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
376
Rina Mimoun
The showrunner of Red Band Society and Mistresses talks about writing at the heyday of the WB, having worked on Jack & Jill, Dawson's Creek, and Everwood (eventually running the latter), developing the delightful Privileged only to find it didn't fit the new CW brand, and rising to the occasion of running other creators' shows.
59 min
377
Chris Chibnall
The creator of Broadchurch and its American remake, Fox's Gracepoint, as well as Born and Bred, discusses writing personal stories, show-running Torchwood and Law & Order: UK, writing for Doctor Who and Life on Mars, advice from Russell T. Davies, his beginnings as a playwright, and lots more.
67 min
378
Sam Shaw
The creator of WGN's terrific series Manhattan talks about his inspiration for the show, relationships with writers, balancing his characters' stories with historical fact, what he learned from working on Masters of Sex, and lots more.
71 min
379
Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters
The showrunners of both Marvel's Agent Carter series debuting in January and ABC's Resurrection (second season Sept 28) talk about their long writing partnership, what they learned from their colleagues on series as diverse as Law & Order: SVU, Dollhouse, and Hawaii 5-0, and creating a happy workplace with their own series, Reaper.
51 min
380
Person of Interest
Creator/executive producer Jonah Nolan (The Dark Knight), executive producer/co-showrunner Greg Plageman (NYPD Blue), and writers/producers Lucas O'Connor, Erik Mountain, Ashley Gable, and Andy Callahan chat about the 4th season of the hit CBS drama, big decisions about the series, the changing nature of its characters and interests, and lots more. Season 4 premieres tonight!
70 min
381
Simon Barrett
The writer of the lauded horror film You're Next as well as the upcoming The Guest talks about writing for himself and his creative partner Adam Wingard as well as for an audience, walks us through his late nights of writing, his attempts to write films differently, and lots more. The Guest is in theaters this week.
55 min
382
Nerdist Podcast Network Super Panel
Live from SDCC 2014, it's the Nerdist Podcast Super Panel with Matt Mira (Nerdist, James Bonding), Jonah Ray (Nerdist, Jonah Raydio), Janet Varney (The JV Club), Cole Stratton (Pop My Culture), Gil Letelier (The Mutant Season), Ben Blacker (Nerdist Writers Panel, Nerdist Comics Panel, Thrilling Adventure Hour), Ben Acker (Thrilling Adventure Hour), Sandra Daugherty (Sex Nerd Sandra) and Dave Ross (Terrified)!
57 min
383
Quick Draw
Creators of the Hulu original series, director Nancy Hower and actor John Lehr, talk about their improvised Western procedural sit-com, how they collaborate, comedy influences, their previous show, TBS's 10 Items or Less, and lots more.
51 min
384
“So Dramatic” panel from ATX
With Liz Tigelaar (Nashville; Bates Motel; creator, Life Unexpected), Kyle Killer (creator, Awake and Lone Star), Mark Johnson (EP, Rectify), Bryan Seabury (VP, Drama Development at CBS), David Madden (President, Fox TV Studios). Moderated by the AV Club's Todd VanDerWerff. The serialized drama has evolved drastically in the past thirty years. Leading characters have shifted from heroes to anti-heroes, and stories have moved from clear good vs. evil to murky immorality that leaves audiences unsure whom they should root for. Todays leading drama producers and writers discuss current trends in their genre, including: the expansion to dark and depraved worlds, advantages (or challenges) that come with network or cable (or online), viewing habits of audiences, and if any of these factors have an impact on how they choose to tell their story.
70 min
385
Ratings, Recaps, Reviews panel from ATX
Kyle Killen (Awake; Lone Star) knows more about ratings than he cares to, and he's going to break it down for you starting with who, what, when, where, or IF watching matters. Dissecting Neilsen, DVRs, live viewing, social media, and streaming, hell answer questions like: What's a share? How everyone you know can be talking, tweeting and watching a show, but it still gets canceled? And why do ratings equal cancellation on one network but a hit on another? Following his 15 minute presentation, Killen sits down with top critics Alan Sepinwall (Hitfix), Matthew Zoller Seitz (Vulture), Todd Vanderwerff (A.V. Club), and Tara Ariano (Previously.tv) to discuss TV's growth in the past decade, where its going, and their contributions to a show's fate.
90 min
386
Legend of Korra / Avatar: The Last Airbender
Creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino talk about bringing their adventure/action/comedy/coming-of-age animated series to the screen, finding a new process for producing animated television, their non-cancelation, the big screen adaptation, and lots more.
88 min
387
Maureen Johnson
The author of such young-adult novels as The Name of the Star (first of the Shades of London series), 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and Suite Scarlett talks about writing and writing and writing...
