JoJCast - screenwriters on screenwriting

Ep 92: State of the Sitcom - Blackadder, with Bygones Podcast

State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to The Good Place and everything in between! This week, we're joined by the hosts of Bygones: The Ally McBeal Podcast for a spot of Pod & Podcastability as we tackle one of the greatest dynasties of British history, Blackadder. We offer our most enthusiastic contrafibularities to all our listeners as we discuss erotic vegetables, the constituency of Dunny-on-the-Wold and jus...

Ep 91: Game of Thrones S8 Ep 6 - The Iron Throne

It's the finale!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts on the end of this incredible, prestige TV dragon! Valar morghulis x

Ep 90: Game of Thrones S8 Ep 5 - The Bells

It's the penultimate episode!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 89: State of the Sitcom - The Good Place, with Empire Magazine's Chris Hewitt

State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to The Good Place, literally in this episode, and everything in between! This week, we're joined by host of The Empire Magazine Podcast, Liverpool fan & journalist, Chris Hewitt! Together, we enter the Schur-niverse to comment on the rule-breaking modern sitcom classic, The Good Place. Covering everything from its breakout star Ted Danson, the problem of ethical writing and ...

Ep 88: Game of Thrones S8 Ep 4 - The Last Of The Starks

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 87: Game of Thrones S8 Ep 3 - The Long Night

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 86: Game of Thrones S8 Ep 2 - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 85: State of the Sitcom - Saved By The Bell, with The Cinemile

State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to The Good Place and everything in between! This week, we're joined by another married podcasting couple, Cathy & Dave from the award-winning The Cinemile Podcast! We head back to the time of shell-suits, crop tops and push-pops as we return to the beloved, Disney channel sitcom, Saved By The Bell. Whether it's chatting about the show's influence on four wide-eyed children ...

Ep 84: Game of Thrones S8 E1 - Winterfell

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 8, the final part of the epic saga. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes after every show. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 83: State of the Sitcom - How I Met Your Mother, with Hey, Beautiful Podcast

State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to The Good Place and everything in between! In our first episode of Season 2 we're joined by Kate & Kaitlyn, the legen....wait for it...DARY hosts of the Hey, Beautiful! A HIMYM Podcast to discuss the perfect (even though perfect isn't always perfect) and multi-layered sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. We geek out over background jokes and nine-season-long payoffs, console ea...

Ep 82: State of the Sitcom Christmas Special with Paul Mayhew-Archer

We wish you a sitcom Christmas… In the UK, one of the most beloved festive traditions is sitting down with your loved ones and arguing over what to watch after you’ve consumed more food than is ever necessary, and top of the festive TV wishlist is usually the sitcom Christmas special of the day. In this very special Christmas episode, we’re joined by sitcom screenwriting royalty, Mr. Paul Mayhew-Archer. Writer on such small screen classics as The Vicar of Dibley, My Hero, Spitting Image, M...

Ep 81: How real life impacts screenwriting - The Episode IX Conundrum & unforeseen circumstances for scriptwriters

Reality might not always play a huge part in the movies & TV we watch but sometimes the outcome of real life changes the course of fiction more than we know. Following the sad, untimely passing of Carrie Fisher in 2016 the fact that JJ Abrams had previously intended Episode IX to centre around Leia Organa throws up more than just pain at the loss of such a bright star in the universe. For the scriptwriters there's a potential rewrite of the entire narrative as well as the difficult task of ...

Ep 80: Can the writers of Avengers 4 deliver with THAT much hype? Infinity War theories & the weight of expectation

After 10 years, 20 movies, and becoming the benchmark for blockbuster movies in the 21st Century, the MCU has become so much more than just a franchise. After a raft of the franchise's best movies with Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, and the beginning of the end in Avengers: Infinity War 1, there is a lot resting on the back of screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely with Avengers 4 (Infinity War 2). In this episode, we discuss the difficulties and excitement of writing on that...

Ep 79: Writing yourself out of a corner - How to deal with characters after a cliffhanger (ft. Orange is the New Black & Better Call Saul)

Nobody puts baby in the corner… Well actually sometimes they do but how can writers successfully navigate themselves out of a narrative climax whilst maintaining a satisfying arc? Jo & J discuss how the new seasons of Orange is the New Black and Better Call Saul tackled this very problem as well as some successful and not-so-successful methods from other media like Lost, Heroes, Grant Morrison and How I Met Your Mother! We also talk some very special screenings we’ve attended recently incl...

Ep78: How to write a TV romance? aka Will your ship sink or sail?

