Podcast
Dead Pilots Society
Hosted by Ben Blacker and Andrew Reich · EN
In 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).
25episodes
Episodes
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Episode 201: Christian Duguay Interview
2w ago01:08:23Tap to summarizeEpisode 201: Christian Duguay Interview This is the After Show for Valley Heat, featuring Andrew’s interview with creator Christian Duguay. A longtime admirer of Valley Heat, Andrew finally gets the chance to sit down with Christian for a conversation about the unusual path that led to the creation of the podcast. Unlike many guests on the show, Christian didn’t come up through traditional TV comedy writing. Rather than climbing through sitcom writers’ rooms, his background includes music, improv at The Groundlings, and years working in reality television before eventually creating the suburban world of Valley Heat. The conversation explores how the podcast first came together, the trial and error involved in finding its voice, and the meticulous process behind creating each episode. Christian also talks about the challenge of adapting such a specifically audio-based comedy into a visual format. It’s a funny and wide-ranging conversation about creativity, persistence, and making something completely its own thing. Save the date for the next live Dead Pilots Society show at the Elysian Theater on July 12. We will have more info and a link for tickets soon. Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
Transcribe →Episode 200: Valley Heat by Christian Duguay
3w ago00:52:10Tap to summarizeEpisode 200: Valley Heat by Christian Duguay This month marks the 200th episode of Dead Pilots Society, which feels like a real milestone for a show that requires considerably more coordination than a couple of people just turning on microphones and talking. Every pilot episode means finding a pilot, assembling a cast, and putting together a live reading, so reaching 200 episodes feels genuinely significant. While this is the show’s 200th episode, it’s also the 118th dead pilot the podcast has brought to life so far. For the occasion, we wanted something special, and this month’s pilot more than fits the bill: Valley Heat, written by Christian Duguay. Andrew has previously called Valley Heat (another Maximum Fun show) one of the greatest achievements in podcasting, and after connecting with Christian last year, learned that a pilot version of the podcast existed. After much persistence, Dead Pilots Society finally got the chance to stage it live at the Elysian Theater. Set in Burbank’s Rancho Equestrian neighborhood, Valley Heat captures the bizarre rhythms of suburban life in a way that’s both deeply specific and completely unhinged. For anyone discovering Valley Heat for the first time, this episode may be the perfect introduction. The live reading also features many of the recognizable voices from the original podcast appearing onstage in person, making for a uniquely surreal experience. The cast includes: Christian Duguay (Plantman & Blondie, The Dress Up Gang), Kevin CamIa (Fallout), Mike O'Connell (DTF St Louis, Patriot), Merrill Davis (Comics Unleashed, Time Out Comics to Watch), Emily Maya Mills (Key and Peele, Orange is the new Black), Matt Braunger (stand up), Chris Garcia (WTF, This American Life, Scattered), Beth Stelling (Netflix, HBO Max comedy), DeMorge Brown (Destroy All Neighbors) Video of the live table read is available exclusively to Maximum Fun members. Become a member for as little as $5 a month at maximumfun.org/join. And don’t forget to check out Andrew’s documentary Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story at https://www.reddkrossfilm.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
Transcribe →Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 1
May 100:07:25Tap to summarizeBonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 1 As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you’re getting the best of the best. The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
Transcribe →Episode 199: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Interview Part Two
Apr 3001:05:09Tap to summarizeEpisode 199: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Interview Part Two This is the After Show for Gimme Five, featuring part two of Andrew’s conversation with Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, creators of How I Met Your Mother. The discussion digs into the real-life inspiration behind Gimme Five, a project shaped as much by nostalgia as it is by firsthand experience. Carter and Craig reflect on the writers’ rooms that shaped the pilot, and the kind of shared comedy culture that gets handed down over time, something that now feels increasingly rare. The conversation is loose, funny, and occasionally thoughtful, touching on collaboration, process, and what makes a great room work. Dead Pilots Society is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
Transcribe →Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 2
Apr 2900:13:24Tap to summarizeBonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 2 As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you’re getting the best of the best. The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
Transcribe →Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 3
Apr 2800:06:25Tap to summarizeBonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 3 As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you’re getting the best of the best. The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
Transcribe →Episode 198: Gimme Five by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas
Apr 2700:55:30Tap to summarizeEpisode 198: Gimme Five by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas This month’s second dead pilot from Carter Bays and Craig Thomas is Gimme Five. Best known as the co-creators and longtime showrunners of How I Met Your Mother, Carter and Craig previously wrote for The Late Show with David Letterman and produced American Dad. They co-wrote this pilot with legendary writer Peter Tolan, whose credits include The Larry Sanders Show, Rescue Me, Analyze This, Analyze That, and many more. Here's the log line. It's 1985, and Gimme Five is the number two family sitcom in America. But behind the scenes of this feel-good show is a dysfunctional workplace family on the verge of self-destruction. Showrunner Cliff McConnell must somehow keep it together and keep being funny in the midst of his newborn son's health crisis. Sharp, outrageous, and wildly funny, Gimme Five gives a behind-the-scenes look at comedy writing that feels both absurd and strangely authentic. It may also be one of the funniest pilots ever featured on the podcast. Major content Warning, definitely think twice about listening to this one with small children in the room. You may hear something that offends you early on in this pilot, but please stick with it. Stay tuned for part two of Andrew’s Interview with Carter and Craig, in your feed April 30th. Our cast for the show includes Taran Killam (SNL, High Potential, Stumble), Chris Diamantopoulos (Beavis and Butthead, Silicon Valley), Scott Foley (Scandal, Scream 7), Dallas Goldtooth (Reservation Dogs), Tami Sagher (Inside Amy Schumer), Chris DiStefano (stand up), James Urbaniak (Venture Brothers), Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time, Shrinking), Cyrina Fiallo (High Potential, 911 Lonestar), Alyssa Limperis (What We Do In the Shadows), Burl Moseley (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) Dead Pilots Society is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
Transcribe →Episode 197: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Interview
Apr 2501:13:29Tap to summarizeEpisode 197: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Interview This is the After Show for New York Mythological, featuring Andrew’s conversation with Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, creators of How I Met Your Mother. As part of this MaxFunDrive run, Dead Pilots Society is featuring two pilots from Carter and Craig. In a few days, the second one, Gimme Five, will be released, followed by part two of Andrew’s interview with them. The conversation gets into the real origins of How I Met Your Mother, the experiences, influences, and unexpected ingredients that eventually became the show. Carter and Craig also talk about the years before that success, and the many turns a writing career can take along the way. It’s a funny, candid conversation about writing, setbacks, success, and the odd resilience it takes to keep making things. Here is a link to "The Future is Now”, Oliver Beene theme song by Carter and Craig’s band “The Solids” Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
Transcribe →Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 4
Apr 2300:07:31Tap to summarizeBonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 4 As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you’re getting the best of the best. The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
Transcribe →Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 5
Apr 2200:15:41Tap to summarizeBonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 5 As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you’re getting the best of the best. The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots
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