Matthew Wiener on 'Mad Men' writes the entire series…
“Matthew Wiener on 'Mad Men' writes the entire series before they start shooting, and if you have that, then what you can do with character and story is not at all unlike what you can do in a novel.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Writing a TV series parallels novel writing; both require deep character and story development before production.
In simple terms: TV scripts and novels share pre‑production storytelling depth.
Treat TV writing with novelistic rigor.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- TV pilots
- novel drafting
- screenwriting workshops
- creative planning
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does pre‑writing affect character depth?
- Can TV storytelling match novel complexity?
TV constraints like budget can limit narrative scope.