Podcast
The Writers Panel
Hosted by Ben Blacker · EN
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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
30episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson (It's Not Like That)
3w ago00:45:38Tap to summarizeIan Deitchman and Kristin Robinson (creators, It's Not Like That; Parenthood; Off Campus) discuss telling emotionally driven stories, resurrecting a decade-old pilot as their new show, how the writers' strike benefited the show, how they run their room, and more.Check out SPECTACULAR, a staged reading of a new pilot by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker & Liz Hara about the making of the disastrous Spider-man musical. Starring Ben Feldman (Superstore), Randall Park (WandaVision), Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; Succession), Mireille Enos (For All Mankind), Iman Vellani (Miss Marvel), Melissa Benoist (Supergirl), Gabriel Luna (The Last of Us), Amy Hill (Magnum PI), Demi Adejuyigbe (Dropout), Craig Cackowski (The Pitt), and more.Get tickets to attend live on May 16 or watch on demand!THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Matthew Rosenberg (If Destruction Be Our Lot...)
May 500:44:21Tap to summarizeComic book writer Matthew Rosenberg (If Destruction Be Our Lot...; 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank; Spawn) discusses co-writing with his brother, comics as a "dirtbag medium," the upcoming 4 Kids... film adaptation, story problems presented by an animatronic Abraham Lincoln, and lots more.Check out SPECTACULAR, a staged reading of a new pilot by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker & Liz Hara about the making of the disastrous Spider-man musical. Starring Ben Feldman (Superstore), Randall Park (WandaVision), Alan Ruck (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; Succession), Mireille Enos (For All Mankind), Iman Vellani (Miss Marvel), Melissa Benoist (Supergirl), Gabriel Luna (The Last of Us), Amy Hill (Magnum PI), Demi Adejuyigbe (Dropout), Craig Cackowski (The Pitt), and more.Get tickets to attend live on May 16 or watch on demand!THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Chandler Levack (Mile End Kicks)
Apr 2100:41:23Tap to summarizeWriter/director Chandler Levack (Mile End Kicks; Roommates; I Like Movies) discusses how her first script became her second movie, revisiting Mile End Kicks after shooting I Like Movies, loving stage directions, music in movies, and lots more.Check out SPECTACULAR, a staged reading of a new pilot by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker & Liz Hara about the making of the disastrous Spider-man musical. Check out the Dynasty Typewriter Theater website for tickets. If they're not up yet, they will be soon!THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →BritaNick (Pizza Movie)
Apr 1400:53:25Tap to summarizeWriters/directors Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher (Pizza Movie; Over Your Dead Body) discuss their comedy sketch roots as "BritaNick" and what that represents, writing scripts that wouldn't be made, editing themselves, how to interact with the people paying you to write, why Pizza Movie is the perfect BritaNick movie debut, and more.Some fun events coming up!On Sunday, April 19, 2-4pm, is a live Dead Pilots Society featuring scripts by Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island; The Other Two) and an adaptation of the Valley Heat podcast by its creator Christian Duguay (Mad TV). Cast includes Mitra Jouhari (Big Mouth), Poppy Liu (Hacks), and stand-ups Beth Stelling, Matt Braunger, Chris Garcia, Demorge Brown, Kevin Camea, Emily Maya Mills, Mike O’Connell, and more!Also on Sunday April 19, at 5pm, Ben Blacker is directing a very fun one-person show by actress Katherine Bourne Taylor. Bellingham Bay is for fans of classic WB and CW shows, warm Canadian TV romances, and people who live in their heads.THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →BenDavid Grabinski (Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice)
Apr 700:52:36Tap to summarizeWriter/director BenDavid Grabinski (Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice; Scott Pilgrim Takes Off; Happily) discusses getting caught in the current of his career, runs of bad luck, runs of good luck, perseverance, tips for writing an easy-to-read script, making hamburgers, and more.Some fun events coming up!If you're in New Orleans this week, Ben is at the Overlook Film Festival on a panel called "Fear Factors: Alt-Horror Experiences" in which he'll discuss writing and producing The Thrilling Adventure Hour, his horror comic Hex Wives, and more! It's on Friday. April 10 at 2:30pm.On Sunday, April 19, 2-4pm, is a live Dead Pilots Society featuring scripts by Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island; The Other Two) and an adaptation of the Valley Heat podcast by its creator Christian Duguay (Mad TV). Cast includes Mitra Jouhari (Big Mouth), Poppy Liu (Hacks), and stand-ups Beth Stelling, Matt Braunger, Chris Garcia, Demorge Brown, Kevin Camea, Emily Maya Mills, Mike O’Connell, and more!Also on Sunday April 19, at 5pm, Ben Blacker is directing a very fun one-person show by actress Katherine Bourne Taylor. Bellingham Bay is for fans of classic WB and CW shows, warm Canadian TV romances, and people who live in their heads.THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Colby Day (In the Blink of an Eye)
Mar 1700:43:35Tap to summarizeColby Day (In the Blink of an Eye; Spaceman) discusses assurance in writing and business, learning by making, writing impossible-to-execute ideas, receiving notes, and more.A couple of fun shows coming up that you can attend in LA or stream from anywhere! On Saturday March 28, 8:30pm, and Sunday April 19, 5pm, Ben Blacker is directing a very fun one-person show by actress Katherine Bourne Taylor. Bellingham Bay is for fans of classic WB and CW shows, warm Canadian TV romances, and people who live in their heads. Also on Sunday, April 19, 2-4pm, is a live Dead Pilots Society featuring scripts by Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island; The Other Two) and an adaptation of the Valley Heat podcast by its creator Christian Duguay (Mad TV).THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Hello Sunshine's Lauren Neustadter
Mar 300:34:24Tap to summarizeProducer Lauren Neustadter, President of Film and Television at Hello Sunshine, discusses building a brand from the ground up, meeting a tumultuous marketplace with optimism, the best way to present your material to buyers, her love of reading and writers, and more.THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Rachel Shukert (The Burbs)
Feb 1800:43:10Tap to summarizeRachel Shukert (The Burbs; creator, The Baby-Sitters Club; The Handmaid's Tale) returns to discuss relearning to write to act breaks, why mysteries are so hard to crack, finding the heart of The Burbs, dreams of the Golden Girls house, and more.THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Feb 1000:52:33Tap to summarizeStar Trek: Starfleet Academy co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman (creator, Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; Mission Impossible III) and Noga Landau (creator, Nancy Drew and Tom Swift; The Magicians) discuss meeting for the first time, what each looks for in a collaborator, story from the inside out, learning storytelling through Trek, the special sauce of Starfleet Academy, how the strike helped season 1, mastering craft through watching, reading, and listening, and more.THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Alex Russell (Lurker; Beef)
Feb 300:33:55Tap to summarizeWriter/director Alex Russell (Lurker; The Bear; Beef) discusses why he directed his own script, writing the unspoken, an apt metaphor for discovering story, his Frankenstein approach to outlining, and more.THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION.Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →