Dead Pilots Society
175 episodes - English - Latest episode: 28 days ago - ★★★★★ - 513 ratingsIn Dead Pilots Society, scripts that were developed by studios and networks but were never produced 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. Presented by Andrew Reich (Friends; Worst Week) Ben Blacker (The Writers Panel podcast; co-creator, Thrilling Adventure Hour), and Noah Findling (The New York Times, Comedy Central).
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Episode 145: Unscripted Dead Pilots with J. Keith van Straaten, Jordan Morris, John Moe
March 28, 2024 18:03 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBThis is an episode dedicated to unscripted television. J. Keith van Straaten, Jordan Morris, and John Moe talk about their dead unscripted projects that were sold to networks and streams but never produced. This conversation went to a ton of unexpected places and that's definitely a part of it's charm. Enjoy it! There's still time to help support our podcast by becoming a maximum fun member for as little as $5 a month. Help us support what we do by going to maximumfun.org/join.
Episode 144: Andy Bobrow's List Of Sitcom Writing Rules
March 25, 2024 18:04 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBAnother #maxfundrive bonus episode for you! Thank you to everyone who has boosted or become a #maxfundrive member, it's because of you that we can put out episodes like this. We sat down with comedy writer Andy Bobrow about his sitcom writing rules. Andy is a writer who's script Greatest American Heroes (ep link here) was last year's MaxFunDrive episode. We had an incredible cast for that one including Will Forte, Stephen Root, Rachel Harris, Sam Richardson and more. Andy has written on M...
Episode 143: Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burgers) Interview (Principle After Show)
March 23, 2024 02:05 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBThis is our after show interview with Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burger) about their pilot Principle. Mike and Mike developed Principle for Comedy Central wanting to explore the differences between a rapper's public and private persona. In this interview, you'll hear them talk about their comedy and hip hop influences, Open Mike's move from rapper to comedy writer/rapper and the process of pitching and developing a rap show for Comedy Central. If you'd like to su...
Episode 142: Principle written by Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burgers) LIVE at The Elysian Theater
March 20, 2024 16:35 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBWe have a hilarious MAX FUN DRIVE episode for you! It's the table read for Principle written by Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burgers) recorded LIVE at THE ELYSIAN THEATER! Principle was sold to Comedy Central. It's about a rapper trying to change his life and image but keeps being pulled back into the gangster character that made him famous. This show should be on the list along with Atlanta and Dave of the great television hip hop comedy of the last decade but a...
Episode 141: Q & A with Ben Blacker & Andrew Reich moderated by J. Keith van Straaten (Go Fact Yourself)
March 18, 2024 13:00 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBThis is a special episode in honor of The MaxFunDrive where Andrew and Ben answer a variety questions sent to us from listeners. We had J. Keith van Straaten from Go Fact Yourself drop by to moderate. It was a lot of fun and we know you're going to love it. Thank you for supporting our show! This special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. ...
Go Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Austin Taylor, Brenda Snell, Manolo Moreno, and Andrew Reich
March 18, 2024 13:00 - 17 minutes - 17.1 MBThis special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts. J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by: Austin Taylor & Brenda Snell -“Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries” Manolo ...
Episode 140: Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show, Man With A Plan) Interview (You're Only Young Twice After Show)
March 02, 2024 02:31 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBThis is our after show interview with Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show, Man With A Plan) about his pilot You're Only Young Twice. Tommy tells us about starting his stand up career at the age of 19, inspired by David Letterman. How he went from being a touring comedian to writing on a television show. Andrew shares some good insight from his time on Friends and they both spend time figuring out a better second act complication for Tommy's pilot. This is a great one! Enjoy it! For more Dead Pil...
Episode 139: You're Only Young Twice written by Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show, Man With A Plan)
February 23, 2024 01:56 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBThis is the table read for You're Only Young Twice written by Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show, Man With A Plan). This pilot was a CBS network multi-camera sitcom. Logline: A young couple discover the upside to getting pregnant at your junior prom is that your kid goes to college when you’re 35, and you become empty nesters who get to start life all over again while you're still young enough to enjoy it. The downside is finding out your spouse has different plans for their second chance. You'...
Episode 138: Alex Burnett & Brendan McCarthy Interview (Localized After Show)
January 26, 2024 06:51 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBThis is our after show interview with Alex Burnett & Brendan McCarthy (Grace & Frankie) about their pilot Localized. Alex's recounts his personal connection to the show, having grown up on Nantucket. You'll hear about the persistence it took to sell this show, their experience working with Mitch Hurwitz (creator of Arrested Development) and their journeys to becoming tv writers. They also share some really great writing insight they received from Mitch Hurwitz during the development process...
Episode 137: Localized written by Alex Burnett & Brendan McCarthy (Grace & Frankie)
January 19, 2024 22:57 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBThis is the table read of LOCALIZED written by Alex Burnett & Brendan McCarthy (Grace & Frankie). This pilot is based on a real life character. A man who is the only full time doctor on the island of Nantuckett. Localized is based on the book Island Practice written by Pam Belluck. It's a wonderfully weird pilot that was sold to HBO Max with Mitch Hurwitz attached to executive produce. We had a great cast for this one! It includes Adam Arkin (Chicago Hope, West Wing), Tobey Grey (Colleg...
Episode 136: Vali Chandrasekaran Interview (Fulfillment After Show)
December 29, 2023 02:39 - 1 hour - 68.3 MBThis is the after show for Fulfillment with its writer Vali Candrasekaran (Modern Family, 30 Rock). Vali is a respected veteran comedy writer who's written on all of your favorite sitcoms. You'll hear the crazy story about how he landed his first job on "My Name Is Earl". He talks about a show he created with Christopher Lloyd (Modern Family, Frasier) starring two A-list actors that somehow didn't get picked up to series. Vali shares some great advice he received from Chris regarding multi...
Episode 135: Fulfillment written by Vali Chandrasekaran (Modern Family, 30 Rock)
December 21, 2023 14:00 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MBThis is the table read of Fulfillment written by Vali Chandrasekaran (Modern Family, 30 Rock). FULFILMENT is an ensemble workplace comedy about a group of people whose job it is to make money for the most evil company on earth, but they spend most of their time helping each other through life. It's about maintaining your humanity in a dehumanizing world. The cast for this one is nothing short of amazing! It includes Zooey Deschanel (New Girl, 500 Days Of Summer) Michaela Watkins (Wander...
Episode 134: Sam Jarvis Interview (Sam In Retrograde After Show)
December 01, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBAndrew interviewed the writer of Sam In Retrograde, Sam Jarvis (Dollface, Tosh.O)! Sam has a fresh voice and even still has that new writer passion for the business. We love to see it, it's a breath of fresh air. In this interview, Sam tells us about the germ of the idea for her show and why she named her lead character after herself. She talks about what it's like to be the only woman in writer's room and some insight into working on the Comedy Central hit Tosh.O. Sam's also one of the few ...
Episode 133: Sam In Retrograde written by Sam Jarvis (Dollface, Tosh.o)
November 24, 2023 00:13 - 42 minutes - 39 MBThis is the table read of Sam In Retrograde written by Sam jarvis (Dollface. Tosh.o). SAM IN RETROGRADE is a weird little comedy about one woman's journey through grief, and her attempt to find herself in the process. More specifically, it's about a girl who starts carrying her dead husband's urn around everywhere and talking to it as if they're still married. Which yes, does affect her relationships with everyone else in her life. As you'd imagine. The project was developed and optioned a...
Episode 132: Maria Blasucci & Amanda Lund Interview (Let's Do Lunch After Show)
October 26, 2023 18:42 - 52 minutes - 48.4 MBWe sat down with the writers of Let’s Do Lunch, Amanda Lund and Maria Blasucci. Andrew covers so many things with Amanda and Maria including a full description of the food spread at a 90s sitcom taping, the story about how they met, Maria’s many appearances on Drunk History, the importance of making your own content, and how to write what’s in your heart. Amanda and Maria are Dead Pilots Society regulars that we love having on the show and we’re thrilled we got to do their pilot. If you have...
