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.
26
Chris Silber (NCIS Hawaii); Celeste Ballard (Sp...
Chris Silber (showrunner, NCIS Hawaii) and Celeste Ballard (Space Jam: A New Legacy; Wrecked) talk about early jobs at SNL and on the Tremors TV series, getting their second staff jobs, how to behave in meetings, and writing the show you want to watch.
61 min
27
Shining Vale creators Jeff Astrof and Sharon Ho...
Shining Vale creators Jeff Astrof (Trial & Error; Friends) and Sharon Horgan (Divorce; Catastrophe) discuss their new show which premiered on Starz this week. Plus: comedy and horror, jokes from character and "knock knock" jokes, Courtney Cox, and more.
48 min
28
Garrett Lerner & Russel Friend (creators, Ordin...
Garrett Lerner & Russel Friend (creators, Ordinary Joe; House; Glee), Rebecca Sonnenshine (creator, Archive 81; The Boys), and Mike Zara (Crime Farm; Major Crimes) talk about magic scripts, the best rooms, keeping a rejected scenes pile, and bleeding on the page.
65 min
29
Katie Wech (creator, Good Sam); Lauren Pomerant...
Katie Wech (creator, Good Sam), Lauren Pomerantz (head writer, The Ellen Degeneres Show; SNL; Am I Okay?), and Simran Baidwan (Ordinary Joe; Manifest) cover a lot of territory, including how rising tides truly lift all boats, the power of saying no, new directions in writing and careers, and ladies in blouses solving crimes.
52 min
30
Rodney Barnes, Marissa Jo Cerar and Simone Finch
Rodney Barnes (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty; Everybody Loves Chris); Marissa Jo Cerar (creator, Women of the Movement; The Fosters); Simone Finch (creator, Single Drunk Female; The Conners)
55 min
31
Looking back and looking ahead. 2021 in review,...
Angela Kang (showrunner, The Walking Dead); Carlos Foglia (AEon Flux; The Lost Symbol); J Holtham (Supergirl; The Handmaid's Tale); Julia Yorks (Trolls: The Beat Goes On; upcoming: 1UP)
81 min
32
Devon Greggory, Mellow Brown, Jen Vestuto, Meli...
Ben sits down with Devon Greggory (showrunner, The Game; American Soul); Mellow Brown (American Gods; Blade Runner: Origins comic); Jen Vestuto and Melissa Marlette (Nancy Drew; Vampire Diaries).
61 min
33
Prentice Penny
Writer/director Prentice Penny (Insecure; Scrubs) talks about how making TV should be fun, helping others to bring their visions to the screen, being the only Black writer in comedy rooms, directing his first feature Uncorked, and lots more. The fifth and final season of Insecure is out now on HBO Max!
61 min
34
Reggie Bythewood, Meg DeLoatch, Peter McKenna
Reggie Bythewood (showrunner, Swagger), Meg DeLoatch (showrunner, The Neighborhood and creator, Family Reunion), and Peter McKenna (creator, Kin) discuss working during a pandemic, breaking in, the value of producing, and more.
77 min
35
Live from the virtual Ripped Bodice bookstore: ...
Live from the virtual Ripped Bodice bookstore, Sarah Kuhn (writer: Heroine Complex series, From Little Tokyo, With Love, Shadow of the Batgirl), Christina Strain (writer: Shadow & Bone, The Magicians, Finding Ohana), and Ella Jay Basco (actress: Birds of Prey) discuss Asian American superheroines to launch HOLLYWOOD HEROINE, the fifth book in Sarah's HEROINE COMPLEX series.
67 min
36
Kourtney Kang, John Hoffman, Migizi Pensoneau
Kourtney Kang (showrunner, Doogie Kamealoha, MD; How I Met Your Mother), John Hoffman (co-creator, Only Murders in the Building), and Migizi Pensoneau (Reservation Dogs) talk about why their shows were inevitable in the current TV landscape, good room practices, and revisiting old favorites.
61 min
37
Akela Cooper, James DeMonaco, Sujata Day, and V...
Akela Cooper (Malignant); James DeMonaco (The Purge), Sujata Day (Definition Please), and Vince Marcello (The Kissing Booth) chat about unlikely wins, surprising rejections, and juggling multiple projects.
56 min
38
Ali Schouten, Alissa Nutting, and Lucas Brown Eyes
Ali Schouten (show-runner, iCarly), Alissa Nutting (creator, Made for Love), and Lucas Brown Eyes (Young and Hungry; Alexa and Katie) discuss hiring, schedule management, and the importance of doing your writing homework.
