A bible (also known as a story bible, show bible, series bible, or pitch bible)[citation needed] is a reference document used by screenwriters for information on a television series’ characters, settings, and other elements.
Contents
- 1 Types
- 2 Writers Guild of America
- 3 See also
- 4 References
- 5 External links
Types[edit]
Show bibles are updated with information on the characters after the information has been established on screen.[1] For example, the Frasier show bible was “scrupulously maintained”, and anything established on air — “the name of Frasier’s mother, Niles’ favorite professor, Martin’s favorite bar…even a list of Maris’ [dozens of] food allergies” — was reflected in the bible.[1] The updated bible then serves as a resource for writers to keep everything within the series consistent.[1]
Other show bibles are used as sales documents to help a television network or studio understand a series, and are sometimes given to new writers when they join the writing staff for the same reason.[1] These types of bibles discuss the backstories of the main characters and the history of the series’ fictional universe.[1]
Television series often rely on writers’ assistants and script coordinators to serve as “walking bibles” in remembering details about a series.[1]
Writers Guild of America[edit]
In the United States, writing the show bible of a produced series earns that writer the 24 units of required credit necessary to qualify for membership in the Writers Guild of America.[2]
See also[edit]
- Canon (fiction)
References[edit]
External links[edit]
- How to Write a TV Bible
