The Writers Panel

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. Produced by the Forever Dog Podcast Network.

TV & Film
301
David Goyer
The co-writer of Batman Begins, Man of Steel, Blade, and more; creator of TV's Da Vinci's Demons, Constantine, and Flashforward; and producer of the upcoming The Forest (among others) discusses the role of a film producer, his process, getting into the heads of iconic characters, the weird road to Blade, and lots more.The Forest is in theaters January 8th.
71 min
302
2015 Year in Review Pt2
Jose Molina (Agent Carter; Children of Tendu podcast), Nell Scovell (The Muppets; creator, Sabrina the Teenage Witch), and Rico Gagliano (The Dinner Party Download podcast/radio show) discuss 2015 and their experiences writing for Disney-owned properties, a new optimism, and lots more.
70 min
303
Marty Feldman's autobiograhy, eYE Marty
Mark Flanagan is the custodian of the estate of Marty Feldman (Young Frankenstein; Silent Movie; more) and the driving force behind LA's Largo, the theater that's been home to musicians and comedians for nearly 20 years. Flanny discusses finding Feldman's autobiography and having it published as-is (at the prompting of Python Eric Idle), Feldman's place in the British comedy pantheon, the importance of Marty's wife Lauretta, and his own personal unique relationship with artists and performers.
52 min
304
2015 Year in Review Pt1
Some of this year's favorites return to talk about The Wiz Live, buying and selling trends in 2015, their favorite shows, types of comedy, and lots more. With Laura Valdivia (Telenovela), Andrew Miller (Backstrom; upcoming: Tremors), and Ben Wexler (The Grinder; The Comedians).
83 min
305
Dead Pilots Society backdoor pilot
Ben Blacker is joined by writer Andrew Reich (Friends) to discuss and sneak-preview Dead Pilots Society, a Writers Panel spin-off coming in 2016 in which pilots that were developed but not shot are given the table reads they deserve. Starring actors you know and love from television and film, a live audience, and a good time in which no one gets notes, no one is fired, and everyone laughs. Dead Pilots Society is piloted here with a script Andrew wrote with his then-writing-partner, Ted Cohen, called Laurel and Holly. It stars Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live), Sarah Chalke (Scrubs), Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Kyle Bornheimer (Agent Carter), Jamie Denbo (Ronna and Beverly), Hayes MacArthur (Angie Tribeca), Tony Cavalero (School of Rock), and Valerie Azlynn (Sullivan and Son).
75 min
306
New York Comic Con
Alfred Gough & Milles Millar (creators of AMCs Into the Badlands, MTVs Shannara Chronicles, and Smallville), Brian Koppelman (Oceans Thirteen; creator, Billions), Craig Engler (creator, Z Nation), Jake Coburn (Quantico; Arrow; Gossip Girl), Aaron Cohen (ESPNs 30 for 30; HBO Sports), Jesse Peyronel (Dracula; Dig; upcoming: Sheltered), and Heath Corson (Scream; DCs Bizarro; Nerdist Comics Panel co-host).
56 min
307
Abi Morgan
The writer of the film Suffragette, out now, and the new Netflix series River, discusses writing issues-driven work, rewriting and rewriting, accolades, how hard it is to get movies made, and more.
57 min
308
Frank Spotnitz
The creator and showrunner of the new Amazon series The Man in the High Castle, based upon the Phillip K. Dick novel, discusses his start on The X-Files and what he learned from working in the Chris Carter camp, putting together a staff, running his production company in England, and more. The Man in the High Castle premieres November 20th on Amazon.
47 min
309
MARON's Sivert Glarum and Michael Jamin
The showrunners of IFC's Maron discuss their creative partnership, their experiences in the WB Writers Workshop, their early, formative experiences on Just Shoot Me, running Glen Martin DDS, collaboration, and lots more.
60 min
310
LA Podfest
Two rounds in this live episode because not everyone could fit on the stage at once! First, hear Unreal co-creators Sarah Gertrude Shapiro and Marti Noxon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer; co-creator, Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce) and The Brink co-creators Kim Benabib and Roberto Benabib (Weeds; Ally McBeal) discuss comedy styles, going dark, and more. Then, returning pals Jeff Greenstein (Mom; Will & Grace), Josh Friedman (creator, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Stephen Falk (creator, You're the Worst), and Phillip Iscove (co-creator, Sleepy Hollow) join newcomer Will Widger (upcoming feature Lumberjanes) to discuss the state of the industry, their processes, and more.
90 min
311
CBS Showrunner All Stars
Recorded live from CBS Studios with Rob Doherty (Elementary), Aline Brosh McKenna (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Craig Sweeny (Limitless) and David Rosenthal (Jane the Virgin).
84 min
312
CASUAL
Executive Producer/Director Jason Reitman (Young Adult; Juno), EP/creator Zander Lehmann, EP Helen Estabrook, and EP/showrunner Liz Tigelaar (Life Unexpected) discuss their new Hulu series, airing now! Special appearance by Casual star Tommy Dewey!
