# TV Series Bible Template

> Build a TV series bible that separates the pitch from the working continuity record: premise, engine, world rules, characters, season arcs, episode ideas, and canon changes.

Build a TV series bible that separates the pitch from the working continuity record: premise, engine, world rules, characters, season arcs, episode ideas, and canon changes.

[Download Markdown starter](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/tv-series-bible/download)

Opens as a new Plot project once you sign in or create a free account. Inkwell keeps this copy for 24 hours.

Open this worksheet in Plot to keep writing, or download it for your text editor.

## Preview the download

The Markdown file as it reads in a Markdown app. Open the source below for the exact text the download contains.

### TV series bible

A pitch bible and a working writers' room bible solve different problems. Keep the sales-facing version concise; keep the continuity record specific enough to answer future episode questions.

#### 1. Series identity

- Title:

- Format / episode length:

- Genre and tone:

- One-sentence premise:

- The recurring dramatic question:

- What makes an episode of this show recognizably _this show_?

#### 2. Series engine

Describe the repeatable source of story. What changes every episode, what persists, and what reliably creates conflict?

- Recurring arena:

- Source of weekly pressure:

- What the central characters must do again and again:

- What prevents the premise from resolving immediately:

- What can evolve without breaking the engine:

#### 3. World rules

| Rule | What the audience can expect | Exceptions / edge cases | First established |
| ---- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------- | ----------------- |
|      |                              |                         |                   |

#### 4. Character core

##### \[Character name]

- Role in the ensemble:

- Public goal:

- Private need:

- Contradiction:

- Relationship that creates the most story:

- What this character knows at the start:

- What must remain consistent:

- What is allowed to change:

#### 5. Relationship map

| Pair / group | Current relationship | Source of friction | What neither side says | Change to track |
| ------------ | -------------------- | ------------------ | ---------------------- | --------------- |
|              |                      |                    |                        |                 |

#### 6. Season arc

- Opening status quo:

- First irreversible change:

- Mid-season pressure shift:

- Choice that drives the back half:

- Finale confrontation:

- New status quo / question for the next season:

#### 7. Episode bank

| Episode idea | A-story choice | B-story pressure | What changes by the end | Continuity dependency |
| ------------ | -------------- | ---------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------- |
|              |                |                  |                         |                       |

#### 8. Continuity ledger

Track facts after they become canon, not while they are still brainstorms.

| Fact / rule | Established in | Changed in | Current truth | Consequences |
| ----------- | -------------- | ---------- | ------------- | ------------ |
|             |                |            |               |              |

#### 9. Locations, institutions, and recurring objects

##### \[Name]

- What it is:

- Why stories happen here / around it:

- Rules or limitations:

- Characters connected to it:

- Continuity notes:

#### 10. Open questions

- Unresolved story question:

- Who owns the decision:

- What future episode depends on it:

- Decision deadline:

#### Pitch-version trim

For a pitch-facing bible, keep only the material that helps a reader understand the show, characters, engine, and forward story. Move production notes and fine-grained canon tracking into the working bible.

**View Markdown source**

```
# TV series bible

A pitch bible and a working writers' room bible solve different problems. Keep the sales-facing version concise; keep the continuity record specific enough to answer future episode questions.

## 1. Series identity
- Title:
- Format / episode length:
- Genre and tone:
- One-sentence premise:
- The recurring dramatic question:
- What makes an episode of this show recognizably *this show*?

## 2. Series engine
Describe the repeatable source of story. What changes every episode, what persists, and what reliably creates conflict?

- Recurring arena:
- Source of weekly pressure:
- What the central characters must do again and again:
- What prevents the premise from resolving immediately:
- What can evolve without breaking the engine:

## 3. World rules
| Rule | What the audience can expect | Exceptions / edge cases | First established |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |

## 4. Character core
### [Character name]
- Role in the ensemble:
- Public goal:
- Private need:
- Contradiction:
- Relationship that creates the most story:
- What this character knows at the start:
- What must remain consistent:
- What is allowed to change:

## 5. Relationship map
| Pair / group | Current relationship | Source of friction | What neither side says | Change to track |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |

## 6. Season arc
- Opening status quo:
- First irreversible change:
- Mid-season pressure shift:
- Choice that drives the back half:
- Finale confrontation:
- New status quo / question for the next season:

## 7. Episode bank
| Episode idea | A-story choice | B-story pressure | What changes by the end | Continuity dependency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |

## 8. Continuity ledger
Track facts after they become canon, not while they are still brainstorms.

| Fact / rule | Established in | Changed in | Current truth | Consequences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |

## 9. Locations, institutions, and recurring objects
### [Name]
- What it is:
- Why stories happen here / around it:
- Rules or limitations:
- Characters connected to it:
- Continuity notes:

## 10. Open questions
- Unresolved story question:
- Who owns the decision:
- What future episode depends on it:
- Decision deadline:

## Pitch-version trim
For a pitch-facing bible, keep only the material that helps a reader understand the show, characters, engine, and forward story. Move production notes and fine-grained canon tracking into the working bible.
```

## What is the difference between a TV pitch bible and a working series bible?

A pitch bible explains why the series works and where it can go. A working bible records the canon the room needs to keep future episodes consistent. This template includes both jobs and labels which material can be trimmed from a pitch-facing version.

## Does every show bible need the same sections?

No. Keep the sections that answer real questions for your project. A procedural may need a stronger episode engine and case bank; a serialized drama may need more season architecture and continuity tracking.

## Can I use the series bible template without an Inkwell account?

Open this worksheet in Plot to keep writing, or download it for your text editor.

## Related templates

- ### [Novel Outline Template with a Chapter Example](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/novel-outline)
  [Plan a book from its central conflict to a chapter-by-chapter outline. Download a free, editable novel worksheet with an original worked example and a revision checklist.](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/novel-outline)

  [Get the template](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/novel-outline)
- ### [Poem Template: Plan, Draft and Revise a Poem](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/poem-draft)
  [Start a poem from one moment you noticed. A free, editable poem worksheet takes you from images to a first draft and a revision checklist, with an original worked example.](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/poem-draft)

  [Get the template](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/poem-draft)
- ### [Character Profile Template for Fiction Writers](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/character-profile)
  [Download a character profile worksheet that connects goals, beliefs, relationships, and scene evidence to a defining choice and its consequences.](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/character-profile)

  [Get the template](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/character-profile)

## Related resources

- ### [Character profile template](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/character-profile)
  [Build each recurring character around goals, relationships, and choices in scenes.](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/character-profile)

  [Read more](https://www.inkwell.software/templates/character-profile)
- ### [Plot](https://www.inkwell.software/plot)
  [Keep the living series bible beside episodes, treatments, and the room's draft lines.](https://www.inkwell.software/plot)

  [Read more](https://www.inkwell.software/plot)
- ### [Series bibles belong in Plot](https://www.inkwell.software/blog/series-bibles-belong-in-plot)
  [Why the room's canon sits in Plot, and what Canvas is for instead.](https://www.inkwell.software/blog/series-bibles-belong-in-plot)

  [Read more](https://www.inkwell.software/blog/series-bibles-belong-in-plot)

[← All templates](https://www.inkwell.software/templates)

---

Canonical page: <https://www.inkwell.software/templates/tv-series-bible>