Your TV studio fellowship application timeline [Updated 11-4-24]

Wrangling fellowship application requirements and deadlines from all around the internet can be a hassle, so I'm creating a headquarters for you to bookmark and return to.

This post is about TV fellowship deadlines. For a list of feature film fellowships, click here.

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It will take the whole year to get your samples and materials to a level that will make you actually competitive to enter one of these fellowships.

So I’ve put together a fellowship strategy timeline. I will return here to update the deadlines as I hear about them, but if you hear of any, please let me know by emailing audrey@audreyknox.com.

For a full list of the available fellowships and recommendations on how to incorporate them into you greater career strategy, check out last week’s newsletter if you haven’t read it already.

If you need help with actionable feedback that will get your script into shape, click here to book me for a one-on-one read and consultation.

Photo by Emanuel Ekström on Unsplash

Before you decide which fellowships to apply to, decide how many new scripts you are realistically capable of writing in the next year.

Your options are:

• One original pilot script only.

• An original pilot AND an original spec script.

• Two original pilot scripts.

Once you have a plan, use the lists below to determine which fellowships you’ll qualify for.

TV writers who want to write ONE ORIGINAL PILOT:

• Orchard Project for *December*

• Humanitas for April

• Mentorship Matters for July

• Yes And Laughter Labs for July

TV writers who want to write ONE ORIGINAL PILOT and ONE SPEC SCRIPT:

• FOX Entertainment Writers Incubator for December (pilot only)

• Orchard Project for *December* (pilot only)

• Paramount Writers Program for April (both)

• Humanitas for April (pilot only)

• Nickelodeon for July (both, comedy only)

• Yes And Laughter Labs for July (comedy pitch only)

TV writers who want to write TWO ORIGINAL PILOTS:

• FOX Entertainment Writers Incubator for December (pick one)

• Orchard Project for December (pick one)

• Humanitas for April (pick one)

• NBCUniversal in June (both)

• Yes And Laughter Labs for July (pick one)

TV writers who want to write TWO ORIGINAL PILOTS and ONE SPEC SCRIPT:

• Don’t do this. You won’t have enough time to make all three of them good. Pick whether you want to write a spec or a pilot as your second script and follow that track as recommended above.

• If you want to staff on a CBS show, write a spec as your second script.

• If you want to write on an NBC show, write a pilot as your second script.

Now that you know what fellowships you’re applying for, put the corresponding deadlines below into your calendar.

November

Final draft of your pilot script.

Congratulations! You can keep working on it and revising it, but this is the script you will be submitting to all fellowships until July.

*Orchard Project Episodic Lab is OPEN*

December

December 15 - Orchard Project Episodic Lab DEADLINE

IF APPLICABLE: Brainstorm a concept for your 2nd script (pilot or spec).

January

Outline 2nd script.

February

First draft of 2nd script.

March

Revise 2nd script.

April

April 1 - Paramount Writers Program opens (closed)

• Original work (pilot, stage play, or short fiction story)

• Spec script

Prepare materials for Paramount. Congratulations! You can keep working on them and revising them, but these are the scripts you will be submitting to all fellowships until July.

April 15 - Humanitas New Voices Fellowship Deadline (closed)

May

May 1 - Paramount Writers Program Deadline (closed)

June

June 3 - NBCUniversal TV Writers Program opens (closed)

June 10 - YALL Fellowship (closed)

• Up to 12 minutes of a pitch OR up to 12 pages of pitch material for a comedy project with an underlying social message.

June 23 - NBCUniversal TV Writers Program Deadline (closed)

• 2 original pilots

• Release forms

• Resume

• Personal essays

• 2 letters of recommendation

July

July 1 - Nickelodeon Writing Program OPENS

• Original half hour comedy pilot

• Half hour spec script (from accepted shows list)

• Application questions (these are long, so start your application early)

• Resume

• Release form

July 8 - Mentorship Matters OPENS

• Original sample (comedy or drama pilot)

• 1 page brief background

• Resume

• 1 minute video introduction

July 21 - YALL Fellowship Deadline (closed)

July 22 - Mentorship Matters Deadline (closed)

Brainstorm a concept for your next pilot script.

Start thinking about what pilot you want to write next…

August

August 1 - Nickelodeon Writing Program Deadline (closed)

Outline your pilot script.

September

Write the first draft of your pilot script.

October

Get outside feedback on your pilot script.

Revise your pilot script.

October 15 - *Orchard Project Episodic Lab is OPEN*

Make sure you bookmark this page because I will be updating it as applications open!