43 min
313
THE KNICK's Michael Begler and Jack Amiel
The Knick's Michael Begler and Jack Amiel discuss creating the series, collaborating with director Steven Soderbergh on all 20 episodes, writing about social issues, New York, and more.
69 min
314
Jason Rothenberg, Janine Sherman Barrois, Glori...
Jason Rothenberg (creator, The 100), Janine Sherman Barrois (Criminal Minds; ER), Gloria Calderon Kellett (iZombie; How I Met Your Mother), and Zev Borow (Chuck; lots of legit stuff like The New Yorker and McSweeneys).
89 min
315
MANHATTAN's Sam Shaw and Thomas Schlamme
Show EP/creator Sam Shaw and EP/director Thomas Schlamme (Sports Night; The West Wing; ER; The Americans) discuss bringing out the show's themes, casting, pitching, and lots more. Season 2 of Manhattan airs Tuesday, October 13, at 9pm on WGN America.
70 min
316
Damon Lindelof, Chris Dingess, Noelle Valdivia ...
Damon Lindelof (co-creator, Lost, The Leftovers), Chris Dingess (Agent Carter), Noelle Valdivia (Ash Vs the Evil Dead; Manhattan), and Kit Boss (iZombie; Bob’s Burgers).
93 min
317
Marc Guggenheim, Corinne Marshall, Evan Bleiwei...
Marc Guggenheim (co-creator, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow), Corinne Marshall (School of Rock; Surviving Jack; creator, KC Undercover), Evan Bleiweiss (Rosewood; Matador; The Shield), and Laura Valdivia (Hot and Bothered; Weird Loners; Ben & Kate).
90 min
318
Family Men: Masters of the Family Sitcom
Family Men: Masters of the Family Sitcom with Norman Lear (creator of All in The Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, One Day at a Time, Sanford and Son, Good Times, and MORE), Phil Rosenthal (creator of Everybody Loves Raymond), and Steve Levitan (co-creator of Modern Family).
102 min
319
An Animated Career 2
Join us for a lively panel discussion with a very engaged audience on the ups and downs of careers in cartoons between voice actor Jason Spisak (Young Justice), producer/writer/director/artist Shannon Eric Denton (Ultimate Spider-Man) , and writers Heath Corson (Throne of Atlantis), and Adam Beechen (Transformers: Robots In Disguise). Topics include getting started, finding ideas and staying sane.
63 min
320
Steven Knight
The creator of Peaky Blinders, The Detectives, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and screenwriter of the upcoming Pawn Sacrifice and World War Z II, as well as Locke, Closed Circuit, Eastern Promises, Dirty Pretty Things, and others discusses his process, structure, telling six-hour stories, collaboration, and more. Pawn Sacrifice is in cinemas tomorrow.
50 min
321
The Leftovers
Writer/creator Damon Lindelof, director/executive producer Mimi Leder, and co-stars Ann Dowd, Chris Eccleston, Carrie Coon discuss the first season of the HBO series and what's coming next.
61 min
322
“To Adapt Is To Evolve” from ATX Television Fes...
Adaptions are hard enough honoring an original vision, satisfying a fan base, and translating characters from one medium (written word or film) to another (episodic television). What if in addition to that, you also had to balance tone, voices, and rhythm? Join a conversation between three unique, powerhouse creators, who have managed to do something beyond adaptation: they have respected the original distinctive worlds and characters, while managing to create something of their own. With Bryan Fuller (creator, Hannibal), Noah Hawley (creator, Fargo), and Graham Yost (creator, Justified). Moderated by James Hibberd (Entertainment Weekly).
58 min
323
“The Buyers” panel from ATX Television Festival
How does a studio or network know whether or not a show is right for them? What happens when multiple executives from different companies want the same series? Hear from a panel of network, cable, and platform executives responsonsible for buying content. These individuals will discuss what makes them unique, as well as, how they form and buy series. Featuring Kathleen McCaffrey (HBO), Ken Segna (Starz), David Sleven (NBC Entertainment), and Grant Gish (20th Century Fox Animation).
60 min
324
Bunheads/Teachers/Younger panels from ATX Telev...
First, Bunheads creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and cast members Sutton Foster, Kelly Bishop, and Stacey Oristano discuss the dance sequences, turning points, and character moments that made this Cancelled-Too-Soon series so loved in it's short time on air.Then, Younger star Sutton Foster discusses the hit TVLand sitcom.And finally, Teachers, an upcoming TV Land sit-com based upon the web-series is discussed by showrunners Jay Martel and Ian Roberts (Key & Peele), and writer/creator/actors The Katydids: Katie OBrien, Caitlin Barlow, Katy Colloton, Cate Freedman, Kate Lambert, and Kathryn Renee Thomas.
117 min
325
The Simpsons from ATX Television Festival
The Simpsons has spanned 27 years. It has shaped many people's childhood, young adolescence, and adulthood, while defining a culture and a medium. Listen to co-creator James L. Brooks, and veteran writers/producers Al Jean, Matt Selman, and David Silverman discuss its long running history and how it has evolved and shifted over three decades.
51 min