscripted Television: Grand Designs & The Spectacle of the Reveal

The Palgrave Handbook of Script Development provides the first comprehensive overview of international script development practices. Across 40 unique chapters, readers are guided through the key challenges, roles and cultures of script development. The authors take us inside the writers’ room, alongside the script editor, between development conversations, and outside the mainstream and into the experimental. With authors spanning upwards of 15 countries, and occupying an array of roles, this is a truly international perspective on how script development functions (or otherwise) across media and platforms.

Script Development on Unscripted Television: Grand Designs & The Spectacle of the Reveal
How do you develop a script for factual television? There is scant written about the process, and the audience often assume there is no script. This chapter discusses the mechanics of script development for unscripted television, from preproduction to postproduction. It examines the skills required and the challenges facing factual television in the fast-paced digital media landscape. The chapter uses a case study of Grand Designs, the international design/architecture series. The chapter offers insights into the longevity of Grand Designs and demonstrates how new and traditional storytelling methods, such as the hero’s journey, function to ensure the viewer is hooked. It will argue that the success of Grand Designs can be attributed to three intersecting factors: (1) the production team, (2) the presenter and (3) the format. The author draws upon her professional experience and interviews with producers/directors to offer insider knowledge on the script development process within factual television.