Episode 131: Let's Do Lunch written by Maria Blasucci & Amanda Lund
October 19, 2023 12:00 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBThis month’s pilot is comedy gold! It’s called Let’s Do Lunch written by Maria Blasucci & Amanda Lund. Let’s Do Lunch is a satirical look into the drug and sex fueled world of Hollywood throughout the blockbustery 1980s as seen through the eyes of male visionary power producers, Chase Tillman and Brock Springs (played by Maria Blasucci and Amanda Lund). Their project was set up at FX with Party Over Here attached to produce. Our cast for this one includes Amanda Lund, Maria Blasucci, Taran ...
Episode 130: Santina Muha, Lindsey Kraft and Andrew Leeds Interview (Pretty After Show)
September 29, 2023 01:45 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBWe have a terrific after show interview for you with the creators of Pretty, Santina Muha, Lindsey Kraft and Andrew Leeds. This is a truly uplifting and inspiring conversation. You’ll hear Santina talk about how she got her start in comedy and how her childhood accident forced her to hone her comedy skills. She discusses the importance of making light of a terrible situation, simple things people take for granted like sidewalks, and her passion of using comedy as a platform to discuss import...
Episode 129: Pretty written by Lindsey Kraft (story by Lindsey Kraft, Santina Muha, Andrew Leeds)
September 21, 2023 18:25 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBAnother month, another pilot! It’s Pretty written by Lindsey Kraft (story by Lindsey Kraft, Santina Muha, Andrew Leeds). Pretty is about a ballsy, passionate woman (Muha) who moves from Jersey to L.A. to pursue her dreams of finding love and becoming the next Oprah. Kraft and Muha were attached to star in the project with Michelle Nader, Kaley Cuoco’s Yes, Norman Productions and Warner Bros. TV attached to produce. We loved reading this one. It’s one of those funny, sweet and inspiring pilot...
Episode 128: Matteo Borghese & Rob Turbovsky Interview (Trial After Show)
August 31, 2023 14:00 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBThis week we sat down with the writers of Trial, Matteo Borghese & Rob Turbovsky. Spoiler alert! Rob and Matteo reveal who the killer in their pilot is. We’re not going to spoil it for you in the show notes though. You’ll have to listen to this episode to find out. The Emmy nominated duo also discuss their experience staffing on Silicon Valley, Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Only Murders In The Building. They explain what they believe a TV writer’s job is. We’ll give you a hint, it has som...
Episode 127: Trial written by Matteo Borghese & Rob Turbovsky
August 24, 2023 11:00 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBThis month's table read is for a pilot called Trial written by Emmy nominated writing duo Matteo Borghese & Rob Turbovsky. Trial centers around an aging comedy icon who finds his life turned upside down when he is charged with the murder of his sleazy business manager and, possibly worse, revealed to be not all that nice. Trial was setup at Comedy Central. It should be noted that we read this pilot live in Los Angeles at The Lyric Hyperion Theater. That's right, you're going to hear some re...
Episode 126: Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney (Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Power Rangers) Interview (The Sleeping Father After Show)
August 09, 2023 16:04 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBWe have an incredibly insightful interview with Michele & Kieran Mulroney. If you haven’t listened to both episodes of their show The Sleeping Father, you must do so now. It’s truly outstanding! This interview is crucial for anyone who wants to know the real story of how so many careers in Hollywood go. It’s mandatory listening for aspiring writers and striking writers in a dry spell creatively. Michele & Kieran talk about getting their start in the business, adapting Dickens for dogs, and t...
Episode 125: The Sleeping Father Episode 2 written by Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney (Power Rangers, Sherlock Holmes:A Game Of Shadows)
July 27, 2023 17:05 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBYou guys are in for a treat! It's episode two of The Sleeping Father written by Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney (Power Rangers, Sherlock Holmes:A Game Of Shadows), based on the novel by Matthew Sharpe. Michelle and Kieran originally wrote this as a screenplay for Warner Bros and was later revived as a television series for Warner Bros. Television. Enjoy it! We had a terrific cast for this one including Dave Foley, Ennis Esmer, Ciara Bravo, Daniel DiMaggio, Nichole Sakura, Niles Fitch, Sa...