Welcome to the Shipping Forecast... We all know the TV tradition that is Will They or Won't They but we want to know how (relation)ships can sink or float a successful series amidst the storm that is television. From Kirk & Spock and Mulder & Scully to Bill Potts & The Pilot to Ross & Rachel, we shine our lovelight onto the TV romances which have worked and those that have sucked the passion out of a series quicker than the words, "We need to talk"... Join us on an oddysey through the tri...

Ep 77: Star Wars - What's the point of prequels?

Having seen Solo: A Star Wars Story recently, we asked ourselves the big question, has there ever been a good prequel? Join us as we take a screenwriters eye to the problem with prequels and even find a newfound respect for A Phantom Menace. From Better Call Saul to Prometheus and from Monsters University to Hannibal, we uncover what works, what doesn't and whether ticking boxes is ever what fans actually want? We also discuss the cancellation of two of our favourite Netflix shows, Love an...

Ep 76: State of the Sitcom - The Serious Side of Sitcoms, with Inside Pop Podcast

State of the Sitcom continues... What happens when the laughs stop? This week the miniseries looks at tears of sadness rather than laughter as we reach episode five. We're joined by @Amita Patel and @Sean David Johnson, the incredibly insightful and enigmatic hosts of Inside Pop Podcast to discuss what happens when sitcoms try to tackle the big issues. Diving deep into some well known moments when things got way too real in our favourite sitcoms, we share the tears, the education and the ...

Ep 75: State of the Sitcom Spaced, with Easy Riders Raging Podcast

State of the Sitcom continues... The miniseries takes a break from stateside sitcoms & brings the focus to a little flat in North London. In our fourth adventure we're joined by @Chris Johnston, the superbly prolific host of Easy Riders Raging Podcast and The Spielberg Pod to discuss the UK cult classic, Spaced. Quoting the show as if we're its main characters, our passion for this unsung slice of comedy fried gold is evident from the start as we break down why it was so important to us, ...

Ep 74: State of the Sitcom - Frasier, with Wine and Crime Podcast

State of the Sitcom continues... We push ever forward in our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to Rick & Morty and everything in between! In this third episode we're joined by @Amanda, @Kenyon & Lucy, the criminally talented hosts of the Wine & Crime podcast to discuss the salad tossing and egg scrambling modern classic, Frasier. Right from the start we get on like a house on fire covering the characters, writing and crepe pan seasoning impact of the show and even ma...

Ep 73: State of the Sitcom - The Cosby Show, with Kobi from Flixwatcher & The Wire Stripped Podcasts

State of the Sitcom continues... We plunge further into our miniseries taking on all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to Rick & Morty and everything in between! In this second episode we're joined by Kobi, the enigmatic co-host of both the FlixWatcher and The Wire Stripped podcasts to discuss the staple of 80s and 90s primetime television, The Cosby Show. We discuss the comedy, scriptwriting and cultural impact of the show in its heyday as well as focussing on the ongoing case against Bill ...

Ep72: State of the Sitcom - Introduction & Animation, with For Film's Sake Podcast

State of the Sitcom has landed! Welcome to our miniseries within our scheduled screenwriting podcast where we take a deep dive into all things sitcom from I Love Lucy to Rick & Morty and everything in between! In this first episode we're joined by Bryan & Chris, the witty & insightful hosts of For Film's Sake and For Writing's Sake podcasts (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/for-films-sake/id1084763473?mt=2) to discuss the animated sitcoms. From The Flintstones to The Simpsons, South Pa...

Ep 71: Writing Sci-Fi - Ready Player One, Annihilation & The X-Files

It's a busy month for Sci-Fi so we thought we'd investigate what makes for good science fiction screenwriting in relation to new releases, classic films from the genre & more. We provide a spolier-free insight into Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, then get spoilerific as we get into Alex Garland's Annihilation and even give our full low down on Season 11 of The X-Files. In addition we discuss our latest music picks and talk about some recent live events we've been to including Dizraeli...

Ep 70: Who Should win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay + Black Panther Review

And the Oscar goes to… The 90th Oscars are set to be groundbreaking for a lot of reasons with #Timesup & #MeToo set to play a big part and the possibility for an Academy Award first if Jordan Peele’s Get Out claims the top spot. We’re delighted to see so much progress (although there’s still a long way to go) being taken by the Oscars and to celebrate we breakdown the nominees for our favourite category, Best Original Screenplay. The nominees include some of our top films of the last 12 m...

Ep 69: Hello 2018

2018 is going to be the shit... Following the political double whammy horsecock which was 2016 & 2017, we're starting out 2018 full of hope, joy & antici.............PATION for what's to come and that's in no small part due to the awesome movie releases coming our way. So in our first episode of the year, join us as we run down what we're excited about and why we're so freakin' excited about it, plus you get to hear us make joyful noises about Black Panther, Lynne Ramsay & much more. Anyt...

