PODCAST · tv
The Writers Panel
by Ben Blacker
The definitive insider's guide to our current golden age of television, Ben Blacker's The Writers Panel is an ever expanding anthology of live convention panels and intimate in-studio interviews with the writers, producers, and show runners responsible for all the shows you can't stop watching. Over the course of nearly 500 episodes and counting, The Writers Panel has sat across from guests such as Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (Key and Peele), Liz Meriwether (New Girl), and Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers) to talk about the art and business of creating great television. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Russell T. Davies (Tip Toe; Doctor Who)
Russell T. Davies (Tip Toe; Doctor Who; Queer As Folk) discusses building a story out of anger, his relationship with actors, his response to stupid notes, discovering writing, his unique process, empty staircases, and more. The Thrilling Adventure Hour is live this weekend! Saturday 10/10 At the...
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Anthony King (Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat)
Anthony King (Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat; Rooster; The Afterparty) discusses worldbuilding in the real world, what's too funny for reality, lessons learned from Jury Duty that are applicable to traditional script writing, how the game was nearly blown up, and more. SUNDAY AUGUST 30, 8pm…
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Pilar Alessandra (On the Page)
Teacher and script consultant Pilar Alessandra is ending her inspiring and instructive podcast, On the Page, after 19 years and 1000 episodes. Ben Blacker administers Pilar's exit interview, discussing why she started the podcast, invaluable advice gleaned from the writers she's interviewed, the...
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Cassie Pappas (Lucky)
Cassie Pappas (showrunner, Lucky; Silo; Griselda) discusses shooting in Vegas, movies that inspired the tone of Lucky, the emotional guts of the show, getting weird with the writers, showrunning as a "creative team sport," whether or not you need to live in LA to work in TV, and more. No Notes is...
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Ana Nogueira (Supergirl)
Ana Nogueira (Supergirl) discusses pitching open writing assignments, setting a reasonable goal, the Westerns that inspired Supergirl, the core of Kara Zor-El, her favorite brainwash, and lots more. Dead Pilots Society returns live and on demand Sunday July 12, 3-5pm, at the Elysian Theater in…
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Christine Boylan (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Christine Boylan (Avatar: The Last Airbender; Poker Face) discusses running seasons 2 and 3, the Stoppard quote that taught her structure, the real world seeping into a fantasy series, her nerd credentials, season 2 as the Empire Strikes Back season, and more. Dead Pilots Society returns live and...
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Owen Dennis (Among Us)
Owen Dennis (creator of Among Us and Infinity Train) discusses conveying tone, discovering theme, deconstructing tropes, dueling arcs, the line from Star Wars that unlocked everything, and more. Dead Pilots Society returns live and on demand Sunday July 12, 3-5pm, at the Elysian Theater in LA! In...
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Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson (It's Not Like That)
Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson (creators, It's Not Like That; Parenthood; Off Campus) discuss telling emotionally driven stories, resurrecting a decade-old pilot as their new show, how the writers' strike benefited the show, how they run their room, and more. Check out SPECTACULAR, a staged...
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Matthew Rosenberg (If Destruction Be Our Lot...)
Comic book writer Matthew Rosenberg (If Destruction Be Our Lot...; 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank; Spawn) discusses co-writing with his brother, comics as a "dirtbag medium," the upcoming 4 Kids... film adaptation, story problems presented by an animatronic Abraham Lincoln, and lots more. Check out...
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Chandler Levack (Mile End Kicks)
Writer/director Chandler Levack (Mile End Kicks; Roommates; I Like Movies) discusses how her first script became her second movie, revisiting Mile End Kicks after shooting I Like Movies, loving stage directions, music in movies, and lots more. Check out SPECTACULAR, a staged reading of a new…
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BritaNick (Pizza Movie)
Writers/directors Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher (Pizza Movie; Over Your Dead Body) discuss their comedy sketch roots as "BritaNick" and what that represents, writing scripts that wouldn't be made, editing themselves, how to interact with the people paying you to write, why Pizza Movie is the...
