What is a network 'development department'?

What is a network 'development department'?

Mark Cronin (Founder & Producer) gives expert video advice on: What makes a good reality TV producer? and more...

A network development department, when we're dealing with reality television, is usually called the alternative development department. The alternative development department's job is to go to the producing community, all the producers in town, and find projects to bring in that are appropriate for their network, and buy those projects, which usually involves stages of buying. Firstly, they'll just buy the idea or treatment, then they'll buy a pilot or a test or a presentation and then hopefully they'll buy a realty TV series. That's their job and usually the development department takes it from initial pitch or initial concept to the point it premieres on the air, and then they step out and current programming steps in and takes over. They go off to develop the next generation of shows. Some development departments at networks actually do their own creative work. Some development departments will have creative meetings and come up with their own reality show ideas. They'll go out and say, "We have an idea for a show, would you produce that for us?" And that's largely what they call work for hire. They'll hire a television production company to come in and execute their idea for a show. But that's much rarer than when they just sift through all the pitches and all the ideas out there and try to pick the ones that are right for them.