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Grades level iconsGrades 9–10
Session time icon60+ Minutes
Genre information iconInformational, Media
Video resource type iconVideos

TV Narrative Study with Tim McKeon

by 826 National
Television writer and showrunner Tim McKeon shares how you can study your favorite TV show to learn about screenwriting.
About the Author

Tim McKeon is a five-time Emmy-winning kids’ TV writer, director and producer; Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner of Odd Squad for PBS Kids; Executive Producer of Odd Squad: Mobile Unit; and Creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner of Helpsters for Apple TV+. Currently, he’s writing jokes for squirrels with Mo Willems.

What Your Students Will Learn

You will learn how to analyze the components of a TV show and communicate how well they work together. 

Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.B Common Core Standards Icon
Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.
What You Will Do

STEP 1

Watch the video and then answer this question in your writing journal: “What do you think Tim McKeon meant by something “working” in a TV show’s story?” Make your best guess, based on your experiences as a viewer.

STEP 2 

On page 1 of the TV Narrative Study—Handout, there’s a list of basic narrative elements that are relevant to all storytelling modes. In this context, you will apply them to a TV show. Follow the directions on page 1 to complete this step. 

 STEP 3

Now, think of a TV show that you’d like to watch and analyze. It’s best to choose a show that you’re not very familiar with, so that you don’t know what’s going to happen. It should, however, be a show that you’ve seen before—maybe it’s a show that you just started watching. Follow the directions on page 2...

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