FROM IDEA TO FINISHED PILOT
Over eight weeks, you'll take your own original idea for a half-hour television show and turn it into a completed pilot. We'll break your entire story before you begin writing, turn that break into a polished outline, and then use that outline to write your script. Once you have a first draft, we'll rewrite it and then rewrite it again until it's as good as you can make it.
The class size is small because I want it to function as much as possible like a writers' room. Even when we're not discussing your pilot, you'll be working on someone else's story. Learning how to diagnose and solve problems in other writers scripts is an important part of learning how to do it in your own.
At the end of the course, I'll read your completed pilot and we'll meet privately for 30 minutes to discuss your script and what you should focus on in your next draft.
Joel Church-Cooper
I’m a television writer, creator and showrunner. Most recently, I created and ran the FOX comedy Going Dutch, starring Denis Leary, for two seasons. I was also the co-creator and showrunner of IFC’s Brockmire, starring Hank Azaria, which ran for four seasons.
I’ve been a Co-Executive Producer on Minx and Future Man, and have written for Undateable, Ground Floor, Up All Night and Men at Work. I’ve sold pilots to HBO, Amazon, Apple and NBC, and have written features for Sony and Warner Bros.
I’ve spent my career working in writers’ rooms, breaking stories, developing pilots, rewriting scripts and producing television. I want this class to give writers practical experience with that process, along with individual attention to their own work.
Why I Am Teaching This Class
The barriers to learn the fundamental skills of television writing have never been higher. It's incredibly difficult to get into a writers' room to learn from experienced writers, and film school costs tens of thousands of dollars. Even then, students are often taught by people whose experience comes from a very different era of the television business.
My most recent show was on the air just months ago. I want to bring my current experiences into the class: how scripts are being read, what gets people's attention, what I'm seeing in staffing and development, and what is happening in the TV landscape right now.
I've also always loved teaching. I've taught improv and given lectures on television writing, and I've found that explaining how I approach story and helping another writer solve a problem makes me a more disciplined and intentional writer.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
01
Eight weekly two hour live classes
02
A limited and exclusive writers room
Sixteen hours of live Zoom instruction, taking you from your initial idea through a rewritten half-hour pilot.
We’ll break stories together, pitch solutions, and work through problems as a group. Each week we’ll dig deeply into a few writers’ work, and everyone will have their work discussed during the course.
03
A finished half-hour pilot
04
A complete read of your finished pilot
You’ll go from blue sky to board, board to outline, outline to first draft, and first draft through rewriting and polish.
After the final class, I’ll read the pilot you’ve spent eight weeks developing.
05
A private 30-minute one-on-one
06
Current insight into the television business
We’ll meet individually to discuss what’s working, what still needs work, and what you should focus on in your next draft.
We’ll talk about what I’m seeing as a working writer and showrunner: how scripts are being read, what’s happening in staffing and development, and the realities of trying to build a career in television today.
Andrew Guest, Creator of Wonderman and writer on Brooklyn 99
"I’ve known Joel for over 20 years and he’s undoubtedly one of the most talented writers I’ve ever worked with. As a boss and showrunner, he’s incredibly supportive and kind. I’ve learned so much from Joel about leadership and fighting for your creative vision."
TV Writer Testimonials
Hilary Winston, Showrunner of Goosebumps and writer on Community
"Joel knows how to do it all. But his unique showrunner superpower is sniffing out a joke. Joel will leave no joke unturned. No punchline unpunched. No scene unbuttoned. And whether in the writers room, on set or in the edit bay, Joel challenges himself (and the people around him) to use comedy to wag the story.”
Rene Gube, Executive Producer of The Bear and writer on Superstore
"Twice I’ve gotten to work on shows that Joel ran, and both times I was struck by his immense respect for writers and the craft of writing. As a showrunner Joel goes to great lengths to ensure his writers feel valued and respected. The result is a fun ass vibe where the best idea wins. I am confident that any amount of time a writer can find in collaboration with Joel will pay dividends in both their careers and their mastery of the craft. No bullshit."
The Course Schedule
01
Three-act structure and why it’s a necessity in the half-hour format. Identifying act breaks and their importance. Going from blue sky to board work to outline. We’ll also look at clips from half-hour pilots and learn to identify the structure underneath them.
BREAKING STORY: FROM BLUESKY TO OUTLINE
02
Making sure you actually have what you need to write. Pressure-testing your act breaks: whether the first act break invites the audience into the story and whether the second feels like the culmination and heightening of the stakes. Identifying when an outline feels overstuffed or too bare, and making sure you have the blueprint you need before you start writing.
PRESSURE-TESTING YOUR OUTLINE
03
Going from outline to script, with a focus on Act One and the importance of the cold open. Identifying problems in the translation from outline to script, figuring out how to know if something is working, and learning to push past the judgmental voices telling you to stop.
FROM OUTLINE TO SCRIPT: ACT ONE
04
Act Two should usually be your longest act, and it's often the most difficult to write. It's where most of your story movement takes place and where you need to keep the reader engaged after you've gotten them through the first ten pages. We'll focus on making sure the story continues to move rather than simply accumulating scenes, recognizing when you're drifting away from the blueprint you created in your outline, and keeping the reader engaged as you build toward the culmination and heightening of the story's stakes at the second act break.
CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN: ACT TWO
05
Getting to your second act break and making sure it feels substantial, with real stakes. Then looking back at what you've written to make sure it feels of a piece: that the tone is consistent, the characters are behaving consistently, the story and stakes have evolved naturally, and you're delivering on the promises you made in Act One.
LOOKING BACK DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN
06
Act Three is about paying off everything you've set up. We'll look at whether problems in Act Three actually mean you need to go back and fix something in Act One. We'll focus on surprising the audience, saving your biggest punch for the end, and making the final movements of your story satisfying, compelling, and surprising. Act Three should also usually be your shortest act, which means you have less room and need to be more elegant in your writing.
STICKING THE LANDING: ACT THREE
07
You finished your first draft. Congratulations. This is the worst your script is ever going to be. Now is the point where we actually make it good. Learn to be your own best critic, separate what you wanted a scene to be from how it actually reads, and stress-test your material until it’s in as good a shape as you can make it.
WRITING IS REWRITING AND REWRITING AND REWRITING
08
Punch-up, fine-tuning, and surgery. Finding the weak points, jokes that could be better, dialogue that could be sharper, and then going back to the first ten pages. Most people who read your script won’t get past those ten pages, so every word, every joke, and every line needs to be as tight as you can possibly make it.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Enrollment & Pricing
8-WEEK SHOWRUNNER CLASS
$1250
NEXT CLASS STARTS OCTOBER 21
October 21–December 16, 2026
We’ll take Thanksgiving week off.
Wednesdays, 5:00–7 PM Pacific / 8:00–10 PM Eastern
Over eight weeks, you’ll take a half-hour pilot from the initial idea through a completed draft, with direct feedback and a private 1:1 at the end.
READY TO WRITE THE BEST SCRIPT YOU’VE EVER WRITTEN?
Not ready for this class? Join the mailing list for future dates.
Questions? Showrunnerclass@gmail.com
FAQ
IDEA • STRUCTURE • STORY BREAK • OUTLINE • FIRST DRAFT • REWRITE • POLISH • FINISHED PILOT