# How to format cold opens, act breaks, and tags in a TV script > Match the target show's current template: some episodic scripts label every commercial act, while many streaming specs use feature-style flow without printed breaks. Sources reviewed: 2026-09-22 Article updated: 2026-09-23 ## Direct answer Use the current format of the show or recipient you are writing for. In an act-broken script, place TEASER or COLD OPEN and each ACT heading on its own centered line, usually starting a new page, and mark the end of an act only when the template expects it. A TAG is a short closing section after the final act; in an act-broken script it opens on a new page under its own centered heading, like an act. Do not invent act breaks for a streaming or premium format that does not use them. ## On the page A labeled break in an act-based episodic template ``` COLD OPEN INT. SERVICE ELEVATOR - NIGHT Every floor button lights at once. END OF COLD OPEN ``` New screenplay page ``` ACT ONE INT. LOBBY - MORNING ``` ## Current practice ### The recipient's template outranks a universal act count _Changing practice_ Broadcast, cable, streaming, single-camera, and multi-camera scripts do not share one act pattern. Commercial structure and house style continue to change, so a comparable current script or supplied template is stronger evidence than a generic page-count formula. ## Accepted variations ### Write to an existing show's format _Widely expected_ For a sample episode, follow the show's current produced-script structure, including its labels, act count, capitalization, and page-break behavior. ### An original pilot _Context dependent_ Choose the most plausible format for the intended market and make it consistent. A cold open and tag are story tools, not mandatory decorations for every half-hour script. ### Streaming and premium formats _Changing practice_ Many scripts without commercial constraints omit printed act breaks while retaining act-like story turns. Current recipient guidance should decide the page format. ## Where reasonable writers disagree Act counts and page targets are often repeated as rules even though they vary by outlet, era, runtime, and show. Writers can reasonably structure the same pilot in different ways; what is not flexible is pretending a generic four-, five-, or six-act recipe represents every current episodic workflow. ## Mistakes to avoid - Copying an act count from a generic guide without checking the target show or recipient. - Treating COLD OPEN, TEASER, and TAG as interchangeable story functions merely because their headings look similar. - Adding END OF ACT labels or forced page breaks that the chosen template does not use. - Using feature-screenplay margins for a multi-camera delivery whose supplied template has materially different spacing and conventions. ## Submission versus production ### Submission or reading draft Check the fellowship, room, class, or representation brief for format and page limits, then compare a current script from the closest relevant show. Use labeled acts only when that evidence supports them. ### Production draft Once a show controls the script, its coordinators and templates govern act labels, scene labels, page breaks, revision marks, and headers. Preserve that house structure through every issued draft. ## Working in Plot In Plot, write COLD OPEN, each ACT heading, and END OF ACT as centered text, and start each act on its own page with a page break. The act labels stay separate from your scene headings, so the scene list and the breakdown track only real scenes, and the PDF and FDX keep every break where you put it. ## Questions writers ask ### Does the tag start on a new page, or can it share the last act's page? In an act-broken script it usually starts a new page. Treat the TAG like another act: close the final act — with END OF ACT if your template uses it — then open the TAG under its own centered heading at the top of the next page. In a script without printed act breaks, the closing scene simply follows the others. ### What is the difference between a cold open and a teaser? In current use they name the same thing: the scene or scenes before Act One. TEASER is the older network label; COLD OPEN is common in comedies and many current scripts. Use whichever label the show you are writing for uses. ### Do I need END OF ACT at the end of each act? Only if the template you are matching uses it. It is customary in many act-broken scripts but not required, and scripts without printed act breaks leave it out entirely. ### How many acts should a TV script have? It depends on the show, the outlet, and the era. Network episodes have used several different act counts, and many streaming scripts print no act breaks at all. Match a current script from the show or the format the recipient asks for, not a generic count. ## Sources and context - [Final Draft — A simple guide to formatting television scripts](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/how-to-format-television-scripts) - [Final Draft — How to structure a TV pilot](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/how-to-structure-a-tv-pilot) - [Final Draft — Starting each act on a new page](https://kb.finaldraft.com/hc/en-us/articles/15575341475988-How-can-I-have-each-scene-or-act-begin-on-a-new-page) - [Final Draft's current examples of episodic act structures](https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/how-to-format-television-scripts) These sources document current screenplay practice, software guidance, or production workflow. Screenplay style remains flexible, and any delivery brief or submission rule supplied by the recipient takes precedence. --- Canonical page: