— Master COURSE—

Writing for Television: Creating & Writing Your Own TV Pilot

FALL 2025 | VIRTUAL ON ZOOM

Led by television industry veteran Bo Kaprall (Laverne & Shirley, The Carol Burnett Show, the Cher variety show, Academy of Country Music Awards, and more) and featuring guest appearances by seasoned Writers Guild of America writers and producers working in television today, this jam-packed course is designed for creative writers who seek to break into television writing.

Applicable to comedy, drama, and reality genres, this interactive course teaches the basics of creating, writing, and presenting your first television script, including how to take your idea to the next step and create a complete half-hour or one-hour television script. Beginning and professional writers alike are welcome. Prior screenwriting experience is not required.

Bo Kaprall has been a television show creator, director, writer, producer, executive producer, and actor for over thirty-five years. He has created and executive produced shows for ABC, CBS, NBC, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Discovery, TLC, and HGTV.

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‣ Meeting Information

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The course will cover:

The steps that a first-time television writer should take when writing their first script (style, story acts, etc.)
Structure
Character development
The importance of your first script as a calling card
How to find an agent and get your script read
Who you should be writing for
Roles/responsibilities on a television series (producer, director, etc.)
Outlets for new shows and new ideas
Developing your idea
The best way to write for you
The Writers’ Room
Collaboration processes
Overview of winning past and current television show scripts
Feedback on your current concepts, outline, scenes, and scripts

This course will feature special guests, including seasoned WGA writers and producers working in television today. Students will get the opportunity to ask questions and get a behind-the-scenes look into how television is made, learning about the different career paths to become a professional television writer and what showrunners, producers, creative executives, and fellowship competitions are looking for from writers working today.

Students will receive several TV scripts (shooting drafts) in PDF format prior to the first class session (and more during the course), to be read in advance if possible. We’ll also be viewing videos related to the topics throughout the course.

Pricing:

If you register by September 1: $295 for the full eight weeks

If you register by September 15: $325 for the full eight weeks

If you register by October 1: $375 for the full eight weeks

A limited number of scholarships are available. Please contact Jess Cox at jcox@thurberhouse.org if you need financial assistance.

‣ Class Format & Schedule

FORMAT:

All classes will be held virtually on Zoom. Zoom is a free platform that you do not need an account to use. You will receive Zoom access information prior to the course start date. Please familiarize yourself with Zoom and download the desktop or mobile app, if you haven’t already. You can learn more and get the app here: https://zoom.us/download

CLASS SCHEDULE:

Thursday, October 2, 2025 from 7:30-9:30 pm Eastern Time
Thursday, October 9, 2025 from 7:30-9:30 pm Eastern Time
Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 7:30-9:30 pm Eastern Time
Thursday, October 23, 2025 from 7:30-9:30 pm Eastern Time
Thursday, October 30, 2025 from 7:30-9:30 pm Eastern Time
Thursday, November 6, 2025 from 7:30-9:30 pm Eastern Time
Thursday, November 13, 2025 from 7:30-9:30 pm Eastern Time
Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 7:30-9:30 pm Eastern Time

‣ Meet the Instructor

Bo KAPRALL

Bo got his start in Chicago as an actor in the touring company of Chicago’s Second City. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he started the Comedy Store Players and joined Kentucky Fried Theatre (Kentucky Fried Movie, Airplane!, Police Squad). He then went on to write and produce several network series, including The Carol Burnett Show, Laverne & Shirley, the Cher variety show, Norman Lear’s A Year at the Top, and Welcome Back, Kotter. In addition, he has written over thirty network pilots.

After achieving success in Hollywood, Bo moved to Minneapolis, where he started his own creative production company focusing on humorous radio and television commercials and corporate communications. Bo has recorded, written, and produced over 1,000 radio commercials, winning several Cleo and Radio Best Awards.

He has appeared as an actor on over 50 television shows, the latest being Law Order and Third Watch. Recently, he executive produced a television series, Operation Undercover, for HBO Max Discovery ID.

‣ FAQ & Disclaimer

For any questions that are not answered here, please email Jess Cox at jcox@thurberhouse.org or call 614-412-5955.

You will receive an email order confirmation containing your registration information.
Yes, although online registration is encouraged. To order by phone, call 614-412-5955.
Purchases made by credit/debit card are charged a modest fee to cover Thurber House’s processing costs. To pay by cash or check, please email jcox@thurberhouse.org or call 614-412-5955.
All registrations are final and non-refundable. However, you can give your spot to a friend, family member, colleague, etc. if you cannot attend or in some cases you can apply your purchase as credit toward another program. Contact us to transfer a registration.
Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by event and program speakers in all mediums are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Thurber House, its affiliates, or its staff/board.