Episode 124: The Sleeping Father written by Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney (Power Rangers, Sherlock Holmes:A Game Of Shadows)
July 20, 2023 13:00 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBWe have a truly one-of-a-kind dead pilot for you this month! It’s The Sleeping Father, written by Michele Mulroney & Kieran Mulroney (Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows, Power Rangers), based on the novel by Matthew Sharpe. It follows the slow-motion implosion and long and ridiculous recovery of the Schwartz family after patriarch, Bernie, goes into a coma and comes out of it even more screwed up than when he went in. Michele and Kieran originally wrote this as a screenplay for Warner Bros a...
Episode 123: Julia Ahumada Grob (Mr. Iglesias) & Yamin Segal (The Wonder Years) Interview (East WillyB After Show)
June 29, 2023 16:52 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBGrit and determination are the themes of this week’s after show interview with East WillyB creators, Julia Ahumada Grob (Mr. Igelsias) & Yamin Segal (The Wonder Years). You’re going to hear about the trials and tribulations of this project and get a blue print for how to make your own TV show. Julia & Yamin go in depth on their experience financing, writing, producing, and starring in two seasons of the East WillyB web series. They tell the story of the 7 year journey to selling this pilot. ...
Episode 122: East WillyB written by Julia Ahumada Grob (Mr. Iglesias) & Yamin Segal (The Wonder Years)
June 23, 2023 01:31 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBThis month’s pilot is East WillyB written by Julia Ahumada Grob (Mr. Iglesias) & Yamin Segal (The Wonder Years). It’s a half hour comedy based on their indie web series of the same name. It revolves around a truly unconventional family, dysfunctional neighbors who populate the last hold-out dive bar in gentrified Brooklyn. Together they’ll face life’s challenges — from love, friendship, and legacy, to family and change — realizing they can only do it if they lean on each other; their chosen...
Episode 121: Kat Likkel & John Hoberg (Elemental, My Name Is Earl) Interview (The Kings Of Ohio)
May 25, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 68.2 MBWe had a delightful conversation this week with the writers of Kings of Ohio, Kat Likkel & John Hoberg. Kat & John kicked off the interview by telling us about their six adopted goats. They gave us an in-depth recap of what it was like to work with Pixar on their new movie Elemental (coming out on June 16th, 2023). How their years in TV writing prepared them for that development process, a process that taught them to be more flexible and less precious in their own writing. They also share t...
Episode 120: The Kings Of Ohio written by Kat Likkel & John Hoberg (Elemental, My Name Is Earl)
May 18, 2023 13:00 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBOur dead pilot this month comes from two brilliant scribes: Kat Likkel & John Hoberg (Elemental & My Name Is Earl)! Their pilot is a half hour single camera dramedy called The Kings of Ohio. It centers around a blue collar laborer, Brad, who is trying to keep his two best friends Ronnie (fast talking schemer with a "plan") and Carl (a combat vet with a short fuse) from falling through the cracks in an economically depressed town in southern Ohio — all while attempting to win back the love of...
Episode 119: David Litt (White House Speechwriter) Interview (Young Professionals)
April 27, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBWe caught up with David Litt this week about his pilot, Young Professionals. At age 24, David, became one of the youngest White House speechwriters in history. In this interview, you’ll hear about David’s journey into politics and comedy writing. David and Andrew reminisced about their time on The Exit Players, the oldest improv troupe at Yale. David told us why he joined the Obama campaign in 2008 and how he became the head writer for The White House Correspondents dinner. He shared a story...
Episode 118: Young Professionals written by David Litt (Funny Or Die)
April 20, 2023 13:00 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBOur dead pilot this month is called Young Professionals and was written by David Litt, who, at age 24, became one of the youngest White House speechwriters in history. David is also the author of two bestselling books: "Thanks, Obama" and "Democracy in One Book or Less". Young Professionals follows five friends who struggle to make a difference in the broken, bizarre, hopelessly absurd world of Washington DC. It’s Veep meets Broad City! The project was initially set up at Comedy Central and ...
Episode 117: Brooks Wheelan (I Think You Should Leave, SNL) & Isaac Rentz (Opening Night)
March 30, 2023 15:05 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBThere’s only a few more days left of Max Fun Drive and we’re sad to see it go! This is the one time of year where we ask you to become a member or upgrade your membership to help make our show possible. If you’ve already done your part, thank you so much for your support. We couldn’t bring you the best damn dead pilots in Hollywood without it. There’s always time to become a Max Fun member, so if you want to help us keep fighting the good fight go to maximumfun.org/join ! For this year’s Max...
