How My Show Got Stolen (And How To Make Sure Yours Doesn’t)

A step-by-step guide to outsmarting Hollywood’s “creative coincidences.”

Let me tell you a fun little story about how some knuckleheads in Hollywood try to take the fast track to success. And by "fun," I mean "rage-inducing, legally questionable, and the reason I now watermark my dreams."

A few years back, I was working for a large production company in LA. Good gig. Great people. Big budgets. You know, the kind of place where you actually think, “"Hey, maybe Hollywood does have a setting between 'soul-crushing' and 'mildly tolerable.'

One day, I pitched an unscripted show to one of their subsidiary production companies. A quirky, highly niche concept about an urban fishing club—a group of hipster anglers in Southern California who fished the LA River near the 101. These guys weren’t just goofing off with a six-pack and a fishing rod; they were serious anglers, entering bass fishing competitions and absolutely wrecking the usual good ol’ boys who dominated that world.

It was a fun show, but even I wasn’t sure it was actually a show that would sell.

In the pitch meeting were the big execs—the ones who actually make things happen. People I respected. And then, there was them.

They introduced themselves as the Head of Digital Programming. Their job? Overseeing the content you watch on your phone while ignoring your morning commute. Snackable, short-form, the Cheez-Its of entertainment.

Nothing came of it. No follow-up, no interest. No rejection email (because, well, Hollywood). So, I moved on. The whole team did.

Fast forward a year later.

---

---

I’m on LinkedIn, looking up a director of photography I’d worked with, and there it is—his banner image is the key art for my show (not his fault. I still love the guy).

Made. Launched. Streaming. With someone else’s name on it.

Now, I’m not saying the top brass stole my show. They don’t get where they are by stealing niche fishing shows. But one person in that meeting wasn’t a top brass exec. One person had everything to gain from taking an idea, repackaging it, and claiming it as their own.

And—wild guess—it was the Head of Digital Programming.

Did I sue? No.
Would I have won if I had? Maybe, but doubtful.
Would it have cost a stupid amount of money to try? Yes.
Would I have been suing a company that was still giving me work and had nothing to do with the theft? Yep.

That’s the genius of how ideas get stolen in Hollywood: they don’t get stolen by the people you think. They get stolen by the people you don’t see coming.

So, how does a show actually get stolen? Allow me to walk you through it.

---

Step-by-Step: How to Steal a TV Show in Hollywood

If you ever want to try your hand at high-stakes intellectual property theft (not recommended), here’s the foolproof, time-tested industry method:

Step 1: Get Someone Hungry to Pitch You Their Idea

Find a talented filmmaker or show creator. Ideally, one who’s still hungry enough to trust the system.

Step 2: Say Absolutely Nothing After the Pitch

No interest, no feedback. Just a polite nod, maybe a “Cool idea, we’ll think about it.” Then radio silence. This is crucial. You want them to forget about it so they don’t get suspicious when something eerily similar pops up later.

Step 3: Wait Six Months to a Year

Why? Because now the original creator thinks the idea is dead. They’ve moved on. And now you can move in.

Step 4: Tweak Just Enough to Claim It’s Different

The concept? Same. The execution? Slightly altered. Change the setting. Swap a character or two. If it was about inner-city fishing in LA, maybe now it’s “urban fly-fishing in the Hudson.” Just different enough to make it legally murky.

Step 5: Get It Made—Before They Even Know It’s Happening

By the time the original creator stumbles upon it (probably on LinkedIn, because of course), it’s too late. The show exists. It’s in the world.

Congratulations, you now have a stolen show.

(Again, please do not actually do this.)

---

---

Other Ways Your Show Can Get Stolen

Besides the “Sit Quietly and Wait” method, here are three other classic ways ideas get snatched in Hollywood:

1. The “Internal Development” Heist

You pitch a show. They say, "We're actually developing something similar in-house." What a coincidence! (Spoiler: It’s not.)

2. The “We’ll Attach Someone Bigger” Move

You bring them a fully developed idea. They “love it” but feel like it needs a more established showrunner. Suddenly, you’re out, and someone with a name is attached.

3. The “Oops, We Forgot You Existed” Trick

You bring in a concept, they take detailed notes, then ghost you. Two years later? There’s a show with the exact same DNA on a major network, and they act like it materialized out of thin air.

---

How to Protect Your Ideas

You can’t stop every bad actor, but you can make it a lot harder for someone to take your work without consequence.

Step 1: Document Everything

• Register your treatment with the WGA or U.S. Copyright Office.

• Keep a detailed record of who you pitched to, when, and what materials you shared.

• Follow up via email after meetings to create a paper trail.

Step 2: Mark and Store Metadata

Every time you create a treatment, pitch deck, or concept doc, make sure you:

• Save it with “Date Created” metadata.

• Back it up in multiple places (Dropbox, Google Drive, external hard drive).

• Never send out material that isn’t timestamped.

If a show pops up that looks like yours, the creation date on your original files becomes key evidence. If their date is after yours, you have proof of prior ownership.

Step 3: Put Sizzles on Your Portfolio Site (Not YouTube)

• A pitch video uploaded to your website proves you had it first and provides public timestamping.

• Avoid public platforms like YouTube unless absolutely necessary—it’s easier to monitor who sees your work when you control the access.

Step 4: Be Selective With Who You Pitch To

• Research companies before you pitch. If they have a reputation for taking ideas, walk away.

• If possible, pitch to people you trust first—mentors, connections, anyone who can vouch for you later.

Step 5: Get Everything in Writing

• If a company is interested, make them put it in writing before you send more materials.

• A simple email like "Before I share additional materials, can you confirm your interest and next steps?" gives you leverage.

Step 6: Build Your Own Visibility

If an idea is highly unique, start teasing it publicly (without giving too much away).

• Share concept art, teaser clips, or behind-the-scenes details to establish public proof of ownership.

• When an idea is already known to be yours, stealing it becomes way riskier.

---

Final Thought: The System Won’t Protect You, But You Can Protect Yourself

This industry runs on ideas. Some people respect that, and some people exploit it.

The good news? You don’t have to make it easy for them.

✅ Track everything.
✅ Control who sees your work.
✅ Make sure your ideas have timestamps and documentation.

And if someone ever does try to take what’s yours?

At least you’ll have the receipts.