David Barlow (King, The Border, Seeing Things) is one of the speakers at the Toronto Screenwriting Conference on March 31 and April 1. He tells TV, eh? about his early big break, how storytelling has changed over the years, and his wish list for Canadian television.

First, tell me about the Toronto Screenwriting Conference – what do you hope to convey there, and what do you hope to get out of it? What role do conferences like this play in career development?

Bill Mustos, the moderator for our panel on procedurals, has posed the key question: “What distinguishes your series and makes it different from other procedural series?”

It’ll be interesting to hear four different producer/writers respond to this question. It’s really a fundamental consideration when embarking on developing a procedural series, given the deep history of the genre and the competition with the number of procedurals on air.

I’ll talk a bit about The Border and King, two distinctly different procedurals, and how the creators of those shows tried to create fresh and specific personalities for their series. And I’ll probably throw in my two cents worth about what makes for a successful series.

What do I hope to get out of it? Well, selfishly, I usually learn more than I impart at these conferences. The basics of screenwriting are comparatively simple, it’s the execution that’s complex and demanding. No matter what side of the podium I’m sitting on, I always welcome the opportunity to hear how others address the challenges — what methodologies they use, what questions they ask themselves — it’s like taking a refresher course. What’s more, having to describe my own approach forces me to reflect on my own process. A little self-analysis can be a good thing.

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