Episode 116: Wheelan Motors "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" written by Brooks Wheelan (I Think You Should Leave, SNL) & Isaac Rentz (Opening Night)
March 27, 2023 14:40 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBIt’s Max Fun Drive! The one time of year where we ask you to become members or upgrade your membership to help make our show possible. For this year’s Max Fun Drive we’re bringing you something super special. A full on Dead Pilots Society Series. Well, the first three episodes of one at least. Today we’re releasing the third and final episode of Wheelan Motors written and created by Brooks Wheelan (I Think You Should Leave, SNL) & Isaac Rentz (Opening Night). The title of this one is “Every...
Episode 115: Wheelan Motors "Bad Press" written by Brooks Wheelan (I Think You Should Leave, SNL) & Isaac Rentz (Opening Night)
March 23, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 49 MBIt’s Max Fun Drive! The one time of year where we ask you to become members or upgrade your membership to help make our show possible. For this year’s Max Fun Drive we’re bringing you something super special. A full on Dead Pilots Society Series. Well, the first three episodes of one at least. Today we’re releasing episode two of Wheelan Motors written and created by Brooks Wheelan (I Think You Should Leave, SNL) & Isaac Rentz (Opening Night). In this episode, Wheelan Motors becomes embroil...
Episode 114: Wheelan Motors "The Pilot" written by Brooks Wheelan (I Think You Should Leave, SNL) & Isaac Rentz (Opening Night)
March 20, 2023 07:05 - 1 hour - 54.9 MBIt’s Max Fun Drive! The one time of year where we ask you to become members or upgrade your membership to help make our show possible. For this year’s Max Fun Drive we’re bringing you something super special. A full on Dead Pilots Society Series. Well, the first three episodes of one at least. This week’s pilot is called Wheelan Motors written and created by Brooks Wheelan (I Think You Should Leave, SNL) & Isaac Rentz (Opening Night). Brooks and Isaac sold this show to Fox and the network w...
Episode 113: Andrew Leeds (The Patient, Barry) Lindsey Kraft (Grace & Frankie) and Richie Keen (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia) Interview (Throuple)
February 23, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 72.9 MBThe theme of today’s episode is friendship! We sat down with three great friends and writers of Throuple, Andrew Leeds, Lindsey Kraft and Richie Keen. In their interview they debate whether handing out ice cream to executives during their network pitches was a good idea or not. They told us about how their pitch made no sense. Their words not ours. Andrew Leeds told us about how Richie coached him for an audition for Andrew Reich’s pilot. Insight into mining comedic characters from real ones...
Episode 112: Throuple written by Richie Keen (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia), Lindsey Kraft (Grace & Frankie) & Andrew Leeds (Barry, The Patient)
February 16, 2023 16:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBWe’re bringing you a great pilot this month! It’s called Throuple written by Richie Keen (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia), Andrew Leeds (The Patient, Barry), and Lindsey Kraft (Grace & Frankie). Throuple is an autobiographical comedy based on a short film written by and starring the three real-life best friends. It revolves around a long-term couple and their best friend as they navigate everyday situations in their own unique way. Keen was attached to direct, Scott Fedro and Perry Rogers...
Episode 111: Steve Basilone (Happy Endings, Community) Interview (Falling/Apart))
January 26, 2023 17:41 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBSteve Basilone is on the podcast today! Steve has written for Happy Endings, The Goldbergs, and Community. He’s also the writer of last week’s dead pilot, FALLING/APART. In our discussion, Steve told us about his beginnings in Hollywood. How helpful it was to finish his last semester at Emerson College in LA. He told us about how he pivoted from acting to writing after realizing he could write a script as bad as the projects he was auditioning for. Steve discussed his first feature sale, his...