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BenDavid Grabinski (Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice)
Writer/director BenDavid Grabinski (Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice; Scott Pilgrim Takes Off; Happily) discusses getting caught in the current of his career, runs of bad luck, runs of good luck, perseverance, tips for writing an easy-to-read script, making hamburgers, and more. Some fun events...
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Colby Day (In the Blink of an Eye)
Colby Day (In the Blink of an Eye; Spaceman) discusses assurance in writing and business, learning by making, writing impossible-to-execute ideas, receiving notes, and more. A couple of fun shows coming up that you can attend in LA or stream from anywhere! On Saturday March 28, 8:30pm, and Sunday...
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Hello Sunshine's Lauren Neustadter
Producer Lauren Neustadter, President of Film and Television at Hello Sunshine, discusses building a brand from the ground up, meeting a tumultuous marketplace with optimism, the best way to present your material to buyers, her love of reading and writers, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A...
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Rachel Shukert (The Burbs)
Rachel Shukert (The Burbs; creator, The Baby-Sitters Club; The Handmaid's Tale) returns to discuss relearning to write to act breaks, why mysteries are so hard to crack, finding the heart of The Burbs, dreams of the Golden Girls house, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT...
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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman (creator, Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; Mission Impossible III) and Noga Landau (creator, Nancy Drew and Tom Swift; The Magicians) discuss meeting for the first time, what each looks for in a collaborator, story from...
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Alex Russell (Lurker; Beef)
Writer/director Alex Russell (Lurker; The Bear; Beef) discusses why he directed his own script, writing the unspoken, an apt metaphor for discovering story, his Frankenstein approach to outlining, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by...
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Ponies
Ponies creators Susanna Fogel and David Iserson (The Spy Who Dumped Me) discuss how they collaborate, the long road to Ponies, comedy with stakes, American culture through a funhouse mirror, genre as a way of writing about relationships and politics, why pitching is a scam, and more. THE WRITERS...
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Gordon Smith (Pluribus)
Writer/director Gordon Smith (Pluribus; Better Call Saul) discusses what gives Pluribus legs, story as algorithm, a non-mystery mystery, some great directing advice that's really storytelling advice, parsing notes, getting sand in your eyes, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT...
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Craig Brewer (Song Sung Blue)
Writer/director Craig Brewer (Song Sung Blue; Hustle and Flow; Dolemite Is My Name) discusses making a narrative out of the Song Sung Blue documentary, how it's autobiographical, finding career inspiration in Amadeus, his writing process, "The Shelf," non-musical musicals, the beauty of "Save…
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Benito Skinner (Overcompensating)
Benito Skinner (creator/star of Overcompensating) discusses creating an honest coming-out story, translating his stand up show to a TV pilot, learning from Shonda Rhimes, writing about gray areas, inhabiting characters, the state of TV comedy, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY…
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The Running Man
The Running Man writer/director Edgar Wright (Last Night in Soho; Baby Driver) and co-writer Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs the World; 21 Jump Street) discuss adapting Stephen King's novel and what the author's approval meant to them, writing readable scripts, learning from past experiences,...
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Leslye Headland (Russian Doll; The Acolyte)
Writer/director Leslye Headland (creator, The Acolyte; co-creator, Russian Doll; Dying for Sex) returns to discuss individuality and authenticity, loving Star Wars, creding her team, how Russian Doll began, auteurism, and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow...
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Rebecca Cutter (Hunting Wives)
Rebecca Cutter (creator, The Hunting Wives and Hightown) returns to discuss why she thinks people have responded so positively to The Hunting Wives, hiring the writers' room, regulating tone by instinct, quality without "prestige," and more. The Thrilling Adventure Hour celebrates its 20th...
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Dana Klein & Matt Kuhn (DMV)
DMV showrunners Dana Klein (9JKL; Fresh Off the Boat; Friends) and Matt Kuhn (Doogie Kameāloha, MD; Fresh Off the Boat) discuss pitching and selling the show, keeping a positive and open writers' room together, what they look for in samples when staffing, how comedy has changed since Friends and...
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Shane Black (Play Dirty; The Nice Guys)
Shane Black (writer/director, Play Dirty, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; writer, Lethal Weapon,The Last Boy Scout) returns to discuss his connection to Donald Westlake, the writer on whose work Play Dirty is based, what he and his co-writers each bring to a script, how he pushes through...
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Nnamdi Asomugha (The Knife)
Nnamdi Asomugha (director/co-writer, The Knife) discusses going from playing in the NFL to becoming an actor and now writer and producer, embracing new skills, imposter syndrome, teamwork, and just how hard it really is to get a movie out into the world. The Thrilling Adventure Hour celebrates…
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Niya Palmer (Miss Governor)
Niya Palmer (co-creator, Miss Governor; Run the World) discusses working with Tyler Perry, being quiet on set, getting inspired by D.A.R.Y.L., how growing up sparring prepared her for some very bad writers' rooms, driving in the wake of an ambulance, and more. LIVE STUFF! A live Dead Pilots…
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Macon Blair (The Toxic Avenger)
Writer/director Macon Blair (The Toxic Avenger; I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore) discusses managing a bigger production for his second feature, "handmade" films, balancing tones, writing a movie that's not "accidentally stupid," and lots more. LIVE STUFF! A live Dead Pilots Society in…
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Jen Statsky (Hacks) / Dan Erickson (Severance)
A double-header today! First, Jen Statsky (co-creator, Hacks) returns to discuss maintaining the high quality of the show four seasons in, staying honest while staying funny, season 4's big emotional moments, Carol Burnett, being raised by television, and more. Then, Severance creator Dan…
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Michael Seitzman (The Rainmaker)
Michael Seitzman (creator, The Rainmaker, Intelligence) discusses selling his John Grisham adaptation three times, shooting Dublin for Charleston (for Memphis), his approach to adaptation, storybreaking a conspiracy, hiring a writers room of Finders, Minders, and Grinders, and more. THE WRITERS...
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Nicholas Stoller & Francesca Delbanco (Platonic)
Nicholas Stoller (writer and/or director, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppets, Neighbors) and novelist Francesca Delbanco created and run Apple TV+'s Platonic. Ahead of the new season on August 6, they discuss writing a show called "Platonic" as a married couple, the importance of set…
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The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand (Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers) discuss the real stakes of a very silly movie, comedy fight scenes, not being referential, why Liam Neeson is integral to remaking The Naked Gun, having on hand an ungodly number of alt jokes, and more. THE WRITERS…
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I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge; Someone Great) returns along with co-writer Sam Lansky to discuss their continuation of the 1997 horror film, modernizing a morality tale, playing plot Jenga, "trauma but make it popcorn," and justifying THAT...
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James DeMonaco (The Home; The Purge)
James DeMonaco (writer/director, The Home, The Purge) discusses co-writing during lockdown, collaborating with Pete Davidson, the movie he passed on that got The Home made, advice from Francis Ford Coppola, and news of maybe a new Purge movie! THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT...
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TV writer/novelist Stefanie Leder
Stefanie Leder (Faking It; Boo Bitch) discusses her debut novel, Love, Coffee, and Revolution, a coming-of-age/political adventure/rom com. the long road of writing the book, setting reasonable daily goals, the most important thing to getting published, why "TV is Jewish," and lots more. THE...
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Chris & Paul Weitz (Murderbot)
Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz (creators, Murderbot; American Pie; About a Boy) discuss working with actors and what Alexander Skarsgård brought to the titular role of Murderbot, who your audience is, writing and directing together after a two-decade break, and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A...
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I Don't Understand You
David Joseph Craig & Brian Crano (writers/directors of I Don't Understand You) discuss the personal story behind the movie, writing the truth vs writing honestly, scenes you need, who your competition is, why knowing actors is a good thing, poking the turkey, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A...
