
Jed Mercurio
Ever wanted to create your own TV series?
Learn how, from the award-winning creator of Bodyguard, Trigger Point and Line of Duty.
Looking for gift ideas? Gift this course
What you'll learn
For anyone who wants to write great TV, online series or films. Jed takes you from ideas to final script to getting it made. Notebook, pen, and a love for TV recommended.
Reviews for this course
Thanks for signing up
Check your inbox - your free lesson is on the way!
Oops! Something went wrong
Please try again later
Get started with a free video lesson
How to turn inspiration into great TV with Line of Duty writer, Jed Mercurio
Meet your Maestro
Jed Mercurio is one of Britain’s most successful television writers. The award-winning creator of Bodyguard, Trigger Point and Line of Duty will show you how to master mystery, jeopardy, and structure to create edge-of-your-seat drama.
Lesson Plan
-
15 mins
Begin your journey into television writing and discover your value as a new writer.
-
6 mins
Where do you find ideas for your own television series? Jed will show you.
-
16 mins
How to take your inspiration and turn it into a premise for a TV series.
-
13 mins
Learn about the different types of series, and what every long-running TV show must have.
-
9 mins
How to create successful settings and invigorate well-trodden paths.
-
15 mins
How characters affect the world you’ve built. Recognising, using and twisting TV tropes.
-
13 mins
Discover different ways to bring the audience into your world.
-
24 mins
How to pitch, plan and create an incredible outline for your own television pilot.
-
17 mins
Using structure and ambition to develop a more dynamic television series.
-
15 mins
Conceiving events that have a profound effect on your characters and story.
-
19 mins
Critical mass and chain reaction - how to construct explosive moments and the natural story that follows.
-
15 mins
Creating impact, raising the stakes, and leaving your audience wanting more.
-
13 mins
How to stop backstory and flashbacks damaging your story.
-
10 mins
Creating and connecting evocative story strands.
-
23 mins
Exciting and diverse episodes, shocking your audience, and avoiding the mid-season dip.
-
15 mins
What is a series bible? What fundamental questions should it answer?
-
12 mins
Shaping key moments in your series and showcasing your characters.
-
10 mins
Mystery - how to keep viewers guessing and invested.
-
10 mins
Jeopardy - keeping your audience on the edge of their seats.
-
12 mins
Forward Momentum - powerful ways to keep your story moving.
-
23 mins
Why Jed believes, against popular opinion, that dialogue is the least important element in your script.
-
13 mins
Confusion - avoiding incoherence and the loss of your audience.
-
14 mins
Implausibility - coincidence, Deus ex Machina, and making events unpredictable yet plausible.
-
7 mins
Boredom - how to stop your…yawn… audience from getting bored.
-
13 mins
The qualities you need to be a successful television writer.
-
17 mins
In television there are three main fallacies. Here’s how to prove them wrong.
-
9 mins
Jed demystifies the challenges professional writers face during production.
-
11 mins
Simple ways to break into the television industry.
Pick your package
Change or cancel your subscription at any time
- Learn without limits on your computer, phone or tablet
- Download course notes and exercises to learn at your own pace
- Change or cancel your subscription at any time
Annual access
$120 $72 for a one year subscription
Access every BBC Maestro course
- Experience 100+ hours of video lessons each year
- Be the first to explore new courses as soon as they land
- Enjoy discounted rates to own your favourite courses for life
- Explore at ease with a 30-day money back guarantee
Own this course for life
$89 / $53.40
- Have lifetime access to "Writing Drama For Television " by Jed Mercurio
- Immerse yourself in hours of compelling video lessons
- Watch at your own pace as many times as you like
- Upgrade to our unlimited annual subscription for 1 year after purchase at a discount

Know an aspiring writer or someone who’d love this course?
Explore more courses
All courses-
The Science of Eating Well by Professor Tim Spector
Professor Tim Spector
The Science of Eating Well
-
Public Speaking and Communication by Richard Greene
Richard Greene
Public Speaking and Communication
-
Writing And Performing Musical Theatre by Sir Tim Rice
Sir Tim Rice
Writing And Performing Musical Theatre
-
Writing Children's Picture Books by Julia Donaldson
Julia Donaldson
Writing Children's Picture Books
-
A Blueprint for Healthy Living by Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Dr Rangan Chatterjee
A Blueprint for Healthy Living
Common questions
BBC Maestro is a subscription-based streaming platform, created to educate and inspire people to explore their creativity. Through pre-recorded lessons and detailed course notes, anyone can learn a wide range of disciplines and follow in the footsteps of experts respected all over the world.
BBC Maestro offers single course purchases or an annual subscription.
Simply purchase an individual course or an All Courses pass and get access to easy-to-follow video lessons. Watch on your computer, tablet or mobile and learn on demand, wherever and whenever you like.
Our courses are beginner-friendly and you can watch as many times as you like, at your own pace.
BBC Maestro is currently available in the following territories: United Kingdom, Isle of Mann, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, Australia, South Africa, Canada, India, Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, UAE and USA. We are planning on launching BBC Maestro in other territories in the future. Please subscribe to our mailing list and follow our social media channels for updates.
Yes, you can buy an annual subscription to get full access to all BBC Maestro courses, lessons and course notes for one year. Find out more
Yes, all our courses have English subtitles that can be accessed by clicking the CC button on the video player. We also have downloadable PDF course notes to go with each course, which offer more detailed information and tips.
No, all our courses are self-paced and no courses will be removed from the site or ‘expire’. If you have an all-access annual subscription, you can watch any content while your subscription is valid. If you don’t have an all-access subscription, but instead have bought one or more individual courses, the purchased content is yours to keep for life, and lessons can be watched as many times as you like.
Yes, you can see a full list of our current courses here.
We offer a 30-day money back guarantee for your first all-access annual subscription, if you aren't completely satisfied with your purchase. See our terms and conditions for details, or email [email protected].
You can choose between buying a single course as a one-off purchase, or you can sign up for an annual subscription which gives you access to all BBC Maestro courses for one year.
If you buy a single course, then it’s yours for life. You can watch the course as many times as you like, whenever you like. Our single courses include downloadable course notes to complement the video lessons.
Alternatively, if you buy an annual subscription to BBC Maestro, you can access every course for one year. You can watch each course as many times as you like within the year, and you’ll also be able to download the course notes for each course.
After one year you’ll have the option to renew your subscription, or you can choose not to renew once your subscription year is over. Subscriptions are billed annually, and we offer a 30-day money back guarantee to receive a full refund if you’re unhappy with your purchase.
Subscribers will have instant access to new courses as they are released. Please note that any courses in the Upcoming Courses section may be released outside of your annual subscription period. If you have any questions about an upcoming course, please email [email protected].
You can buy a gift card for any individual course or an All Courses Pass on our gift cards page. When you buy a gift card, you can choose to send the email with the gift card PDF attached to yourself or directly to the recipient. You can also choose to specify which date you would like the gift card email to send to your recipient.
Gift cards can be redeemed on the Gift Cards page. Once the card is redeemed, if the gift is for a single course the giftee will have lifetime access to the course and be able to re-watch as many times as they like. If the gift is for an All Courses Pass, the giftee will have one year’s access to all BBC Maestro courses, and immediate access to any new courses that are released within their yearly access period – from the date that they redeem their gift code.
Please note, anyone outside of our available regions will not be able to redeem a gift card.
Thanks for signing up
Check your inbox - your free lesson is on the way!
Oops! Something went wrong
Please try again later
Get started with a free video lesson
How to turn inspiration into great TV with Line of Duty writer, Jed Mercurio