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.
151
Shernold Edwards, Vera Santamaria, & Christine ...
Shernold Edwards (Red Line, Anne with an E); Vera Santamaria (Orange is the New Black, Bojack Horseman); and Christine Boylan (The Punisher, Painkiller Jane, Cloak and Dagger).
77 min
152
Breakfast with Phil (w/ Phil Rosenthal, Danny T...
Ben brings his hit ATX panel "Breakfast with Phil" to LA's Dynasty Typewriter Theater (30:00) talking food, entertainment, creativity, and why LA is the world's best restaurant city with Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal, actor/restauranteur Danny Trejo (Machete, Spy Kids, Breaking Bad, Trejo's Cantino, Trejo's Doughnuts), and n/naka chefs Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama.
110 min
153
Kenneth Biller, Maggie Mull, and David Graziano
Roundtable discussion with Kenneth Biller (creator, Genius); Maggie Mull (Family Guy; Life in Pieces); and David Graziano (American Gods; Southland).
84 min
154
American Vandal from ATX 2018
Last fall, in the midst of pop cultures ongoing obsession with all things true crime, Netflixs American Vandal arrived just in time to set social media ablaze with one tantalizing question: Who drew the dicks? Like amateur documentarians Peter and Sam, viewers found themselves enamored not only by the shows central mystery (uncovering the perpetrator of a costly, phallic prank), but the precision with which the series had satirized the genre itself. In this case study, join the creative team behind Vandal for a detailed look at the series from pitch, to development, to bonafide hit, as they discuss their own influences and fascination with the true crime genre.
52 min
155
"Directors and Showrunners" from ATX
As different directors tackle single episodes or an entire series, a strong relationship between directors and showrunners is crucial to maintaining a cohesive and dynamic vision of the storytelling. Join these showrunner + director pairs, who have worked together across multiple episodes, as they discuss the challenges of collaborating across a season of stories, establishing trust, and what occurs when opinions collide.
60 min
156
"A Showrunner Defined" from ATX
Greg Garcia (creator, My Name Is Earl), Tracey Wigfield (creator, Great News), Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (The Carmichael Show), Bob Daily (Superior Donuts), and Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The Middleman) discuss what the job of showrunner actually entails, swapping stories, asking each other for advice, and giving insight into the lessons theyve learned along the way. Moderated by Julie Plec (The Vampire Diaries).
59 min
157
“Power(ful) TV” from ATX
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (creator, Sweet/Vicious), Gloria Calderon Kellett (creator, One Day at a Time), Justin Simien (creator, Dear White People), and David Hudgins (Friday Night Lights) discuss how their series have surpassed diversity trends and token characters by organically weaving in storylines of race, religion, sexual assault, the foster care system, immigration, health care, and many many more, with the belief that exposing audiences to a variety of people, experiences, and worlds they might never encounter will normalize these unfamiliar issues and defuse them once and for all. Moderated by Maury McIntyre (President, Television Academy).
62 min
158
“The Revival of the Socially Conscious Si...
Bob Daily (Superior Donuts), Justin Simien (creator, Dear White People), Mike Royce and Gloria Calderon Kellett (creators, One Day at a Time), and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (The Carmichael Show) discuss taking their inspiration from Norman Lear and incorporating issues and debates that are meant to challenge and teach. From race to gender, and politics to religion, these sitcom writers achieve bigger conversations about issues that make a difference in your life, while still making you laugh. Moderated by CNN's Sandra Gonzalez.
66 min
159
"Teens on TV" LA Festival of Books
"Teens on TV" from the LA Times Festival of Books. Lauren Iungerich (creator, On My Block and Awkward), Gina Fattore (Better Things; Gilmore Girls; Dawson's Creek), and Dave Nadelberg (creator, The Mortified Guide) discuss angst on TV, from the scripted (The Wonder Years, Freaks & Geeks) to The Mortified Guide, a nonfiction storytelling project where adults share the embarrassing things they wrote as teenagers.
62 min
160
Colony + Aline Brosh McKenna, Sam Bain, & Tanya...
Catching up with Colony creator Ryan Condal and co-showrunner Wes Tooke. Season 3 of Colony premieres on USA tomorrow night, May 2! Then, Aline Brosh McKenna (co-creator, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Sam Bain (creator, Peep Show, Fresh Meat, Ill Behaviour), Tanya Saracho (creator, Vida; How to Get Away with Murder; Looking). Recorded live at the LA Times Festival of Books on April 22, 2018.
