You’ve sold your pilot.  The network has given you a 6 or 13 episode order.  You’re walking down the street with a smile on your face a mad man couldn’t smack off.  Your new best friend is the network’s  Executive-In- Charge of Production, you’re in sync and you almost imagine you couldn’t possibly do anything wrong.  Then one day it happens, you and the network are no longer doing the same happy dance and you’re story telling doesn’t match up to their expectations. It might happen after the first draft of the treatment or script is delivered, or after the first shooting day, or even after you’ve delivered the first rough cut.  Somehow, almost without warning, you and the network are operating from two separate places and you begin to imagine you’re not even from the same planet.  Where did it all go wrong?

You presented a concept that you were excited about, even passionate about.  Everyone signed off on it.  Now you find yourself in the precarious position of not feeling the love.  It may be that someone high up has decided that a different direction will ensure higher ratings.  Or perhaps the people at the top weren’t really communicating with each other.  It doesn’t really matter, because you’ve got a show to get on the air with precious little time to meet the deadline.  In my opinion it’s time to stand down.

You, the Executive Producer, the show runner are the one stable point.  The network is counting on you to deliver a show that will bring in the ratings numbers.  The production team is counting on you to give clear direction with the least amount of all nighters.

So – how do you stand down and keep the integrity of your idea?  Carefully, very carefully.  It’s certainly okay to talk to the network and tell them what you think in an effort to nudge them back in your direction.  But if you don’t have enough winning shows under your belt more then likely you’re going to be following their new direction.  I’ve seen this situation a couple of times – and the shows that win are the shows that carry on despite the changes.  If you’re the type of Executive Producer who says, “Okay, I’ll do what they say, but it’s going to be a terrible show,” you’ve not only stood down you’ve fallen into a black hole.  Instead, take the challenge, give them what they want, but make it better than they imagined it could.  Figure out how you can incorporate their changes with the show you originally intended, or the footage you’ve already shot.  There is a story there, and it’s probably a good one.  You just need to pull back and look at it from all viewpoints.  If you have certainty that you know how to tell a story and you know how to entertain you can make it work.  So get past all the whining, upset, and finger pointing – get the show done, and make it the best thing anyone has ever seen.  Stand down and rise on top.