57 min
388
Reboot, Re-imagine, Remake panel from ATX Telev...
Whether it's a beloved relationship (Jason Katims' About a Boy), a specific tone (Noah Hawley's Fargo), a foreign format (Andy Daly's Review), or a tale with a pre-determined ending (Carlton Cuse's Bates Motel), a reimagined story looks to balance the previously told one with an innovative new viewpoint that makes it worth revisiting.
21 min
389
Thomas Lennon & Neal Baer Live at San Diego Com...
Thomas Lennon (co-creator, Reno 911; Night at the Museum; @midnight) and Neal Baer (showrunner, Under the Dome; ER; Law & Order: SVU).
41 min
390
Terence Winter
The creator of Boardwalk Empire and Oscar nominee for his adaptation of the Wolf of Wall Street talks about his start in sit-coms, short-lived, and syndicated shows, lessons from great rooms (including The Sopranos), his interests in crime and cons (and some that he's pulled), and wrapping up his Empire.
77 min
391
Pairing Off: A Look at Co-Creating and Writing ...
Mike Royce and Ray Romano (creators, Men of a Certain Age); Emily Halpern (co-creator, Trophy Wife), Andy Daly (co-creator, Review), and Kerry Ehrin (co-creator, Bates Motel) discuss working with another creative person, how pilots are created together, how the room works, and more. PLUS: A panel with Men of a Certain Age creators Royce, Romano, and writer Lew Schneider, following a screening of episode 106, “Go with the Flow.”
67 min
392
Carlton Cuse
From this year's ATX Television Festival, an intimate discussion of his influences and TV inspirations, his mentors, tales on how he got his start, and his personal and professional highs and lows. Joined by Hitfix's Alan Sepinwall, Cuse talks about creating series like The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., and Nash Bridges, to his time as a showrunner and executive producer of the controversial cultural phenomenon Lost alongside Damon Lindelof, to now balancing two different endeavors as co-creator, showrunner, writer and Executive Producer of A&E's Bates Motel and FX's The Strain.
58 min
393
Adam Rogers Returns!
We last spoke with Wired editor Adam Rogers way back in episode 24 and discussed the book he had just begun. Now that book is here! Proof: The Science of Booze is a fascinating and immensely enjoyable survey of how your favorite spirit gets into your glass and what happens once you drink it. Rogers talks about the challenges and joys of writing the book. Get it now on Amazon.
67 min
394
Orphan Black
Graeme Manson and John Fawcett, creators of Orphan Black, talk about the long gestation period of their clone saga, how the show works, what each of them brings to the project, what happens in the room, and lots more. PLUS: a not-so-great recording (sorry!) of the Q&A that followed the screening of season 2's eighth episode, Variable and Full of Perturbation.
81 min
395
Noah Hawley and Fargo
Noah Hawley (creator of My Generation and The Unusuals) talks about adapting the Coen Brothers' movie for the ten-episode FX series, the atypical writing and production process for the show, and what may come next. PLUS: Hawley, producer Warren Littlefield, and Fargo stars Allison Tolman and Keith Carradine in a panel moderated by Hitfix's Alan Sepinwall following a screening of episode 9 at ATX Television Festival in Austin on June 7, 2014.
77 min
396
The Signal
Will Eubank has worked as a cinematographer for years in the film industry, and now his second feature as writer/director, The Signal, is being released by Focus Features. Will talks about how he got where he is, bringing visual style to scripts, and more.
62 min
397
Writers and The Law
This is not the name of a terrible TV procedural, but rather the topic of discussion with lawyer Larry Zerner and lawer-turned-TV-writer David Hudgins (Friday Night Lights). What do writers, especially beginning writers, need to know about their rights? About copyright? About contracts? These questions and more are addressed.
71 min
398
Improvisation in TV and Film panel from C2E2
Second City luminary Craig Cackowski (Community; Veep), and Second City alumni Mark Gagliardi and Hal Lublin (Thrilling Adventure Hour) discuss improvisation techniques and uses for aspiring actors at a panel at Chicago's C2E2. So much of this applies to writing as well after all, what is improv but creating worlds, situations, and characters in the moment that it seems well worth sharing.
64 min
399
Enlisted
Creator/co-showrunner Kevin Biegel (co-creator, Cougar Town) and co-showrunner Mike Royce (co-creator, Men of a Certain Age) discuss the critically beloved Fox comedy, why it's personal for them both, breaking stories, and more.
37 min
400
Person of Interest
Creator/executive producer Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight; Interstellar) and executive producer Greg Plageman (NYPD Blue; Cold Case) sit down to talk about the hit CBS show, balancing procedural, sci-fi, and personal stories, working in the room, and more.
70 min