Ep 68: Review of 2017

It's easy to feel down about 2017 with hate-fuelled politics, climate change & more but JoJ are here to provide you with some good vibes! The last 12 months have been incredible for pop culture with amazing new music, record-breaking new movies & further proof TV is in its Platinum Age. We also aim to start 2018 with a positive outlook so we pick our top positive takeaways from the last year to try and bring a glimmer of hope to our lives, and hopefully humanity too! Thanks for listening ...

Ep 67: 80s Sci-Fi Nostalgia ft Thor Ragnarok, Bladerunner 2049 & Stranger Things 2

Maybe it's because we have a Tory government or a homophobic, racist tyrant in the White House. Maybe it's because the nature of culture is cyclical. Or maybe it's because we all need a bit of nostalgia right now. Whatever the reason, the 80s are back and they're taking over our screens! Join us as we review and discuss the screenwriting in Bladerunner 2049, Thor: Ragnarok & Netflix's Stranger Things 2 in our 80s Sci-Fi special. We also discuss the Harvey Weinstein criminal investigation, ...

Ep 66: A triptych of fear with The Handmaid's Tale, mother! & IT

To avoid fainting, keep repeating it's only a podcast, it's only a podcast, it's only a podcast... This month, we discuss fear in three recent releases - IT, mother! and The Handmaid's Tale - focusing on screenwriting and the overall impact of each piece. We also have our regular feature, The Empire Writes Back, in which we choose titles from @Empiremagazine Top 100 films (as voted by readers) & discuss the screenwriting and whether the film's are still any good. This month we cover comic ...

Ep 65: Top of the Lake, Defenders, Okja & Spielberg Special

Wow, have we got a jam-packed episode for you this month! We cover movie news, film & TV trailers plus a boat-load of in-depth discussions on new film and TV releases including Top of The Lake, The Defenders and Okja. This episode in our monthly feature - The Empire Writes Back - where we discuss scriptwriting in Empire Magazine's Top 100 Films of All Time, we have a Spielberg Special covering seven of the director's top films. Thanks for listening, JoJ x

Ep 64: Game of Thrones S7 E7 - The Dragon & The Wolf

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 7 of the epic series. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 63: Game of Thrones S7 E6 - Beyond The Wall

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 7 of the epic series. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 62: Game of Thrones S7 E5 - Eastwatch

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 7 of the epic series. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 61: Game of Thrones S7 E4 - The Spoils of War

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 7 of the epic series. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 60: Spider-Man Homecoming, OITNB, Better Call Saul & Citizen Kane

Bumper Episode Alert! We've got a jam-packed podcast for you this month chatting about all things Comic Con, trailers, TV shows and movies! We go back to school and discuss scriptwriting on the "best Spider-Man movie yet" whilst getting deep with new Netflix seasons, Orange is the New Black and Better Call Saul. Finally, we review the classic Citizen Kane as part of our new feature #EmpireWritesBack and announce a very special #WatchwithJoJ for next month. Thanks for listening, JoJ

Ep 59: Game Of Thrones S 7 E3 - The Queen's Justice

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 7 of the epic series. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 58: Game of Thrones S7 E2 - Stormborn

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! @HoBoJoBo & @Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 7 of the epic series. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 57: Game of Thrones S7 E1 - Dragonstone

It's Baaacckkkk!!!! HoBoJoBo & Meerkuts are long term fans of Game of Thrones and so we're pleased to bring you our spoilerific weekly update on the latest episodes for Season 7 of the epic series. We cover the East, West, North & South of Westeros in our weekly minisodes. Join in, let us know your thoughts and how you think the Game of Thrones will end. Valar morghulis x

Ep 56: Surprise Minisode - Watch Along & Game of Thrones news

In this minisode we bring you not one, but TWO JoJCast announcements! Firstly, we have a new feature, that involves YOU! And then we have some Game of Thrones news (not spoilers!) every fan needs to know. It's a quick update, but a juicy one!

Ep 55: Wonder Woman, American Gods, Baby Driver & more

Wow, what a June! We're back after one of the busiest and most culture-filled months in JoJCast history filled with all the G's - Glastonbury 2017, Gorillaz's Demon Dayz festival, Gillian Anderson some 'godlike' TV and films. This month we review and discuss scriptwriting in Wonder Woman, American Gods, House of Cards, Baby Driver and Stefan Saagmeister's documentary, The Happy Film. Stay locked to JoJCast on Twitter and Instagram for a new minisode and podcast feature coming very soon. ...

Ep 54: Guardians of the Galaxy & Master of None

Welcome to the first of our new and improved monthly podcasts exploring writing in film & TV! In this episode we go interstellar with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and explore the beauty of pasta with Aziz Anzari in Netflix's Master of None Season 2. Allora...! Our new JoJCast model will see us focusing on scriptwriting and what writing stands out in different film and TV so we'd love to hear your thoughts on these two and anything else you think was written beautifully, or not so beautif...

Ep 53: Minisode ft. Competition Winner & JoJCast News

WE'RE BACK! Yes, just like Randy Quaid in Independence Day, or The PolterGeist II, we have returned. So before we get fully into Phase 2 of the JCU (JoJCast Universe), here's a little Minisode to tell you exactly what's changed, what remains the same and a little glimpse into some exciting new features. Plus, we unveil the very, very lucky winner of our super, sweet swag competition.... Keep it JCU, x

Ep 52: Women Directors + Logan, Love & 13th Reviews

It took 80+ years for a woman director to be recognised by the Academy and it's now official, women have been systematically discriminated against by Hollywood (www.indiewire.com/2017/02/major-ho…eeoc-1201783475/) Following this research and to celebrate Women's History Month, we look at the issues within the film industry against female directors, discuss our favourite films by women and even list our fantasy female director remakes. As always, please let us know what we've missed or any ...

Ep 51: What's the Soundtrack to your city? + New Music Reviews

Ever heard a song and just felt like it conjured up a specific place for you? Well inspired by an interview with Mura Masa on the Dan Digs radio show & a recent all day rave with Jamie XX in Brixton we decided to explore what makes a certain song, artist or music genre become 'the sound' of a city. We also give out lots of information on our very exciting new competition in which you can win ALL the cool prizes & discuss our entry in the British Podcast Awards. Check it out here: www.briti...

Ep 50: International Women's Day - A Celebration of Women in Music

Happy International Women's Day! In this episode we discuss equality, feminism and why it's important to Be Bold for Change! We also celebrate women's impact in the world of music and list our top five female musicians you SHOULD have heard about. Finally, this episode sees us launch our very first competition in which you can win loads of geektastic treats that we still can't understand why we're giving away. To enter, head to Itunes, subscribe to JoJcast and leave us a review then send u...

Ep 49: Oscars 2017 Reaction + Which film's dystopian future is most likely?

We've no idea why we'd be thinking about the idea of dystopia right now. Nope, nothing comes to mind. Just random, we guess. So we randomly take a look at the array of dystopian futures that have been proposed by cinema over the years and how likely each situation really is. We also discuss the 2017 Oscars and THAT moment, plus mini reviews of Moonlight and Loving. Remember to subscribe and follow JoJCast on Twitter and Instagram @JoJCast. There's still time to join us on our #30daymoviech...

Ep 48: Desert Island Discs at 75 + New Music in 2017

It's the first Pod Sounds episode of 2017!!! We chat the importance of music & culture in these dark times, we discuss our top picks from the latest new music in January 2017 & we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Radio 4's Desert Islands Discs. Let us know your picks for Desert Island Discs in the comments & stay strong people. WE LOVE NEW MUSIC! JoJ Jo's Desert Island Disc playlist - play.spotify.com/user/hobojobohob…3VyhZ8OkMJcB7PsM

Ep 47: Spotlight on Danny Boyle + Oscar Noms

Choose JoJcast. Choose a decent set of headphones. Choose two film geeks chatting about movies and music. To coincide with the release of T2: Trainspotting 2, we shine a spotlight on the films of Danny Boyle and why he's not talked about in the same breath as other major directors of the 90s. Through Shallow Grave to Steve Jobs, we rate our top Boyle films & give shoutouts to The Perfect Podcast, Moviesaurus Rex & Outpost31 podcast along the way... We also discuss the 2017 Oscar noms, the ...

Ep 46: Sherlock's Final Problem + La La Land Review

Ep 45: 2017 - A New Hope

Ep 44: 2016 In Review

Good Riddance to 2016, a year of shit politics, celebrity deaths & further proof that humanity kinda sucks! Aside from all the racism though, 2016 has been quite the belter of the year for pop culture with a string of amazing new albums, genre-bending new songs, fantastic new movies & another feather in the cap of the Golden Age of TV. So strap in, forget all the shit that's happened over the last 12 moths and find out our picks for the best and worst music, movies & TV of 2016. JoJCast

Ep 43: Rogue One - A Star Wars Story Reaction Special

So we saw Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, who wants to touch us!? We will do a full review at a later date but this is a special little treat to give our initial reaction to the new film set in a galaxy far, far away... Let us know your thoughts of the film in the comments & subscribe for more treats throughout 2017.