108 min
161
"Presidents of TV" from ATX
Craig Erwich (Hulu), Jennifer Salke (NBC), Casey Bloys (HBO), Nick Grad (FX), and Gary Levine (Showtime) discuss how their networks forge individual paths in a time of "Peak TV," their decisions behind which and how many series to order, balancing their brands while growing their audiences, and more. Moderated by Debra Birnbaum (Variety).
60 min
162
“Too Close To Home” from ATX
Javier Grillo-Marxuach (creator, The Middleman), Robia Rashid (creator, Atypical), Liz Tigelaar (creator, Life Unexpected), and David Hudgins (Parenthood) discuss storylines they’ve created or by happenstance been assigned to that have mirrored parts of their own lives, how they walked the line between truth and fiction, and how they personally tackled subjects that might be a little too close to home.
62 min
163
Nell Scovell with Conan O'Brien and Greg Daniels
Recorded March 22, 2018, at the Skirball Cultural Center as part of the Writers Bloc Presents series.
75 min
164
Chappaquiddick
Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, writers of Chappaquiddick, discuss their motivation for writing about Ted Kennedy's 1969 scandal, finding characters in well knows personalities, and more.
54 min
165
Adam Rifkin
The writer/director of The Last Movie Star discusses his lifelong quest to work with Burt Reynolds, his past credits including Mousehunt and Knucklehead, his process, and more.
46 min
166
The Terror
Developer/showrunner David Kajganich (A Bigger Splash; True Story) and showrunner Soo Hugh (creator, The Whispers; The Killing) chat about their new AMC show, a cold thriller called The Terror. They discuss balancing various tones, a character-first storytelling technique, and lots more. The Terror premieres on AMC on March 26.
42 min
167
Gerry Duggan + “Family Drama” from ATX
Catching up with comics writer Gerry Duggan (Deadpool), whose new Image title Analog comes out April 4. Check it out! From ATX: Michael Rauch (creator, Royal Pains), Mitchell Burgess & Robin Green (creators, Blue Bloods), David Hudgins (Friday Night Lights), Paul Garnes (Queen Sugar), and Anna Fricke (Everwood) discuss the process of shaping familial relationships on TV, how they are inherently complicated, and why they believe week after week (or all at once) audiences invest in the struggles, successes, and tragedies of these fictional families.
76 min
168
Kayla Alpert, Leila Cohan-Miccio, and Dwayne Jo...
Kayla Alpert (Code Black; Sweet Valley High); Leila Cohan-Miccio (Santa Clarita Diet; Awkward); Dwayne Johnson-Cochran (Heist 88).
73 min
169
“Network's Identity” from ATX
As the TV landscape changes, each network grapples to find its own place on the spectrum. Kathleen McCaffrey (HBO), Grant Gish (Marvel), and Karey Burke (Freeform) discuss their respective programming ethos and how their competitions successes and failures inform the direction they lead their networks.
60 min
170
Kenny Smith, Rebecca Perry Cutter, and Andrew R...
Andrew Reich (Friends; Netflix's Rev Run show) Kenny Smith (black-ish; The Game); Rebecca Cutter (Gotham; The Mentalist).
60 min
171
Scott Neustadter & Michael Weber
Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award nominees for The Disaster Artist, Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, dig deep on their process, offer valuable advice about choosing what to write, discuss their past projects including their breakthrough script for (500) Days of Summer and their John Green adaptations The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns.
51 min
172
“TV Under Trump” from ATX
Javier Grillo-Marxuach (creator, The Middleman), Michael Rauch (creator, Royal Pains), Julie Plec (creator, The Vampire Diaries), Beau Willimon (creator, House of Cards), Liz Tigelaar (Casual), and Paul Garnes (Queen Sugar) discuss approaching their art as both an outlet and a tool, how (or if) they plan to write for fans that might not agree with them, and where the responsibility of an artist lies in a divided world.
68 min
173
Liz Hara Part 2
New writer Liz Hara returns! When last we left Liz, she'd moved to LA from New York to work on Life In Pieces. She's still on staff on the CBS sit-com and shares stories about growing more comfortable in the writers' room, discovering how the show works and ticks, and more.
37 min
174
Holly Sorensen, Nick Antosca, and Stacy Rukeyser
Holly Sorensen (Step Up: High Water; creator, Make It Or Break It); Nick Antosca (creator, Channel Zero); Stacy Rukeyser (Unreal; One Tree Hill)
69 min
175
Better Call Saul Season 3 in Review
Co-creator/showrunner Peter Gould and writers Thomas Schnauz, Gennifer Hutchison, Gordon Smith, Ann Cherkis, and Heather Marion discuss the third season of the AMC series, bringing back (introducing?) Gus Fring, their process and the show's depictions of process, turning Jimmy into Saul, and what comes next.
76 min