Writing the TV Pilot: An Analysis of “Nurse Jackie”

Are you struggling to transition from feature to pilot writing?

Do you have a great idea for a show, but don’t know how to get it written?

Do you have a hard time with how to put *enough* information into a pilot to be interesting, but not *so much* that you run out of ideas for the rest of the show?

There’s a lot of work that goes into a great TV pilot. Fortunately, pilot structure can be clearly analyzed, broken down, and applied to your own projects.

Beyond tone (whether it’s a drama or comedy), there are 5 key areas to address when crafting your TV pilot. Those are:

• Structure • Pacing • Characters • Dialogue • Series Engine

Without full development of these vital components, even the best idea can easily fall apart. To examine some of these elements, let’s check out the pilot episode of Nurse Jackie, Showtime’s series starring Edie Falco. The pilot was written by Liz Brixius & Linda Wallem and Evan Dunsky.

PLOT: WHAT’S THE STORY?

Nurse Jackie tells the story of a painkiller-addicted nurse, struggling at work and at home. This is a dark comedy that focuses on characters who must make life- or-death decisions, without losing sight of the humanity in its leads.

STRUCTURE: ACTS & FLOW

The structure of the pilot holds true to classic television format; though this is a cable script (without commercials), it has a classic 5-act structure. Each individual act includes escalation in both action and character.

PACING: KEEP THE STORY MOVING

The pacing explodes on page 2, when “a set of doors BLASTS open. E.M.T.s rush a gurney down the hall.” The script continues to speed through Jackie’s day at work. In any script, time matters – but no more so than in TV. Working around necessary act breaks forces the writer to keep the audience engaged.

Working within a confined amount of time while still keeping the plot moving is a difficult balance; yet, this pilot does all that, without losing focus on the story.

CHARACTERS: THE CORE OF EVERY SHOW

The most vital element of any television show is compelling characters. You’ve got to want to come back and watch them over 6, 8, 12, even 22 episodes. Character introductions give us a clear sense of who these people are.

The protagonist, Jackie, is introduced on her back, quoting TS Eliot. Why is she on her back? – Jackie has a herniated disc – the cause of pain that will ultimately bring on an addiction that plagues her through the rest of this season. Additionally, Jackie’s voiceover within the first page mentions that “people with the greatest capacity for good are the ones with the greatest capacity for evil.” This first page of the pilot, without showing a single conversation, clearly lays out two of the major themes: addiction, and a balance between good and evil.

Other regulars are introduced in similarly illuminating ways. Dr. Cooper, for instance, self-absorbed, enters the operating room on his Bluetooth, and winks at both Jackie and the patient. Before he’s even said a word, we can tell that “Coop” is smarmy, which is supported by his actions throughout the series.

Despite Coop’s distracted attitude, Jackie realizes her patient needs help – and tries to save his life. Throughout this episode, the reader is shown that Jackie’s capacity for caring and her knowledge of medicine are unparalleled. Despite her addiction and sarcasm, we recognize the humanity within her.

Other characters are similarly anointed with telling introductions (Mo-Mo’s flamboyance, O’Hara always watching Jackie’s back, Zoey babbling, etc), all of which tell us a great deal about who these people are, often in the space of a single line of action or dialogue.

DIALOGUE: ENHANCING THE TONE

The dialogue creates the comedic tone here; though these are doctors and nurses dealing with life or death situations, their sarcasm and dry wit help them get through the day. As such, when Dr. O’Hara on p. 11 refers to the hospital administrator as the “Wicked Witch,” we know that it’s ok to laugh. Moments of brevity contrast the darkness of Jackie’s demons and high-stakes hospital environment.

The dialogue also gives us a sense of how these characters see themselves.

When Jackie says “Quiet and mean. Those are my people,” we know she’s both utterly serious and using defense mechanisms against getting too close to people. Her candidness makes her relatable - she says the quiet parts out loud.

CRAFTING A STRONG SERIES ENGINE: SET-UPS & PAYOFF

The final beat of the script, in which we learn that Jackie is married with two kids – despite sleeping with a coworker – presents a nice bookend to the opening. In this instance, Jackie narrates “make me good, God…but not yet,” another theme that represents everything Jackie feels when faced with tough choices.

The scenarios Jackie finds herself in – saving the life of a patient, cheating on her husband, teaching Zoey about nursing – repeat throughout the first season. Finding ways to set up conflicts that pay off later strengthens the foundation of this pilot.

Everything we learn about the characters in episode one serves to support the rest of the season – even extending into season 3. The true purpose of the pilot is to set up enough intrigue, character, and plot points to motivate the rest of the series. At every step, Jackie tries to do good – but often finds herself employing immoral or illegal methods, which will come back to bite her.

By addressing each of these elements, the Nurse Jackie pilot crafts a compelling, darkly comic, and honest portrayal of a woman balancing on the edge of just about everything – addiction, loyalty, love, and trust. The big themes presented through even the smallest of actions make this script a great read.

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If you’ve enjoyed learning about writing a pilot, and have one of your own that you feel is ready to go, enter it in this year’s Pilot Launch Contest, hosted by ScreenCraft & Script Chix!

*Note: this contest had 500 entries in its first year.