Episode 110: Falling/Apart written by Steve Basilone (The Goldbergs, Community, Happy Endings)
January 19, 2023 14:00 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MBWe’re starting off the year with a great dead pilot! It’s called Falling/Apart written by Steve Basilone (The Goldbergs, Community, Happy Endings). In Falling/Apart Lena and Evan, both newly single, must navigate the uniquely demoralizing song-and-dance of single-hood: the swiping right, the ghosting, the banal first date banter. Honestly, they both (kind of) hate it...until they meet each other. And thus the romantic cycle of falling in love and falling apart begins anew. This project was s...
Episode 109: Scotty Landes (Workaholics, Ma) Interview (Dear America: We've Seen You Naked Interview)
December 29, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBThis week’s episode is an insightful interview with the writer of Dear America: We’ve Seen You Naked, Scotty Landes (Workaholics, Ma). In it, Scotty discusses the Politico article his pilot is based on. You can check that out here. He tells us how he wrote a pilot with 9 main characters, the best breaking into the business story we’ve ever heard, his transition from a reality TV producer to a scripted TV writer and how working in reality made him a better TV writer. Scotty’s insightful stori...
Episode 108: Dear America, We've Seen You Naked written by Scotty Landes (Workaholics, Who Is America?, Ma!)
December 22, 2022 16:43 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBHappy Holidays, Dead Pilots Society listeners! Our pilot this month is Dear America, We’ve Seen You Naked written by Scotty Landes (Workaholics, Who Is America?, Ma). It’s a workplace comedy about a group of TSA agents at Chicago O’Hare airport. We think this pairs well with our Episode 25: Airport Marriott written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. Dear America also has a unique origin story in that it’s based on a non-existent book. You’ll hear all about that and more in Scotty’s pre-read inte...
Episode 107: Emily Cutler (Fresh Off The Boat, AP Bio) Interview (Step Dave After Show)
November 24, 2022 14:00 - 52 minutes - 48.2 MBHappy Thanksgiving to all of our Dead Pilots Society listeners! This week we caught up with Emily Cutler (Fresh off The Boat, AP Bio) the writer of Step Dave! Emily talks in depth about how the Step Dave format came to her. Also, Andrew will give you a brief education about what a format even is! Emily felt a special connection to the material because, like Annie in the pilot, her husband is 10 years younger than her. She told us about how she mined material from her own marriage to pitch an...
Episode 106: Step Dave written by Emily Cutler (Fresh Off The Boat, AP BIO)
November 17, 2022 17:41 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBWe have a wonderful pilot for you this month! It’s the perfect pilot to listen to while curled up next to a fire this holiday season! You all have fireplaces, right?! Either way, this month’s script comes from Emily Cutler (Fresh Off The Boat, AP BIO). In STEP DAVE, lives are turned upside down when a 24 year-old bartender and a 36 year-old divorced mom fall in love. That's right, it's a romantic comedy pilot! Step Dave was set up at NBC through Universal in 2017 and it was inspired by a New...
Episode 105: Niki Schwartz-Wright (The Office, Speechless) Interview (Valley Trash After Show)
October 27, 2022 19:33 - 54 minutes - 49.4 MBThis is the after show interview with Niki Schwartz-Wright (The Office, Speechless). Niki was the writer of Valley Trash which we released last week. In this interview, Niki lets us in on how autobiographical and personal this pilot was. She dishes on some advice her father gave her on how to handle bullies. Niki walks us through her journey to becoming a TV writer: starting as an assistant at a talent agency and transitioning to being a script coordinator on a show she would later get staff...
Episode 104: Valley Trash written by Niki Schwartz-Wright (The Grinder, Speechless, The Office)
October 20, 2022 16:42 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MBThis month’s pilot is brought to you by the clutches of the pandemic! It’s called Valley Trash written by Niki Schwartz-Wright (The Grinder, Speechless, The Office). Valley Trash was days away from going into production when the network shut it down at the start of the Covid lockdowns in March 2020. The pilot centers on The Harmans, a scrappy, blue collar family living in the deep Valley who suddenly experience a major culture clash when their fourteen-year-old daughter, Abby, gets accepted ...