49 min
39
Hacks creators Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello and P...
Hacks creators Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello and Paul Downs go in depth on the pitch for the show, writing strong characters, what they get out of a writers' room, and lots more. The first season of Hacks is available on HBO Max and we don't even know why you haven't watched it yet.
46 min
40
Household Faces with John Ross Bowie
Ben talks to character actor John Ross Bowie (The Big Bang Theory, Speechless) about his new Forever Dog podcast HOUSEHOLD FACES where he interviews other character actors about their most iconic roles, the ones that got away, and the secrets of show business longevity. AND THEN enjoy John's complete interview with the great Martha Plimpton (The Goonies, Parenthood, Raising Hope)
73 min
41
Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Michael Fuller, and...
Daveed Diggs & Rafael Casal (creators of Blindspotting), Michael Fuller (creator, Quarry; The Mosquito Coast) and Jamie Rosengard (The Last Thing He Told Me; Truth Be Told; Empire) discuss Zoom rooms, improvising on set, and the "sofas to die on." Plus: a bonus interview with the writer and director of the new Netflix thriller Beckett, Kevin Rice and Ferdinando Filomarino.
78 min
42
Shawn Simmons, Bianca Sams, and Gabriel Garza
A panel interview with Shawn Simmons (creator, Wayne); Bianca Sams (Charmed; The Originals); and Gabriel Garza (The Flash; co-creator, Bella and the Bulldogs). Hosted by Ben Blacker.
68 min
43
Ed Solomon (No Sudden Move, Bill and Ted) + Bon...
Ed Solomon talks about his new collaboration with Steven Soderbergh, No Sudden Moves (out now on HBO Max), how the creation of Bill & Ted came from a place of freedom, breaking in too early, writing for It's Garry Shandling's Show, interest vs passion, writing for yourself, and lots more. Plus, a bonus interview with Craig Moss (writer/diretor, Let Us In; Bad Ass)
78 min
44
Iliza Shlesinger, Josh Ruben, Mishna Wolff, and...
A panel interview with Iliza Shlesinger (Good On Paper); Josh Ruben and Mishna Wolff (Werewolves Within); and Alice Wu (The Half of It). Hosted by Ben Blacker.
57 min
45
Annie Weisman, Valerie Armstrong, and Lauren Ol...
A panel interview with Annie Weisman (creator, Physical); Valerie Armstrong (creator, Kevin Can F**K Himself); and Lauren Oliver (creator, Panic). Hosted by Ben Blacker.
47 min
46
Shauna Mcgarry, Paul Bae, and Talicia Raggs + B...
Shauna Mcgarry (Katy Keene; Bojack Horseman), Paul Bae (creator, The Black Tapes podcast), and Talicia Raggs (NCIS: New Orleans; The Originals) go deep on breaking story, the nuts and bolts of pitching, and finding your place in a writers' room. Plus a bonus interview with Shannon Kenny Carbonell, whose memoir All Is Not Lost is available now.
83 min
47
Ali Rushfield, Ryan O'Connell, and Gladys Rodri...
Panel interview with Ali Rushfield (creator, Shrill); Ryan O'Connell (creator, Special); and Gladys Rodriguez (Vida; Sons of Anarchy). Plus a bonus interview with Adam Rodgers. Hosted by Ben Blacker.
85 min
48
Best Pick Crossover Episode!
A chat with the wonderful hosts of Best Pick, a podcast in which film buffs Tom Salinsky, John Dorney, and Jessica Regan watch every Oscar nominated film in no particular order. It's a delightful show that you should absolutely check out.
71 min
49
Bentley Kyle Evans, Mike Drucker, and Chris Bra...
Panel interview with Bentley Kyle Evans (co-creator, The Jamie Foxx Show; Millennials; Martin), Mike Drucker (head writer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee), and Chris Brandon (creator, Bloodlands) talk about becoming comfortable as writers, writing for specific performers, and more. Plus a chat with Leila Cohan (Bridgerton; Santa Clarita Diet) about her valuable new newsletter, Room Snacks. Hosted by Ben Blacker.
78 min
50
Chris Sheridan, Nancy Kiu, Emily Chang, and Sar...
A panel interview with Chris Sheridan (creator, Resident Alien, Family Guy); Nancy Kiu (Batwoman, MacGuyver); Emily Chang & Sara Amini (Twilight Zone). Hosted by Ben Blacker.
54 min