NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program

Lab · 2026Prestige 64/100

Completely free from application to programme, ending in a pitch to ABC and NBC executives.

Deadlines & fees

Closed for this cycle

The 2026 round closed on Monday 27 July 2026 at 11:59pm Pacific, with the programme running 22 September to 14 November 2026. The programme genuinely runs every year and claims more than twenty years and over 200 graduates, but the calendar slot has just moved sharply. The 2024 and 2025 rounds both closed on a Monday in mid-March, while 2026 jumped to late July, a drift of around four and a half months that left a sixteen-month gap between deadlines and moved the programme itself from mid-year to autumn. Do not predict a 2027 deadline from either the old March slot or the new July one.

Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 Aug 2026.

Key facts

Formats: TV Pilot
Page limit: 59 pages
Eligibility: 18+
Open to: United States
Required materials: A resume of up to one page · A bio of up to 200 words · A statement of purpose of up to 500 words · A list of writing samples with titles and one to two sentence loglines, flagging any co-written work · One writing sample: a pilot or spec, one hour up to 59 pages or half hour up to 35 · A logline of one to two sentences

You must be 18 or over and have a reliable internet connection for daily video conferencing. Entertainment industry experience is explicitly not required. Notably, there is no citizenship requirement: NHMC states plainly that you do not have to be a US citizen to apply, and no residency or work-authorisation rule is published at all, though the programme is otherwise framed around nationwide applications. There is also no Latino or Latine requirement: the programme is open to people of all races and ethnicities, though its framing throughout encourages aspiring Latine writers and describes selecting ten Latine writers from diverse backgrounds. Writing teams cannot apply; you must apply as an individual. Submit one properly formatted pilot or spec script, either one hour up to 59 pages or half hour up to 35 pages, in any genre including drama, dramedy, comedy, horror and animation. Features, short film scripts, novels, plays, poems and other alternative samples are not accepted. No exclusion of currently staffed writers is published.

Prizes

No stipend, grant or payment to participants appears anywhere, so treat it as unpaid. What makes it remarkable is the cost side: NHMC states that thanks to its sponsors this is a completely free programme from the application through to the programme itself, so there is no fee at any stage and no waiver is needed. Being fully virtual, there is no travel or accommodation cost either. The only real cost is time, at roughly fourteen hours a week across eight weeks. RIGHTS: nothing is published. No rights, release or submission-agreement clause appears anywhere on NHMC's pages; whether one exists inside the application form itself could not be checked without applying, so this is unverified rather than confirmed absent.

Judging

Ten writers are selected. Mentors and selectors are not named, referred to only as professional writing mentors and professional industry writers. Because of application volume, judges are unable to provide feedback on submitted work, and materials are not returned. The programme runs fully virtually on Monday to Friday evenings and Saturday mornings Pacific time across eight weeks, at roughly fourteen hours a week. Note the live page carries a date error, giving a Monday start on a date that falls on a Tuesday, and labels Pacific deadlines as PST during months when Pacific time is on daylight saving.

The PreList verdict

Completely free from the application through to the programme itself, and NHMC says so in exactly those words. That alone makes it one of the most valuable entries in this directory for a writer with no budget. Eight weeks, ten places, industry mentors, a simulated writers room, and a closing ceremony where you pitch what you have built to network executives, beginning with ABC and NBC. Partners include Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix and the Writers Guild of America West.

Two things make it unusually accessible. Entertainment industry experience is explicitly not required, and there is no citizenship requirement: NHMC states plainly that you do not need to be a US citizen. Nor is there a Latino or Latine requirement, despite the framing; the programme is open to people of all races and ethnicities. Being fully virtual, there is no travel cost either.

The honest part is time and silence. It runs Monday to Friday evenings plus Saturday mornings Pacific time, roughly fourteen hours a week for eight weeks, which is a serious commitment around a job and effectively rules you out if you are far outside American time zones. There is no stipend. Writing teams cannot apply. And no rights or release terms are published anywhere, so whether anything is asked of you inside the application form is unknown. One practical warning: the calendar just moved four and a half months, from a mid-March deadline in 2024 and 2025 to late July in 2026, so there is no reliable slot to watch for.

Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026

Frequently asked questions

Is it really free?

Yes, and unusually so. NHMC states that thanks to its sponsors the programme is completely free from the application through to the programme itself. There is no fee at any stage and no waiver is needed. Being fully virtual, there is no travel or accommodation cost either.

Do I have to be Latine, or a US citizen?

Neither. NHMC states the programme is open to people of all races and ethnicities, and answers plainly that you do not have to be a US citizen to apply. No residency or work-authorisation rule is published at all, though the programme is otherwise framed around nationwide applications.

How much time does it take?

Roughly fourteen hours a week for eight weeks: Monday to Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, Pacific time. That is a real commitment around a job, and difficult if you are far outside American time zones.

When does it open again?

Not published, and the slot just moved. The 2024 and 2025 rounds both closed in mid-March, but 2026 closed in late July, a drift of about four and a half months. The programme runs every year, but neither the old nor the new date is a safe bet.

Is your script right for NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program?

Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this lab: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.

Check your script's fit Apply on the official site ↗

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