Episode 103: Lon Zimmet (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, LA to Vegas) Interview (Peak Eve After Show)
September 30, 2022 02:34 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBWelcome to the after show interview! This week we sat down with the writer of Peak Eve, Lon Zimmet. Andrew and Lon worked together on Lon’s first show, Worst Week. Since then Lon has gone on to write for Happy Endings, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Superstore, and he created the sitcom LA to Vegas on Fox. In this interview, Andrew and Lon talked about Lon’s transition from working in a writing team to going out on his own. He credits his solo success to writing as much as he possibly could. Lo...
Episode 102: Peak Eve written by Lon Zimmet (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Superstore, creator of LA to Vegas)
September 22, 2022 16:00 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MBWe have an edgy FX pilot for you this month! It’s called Peak Eve and it comes to us from Lon Zimmet (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Superstore, creator of LA to Vegas). It centers on a misanthropic, twenty-something narcissist who resigns herself to becoming a better person… and then is annoyed to discover what a huge pain in the ass that’s going to be. This one is really good and super funny! You won't want to miss it! We had a stellar cast for this one including Dylan Gelula (Loot) as Eve, ...
Episode 101: David Iserson (SNL, New Girl, Mad Men) Interview (Electric Youth After Show)
August 25, 2022 16:14 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBPlease listen to the table read of Electric Youth written by David Iserson if you haven’t yet. This is the after show with David, who has a ton of amazing credits including SNL, New Girl, and Mad Men. We get into a lot of them in this interview! David let us in on some great advice he got from Matthew Weiner when he was on Mad Men and how that show was more of a comedy than people realize. He gives us his trusted metaphor for how to know whether an idea is a keeper. He also shares an absolu...
Episode 100: Electric Youth written by David Iserson (The Spy Who Dumped Me, Mad Men, New Girl, SNL)
August 19, 2022 16:00 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBThis month’s pilot is going to make you want to go back in time and start this summer all over again. That’s right it’s our very first time travel pilot. It’s called Electric Youth and it comes from the prolific screenwriter David Iverson (The Spy Who Dumped Me, Mad Men, New Girl, SNL). It centers around Britt, a woman in her 30s who gets a knock on her door one night and finds her high school boyfriend, only he’s still sixteen and just successfully traveled in time. This comedy explores our...
Episode 99: Brian C. Brown (Lucy In The Sky, About A Boy, Bad Monkey) & Jessica Lee Williamson (I'm Dying Up Here, F Is For Family) Interview (Mostly Dead Things After Show)
July 28, 2022 19:49 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBWe have a unique and enlightening interview for you for this month! This is the after show for Mostly Dead Things written by Brian C. Brown (Lucy In The Sky, About A Boy, Bad Monkey) and Jessica Lee Williamson (I’m Dying Up Here, F Is For Family) based on the book by Kristen Arnett. In this interview we discussed Brian and Jessica’s experience as veteran storytellers from The Moth. The Moth is clearly an underused potential path to television writing. A path with no barrier to entry too! Jes...
Episode 98: Mostly Dead Things written by Brian C. Brown (Lucy In The Sky, About A Boy, Bad Monkey) & Jessica Lee Williamson (I’m Dying Up Here, F Is For Family)
July 21, 2022 13:00 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBWe have a wild and weird and very Florida pilot for you this month! It’s called Mostly Dead Things written by Brian C. Brown (Lucy In The Sky, About A Boy, Bad Monkey) & Jessica Lee Williamson (I’m Dying Up Here, F Is For Family). After the death of their patriarch, a dysfunctional family of Florida taxidermists spirals out of control, coping with their loss through redneck love triangles, interspecies porn dioramas, and a bunch of cute squirrels stuffed full of narcotics. Briana and Jessica...
Episode 97: Lucas Hazlett (American Princess) & Alex Herschlag (Will & Grace) Interview (Lenny After Show)
June 30, 2022 23:49 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBIf you haven’t listened to the table read of Lenny written by Lucas Hazlett (American Princess, Wrecked) & Alex Herschlag (Will & Grace), you should do it now. This is our after show interview with Lucas & Alex. It’s a fun interview where we got into very specific details of Lucas Hazlett’s background and origins. His transition from studying philosophy to studying improv! We also dive into Alex’s career origins, writing for Rob Schneider and Ellen Degeneres before moving on to some of the b...