add 10,000 to the budget in operational costs. they will slash and burn it to what you can do it for as an independent. Believe that you are the schiznit and they will pay you for it. If you are confident that you are worth the money, they will pay you.

Mmm...food!

I'm thinking about fresh cut basil mixed with chopped walnuts, garlic, parmesian cheese, olive oil and parsley. Spread that on some french bread, topped with a thick slice of garden brandywine tomatoe and some red wine.

Excuse me, I gotta take care of something...

Jody, I see that your posting is almost a year old. I'm in a similar situation right now; did you ever find answers, and if so, could you pass them along to me? I'd love to see a copy of the budget you finally used. I'd sure appreciate any help you can provide.

Hey, Mark. We're developing a live action half hour comedy. Would you happen to have an existing show budget sample for that? Not the budget format. We've got that. Just an idea of what a 1/2 show is costing these days. Any help would be great. Thanks.

Peter

It seems as though people are still clamoring for budget examples for TV. I have a generic budget available, not detailed line-item but a starting point. It was enough for me to include in a business plan and treatment to get a show picked up recently by investors. I have deleted all figures relating to my project, but will be happy to consult with individuals on a case by case basis. As I cannot attach the file here, please contact me off-list for a copy and I will return emails asap. Send requests to director@keyimagemedia.com. Thanks.

Unfortunately, there is no "one size fits all" TV budget or magic spreadsheet.
Your budget can vary wildly depending on the type of show, number of episodes intended, quality of the crew, and intended viewing quality.
For example, you could shoot a 30 min. show for public acces for less than $300, or shoot 35mm film infomercial for $175,000.
For the most part, a film budget will work just fine, so if you are an active and capable film producer, you probably don't need to do much, other than make your existing budget work for multiple episodes.
Some recommendations for taped shows:
find a 2-3 camera studio with a switcher and a capable TD to save you some serious edit time
do graphics in post, but have some ideas about where the graphics will appear on screen
hire decent, hardworking, and professional crew - and pay them as such
shoot in 3-5 day blocks and acquire simultaneously for multiple episodes
lighting and set design will make or break your show - studio TV traditionally does not have much in the way of depth of field (bright lights and high f-stops) so everything will be in focus, unlike on film.
Hope this helps!!