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Leon Chills (Shadow Force)
Leon Chills (Shadow Force) discusses writing his way out of a low point, working things out in the first draft, his approach to action scenes, when to ask someone to read your script, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to...
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Mike Drucker (The Tonight Show)
Mike Drucker (The Tonight Show; Full Frontal with Samantha Bee) discusses his new memoir, Good Game, No Rematch, writing his life through the lens of video games, how prose is different from stand up comedy, how his family responded to stories about them, discovering his emotional…
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Sascha Penn (Power Book III)
Sascha Penn (creator/showrunner, Power Book III) discusses the value of non-industry experience to showrunning, the truth about reps, the storytelling muscle, advice for entering the business at this moment, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support…
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Jonathan Tropper (Your Friends and Neighbors)
Jonathan Tropper (creator, Your Friends and Neighbors, Banshee, Warrior) discusses writing a TV show closer in sensibility to his novels, the role of luck in a writing career, writing a non-action show, one key piece of advice about craft, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT...
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Veronica West (Surface)
Veronica West (creator of Surface, High Fidelity; Dexter: New Blood; Chicago Fire) discusses why she wrote Surface on spec, the elaborate pitch, working with actors, learning on the job, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing...
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Abdullah Saeed (Deli Boys)
Abdullah Saeed (creator, Deli Boys) discusses diligence versus talent, his favorite part of the television-making process, the most important part of your sample script, embracing chaos, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing...
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Drew Hancock (Companion)
Drew Hancock (writer/director, Companion) discusses being put in a box, tricks for directing on the page, writing from the perspective of a robot, why second drafts always suck, and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to...
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Katie O'Brien (The Z-Suite)
Katie O'Brien (creator, The Z Suite; co-creator, Teachers; The Santa Clauses) discusses improv and showrunning, her post-Teachers struggle, optimism in the face of rejection, the bananas sample script she had to write, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and...
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Adam Rudman (Nature Cat)
Adam Rudman (Carl the Collector; Nature Cat; Sesame Street) discusses pitching and selling pre-school series, the throughline in his shows, carrying on the traditions of Buster Keaton and Spongebob, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by...
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Michelle Nader (Shifting Gears; Deli Boys)
Michelle Nader (showrunner of Shifting Gears and Deli Boys) discusses relationships with actors, including her "avatar" Kat Dennings, writing yourself out of your low points, how growing up in the mob prepared her for a career in television, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT...
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MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios
In our last episode of the year, journalists Joanna Robinson and Dave Gonzales, the authors of MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, discuss making a living as a "pop culture pundit," mapping the story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the missing "DC vs Marvel" chapter, lessons the MCU might take…
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Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, and Heath Corson
Heath Corson (Animal Kingdom; Batman: Assault on Arkham) discussing his new 4-issue comic, The Brood. Set in the “Minor Threats” universe, The Brood is a story about family, the patriarch of which happens to be a criminal mastermind. Heath Corson talks about writing from a personal place, how…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The definitive insider's guide to our current golden age of television, Ben Blacker's The Writers Panel is an ever expanding anthology of live convention panels and intimate in-studio interviews with the writers, producers, and show runners responsible for all the shows you can't stop watching. Over the course of nearly 500 episodes and counting, The Writers Panel has sat across from guests such as Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (Key and Peele), Liz Meriwether (New Girl), and Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers) to talk about the art and business of creating great television.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Ben Blacker
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Writers Panel have?
The Writers Panel currently has 651 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Writers Panel about?
The definitive insider's guide to our current golden age of television, Ben Blacker's The Writers Panel is an ever expanding anthology of live convention panels and intimate in-studio interviews with the writers, producers, and show runners responsible for all the shows you can't stop watching....
How often does The Writers Panel release new episodes?
The Writers Panel releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 651 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to The Writers Panel?
You can listen to The Writers Panel on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Writers Panel?
The Writers Panel is created and hosted by Ben Blacker.
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