In Andrew's interview, Sally talks about how going to hear Jimmy Burrows speak at her college changed the direction of her life, her rise from PA to writer on the original Will & Grace , and why REVIVAL was truly "the one that got away." This is a great interview with lots of golden nuggets about show business! Enjoy REVIVAL stars Will Forte as Elliot, Kelly Marie Tran as Jenny, John C. McGinley as Cal Keating, Larry Wilmore as Sam Fishkin, Mimi Kennedy as Veronica, Anna Camp as Female Host/Alic...
May 14, 2020•2 hr 31 min•Ep. 49
We have more laughs for you this month! Our dead pilot is Eight from Alison Bennett ( You're The Worst, Single Parents ). After a whirlwind romance that resulted in a baby and a wedding (in that order), children of divorce Jillian and Trevor attempt to carve out their own family’s identity, with eight grandparents there to offer eight million different opinions. In Andrew's interview, Alison talks about her humble beginnings at UCB New York and how she got her first job on one of Amazon's first ...
Apr 16, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 48
You probably need some laughs more than ever, and we can definitely provide them with this month's episode. Our dead pilot is Eternally Yours from Joe Port & Joe Wiseman (The Office, New Girl), about a family of normal looking but emotionally closed off, stuck-together-for-eternity vampires. If you think there's no fresh spins left in the vampire genre, you need to listen to this one. In Andrew's interview, you’ll hear about Joe & Joe's first show business gigs, including the insane, no-longer e...
Mar 17, 2020•2 hr 32 min•Ep. 47
Our episode this month is Training Room from Brig Muñoz-Liebowitz ( People of Earth, Brooklyn Nine-Nine ). Jamie (played by Brooklyn Nine-Nine 's Melissa Fumero), the female physiotherapist for a men's pro soccer team, has always been a guys' girl. But when the team acquires a new star player who challenges Jamie's place on the team, Jamie is forced to seek support from a group of coworkers she's always avoided: the other women. Training Room was produced with Greg Berlanti and former profession...
Feb 06, 2020•2 hr 43 min•Ep. 46
We’re kicking off 2020 with another true insider look at how television gets made! Andrew sat down with seasoned television executive, Samie Falvey. Samie spent many years as Head of Comedy at ABC, where she played a huge role in developing shows like Black-ish, Fresh Off The Boat and The Goldbergs. She is now on the selling side as Chairman at Imagine Television. In this interview, you’ll hear her speak openly about running a network comedy department… what it was like to hear David Caspe pitch...
Jan 09, 2020•59 min•Ep. 45
This month’s pilot is a mock rockumentary, or, as we like to say, a mrockumentary . It's called "Whatever Happened to... Gigi’s Pants" and it's written by Jennifer Crittenden & Gabrielle Allan ( Veep, Divorce) . After twenty years of bad blood, a super cool girl band from the nineties, Gigi’s Pants, tries to reunite despite the fact that they are no longer girls and no longer cool. Andrew sat down with Jen and Gaby to discuss how seeing the drummer of The Go-Go's wearing sweatpants at a reunion ...
Dec 05, 2019•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 44
This month’s dead pilot is over ten years in the making. It’s called The Rich Inner Life of Penelope Cloud and was written by Jeff Greenstein (Will & Grace, Parenthood, Desperate Housewives) . The story centers around Penelope Cloud, a woman who who has been struggling for 15 years to deliver the follow-up to her celebrated first novel. In that time, she's become dependent on a cocktail of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications to get through the day. The story begins when Penelope, despe...
Oct 24, 2019•2 hr 36 min•Ep. 43
We're back to business as usual in this month's Dead Pilots Society episode. Our dead pilot is Sterling , written by Dan Sterling ( The Sarah Silverman Program, The Office, Girls, South Park, The Interview, Long Shot). Sterling is about a TV news producer whose life is turned upside down when he is paired up with a beautiful, loose-cannon reporter. Andrew sat down with Dan to talk about his impressive career: Getting the job running The Daily Show after hitting it off with Jon Stewart at a Comed...
Sep 26, 2019•2 hr 40 min•Ep. 42
No dead pilot this month, but we have something special instead! On this episode we get to hear a network executive's side of the story. Andrew sat down with television comedy executive, Jamila Hunter. Jamila was the Senior Vice President of ABC Comedy before leaving to head up Kenya Barris's production company at Netflix. In this interview, you'll hear her speak openly about running a network comedy department... What it's like to hear 10 to 12 comedy pitches every single day for months...The n...
Aug 29, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 41
Our pilot this time is Small Town Love by Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern ( Trophy Wife, Booksmart ). Small Town Love is about a sparring mother and daughter in rural Michigan who are forced to lean on each other when they become pregnant at the same time. Listen to Andrew’s interview with Sarah and Emily to hear about how the first script they wrote together, Booksmart , took eleven years to reach the screen; what Emily learned from working with David Mamet; why they made the transition from fi...
Jul 25, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 40
This week’s episode is called Lenny’s Doing Great and His Family’s Terrific written by Alex Cuthbertson & Matt Fusfeld ( New Girl, Community ). The log-line for this one one goes something like: a young man who’s been helicopter-parented within an inch of his life reconnects with his selfish, absentee grandfather—in the process bringing an estranged family back together in ways no one wanted, but everyone needed. Listen to Andrew’s interview with Alex and Matt for a fun conversation about their ...
Jun 27, 2019•2 hr 54 min•Ep. 39
Our pilot this month is called Sexy Justice and it’s written by Johanna Stein. Johanna has written on many TV shows including Kung Fu Panda , Jaws of Destiny and so many more! She’s also the author of the novel How Not to Calm a Child on a Plane . Sexy Justice is a 1/2 hour cop show comedy featuring a pair of sizzlingly sexy female undercover cops on the streets of Los Angeles in its prime: the early 80’s. Think “Cagney & Lacey” meets “Charlie’s Angels”, and put through an “Archer” blender on hi...
May 23, 2019•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 38
Yogurt World stars Britt Lower as Audrey Mills, Danny Pudi as Chris, Amanda Lund as Lisa Hewitt, Brad Morris as Bucky Simmons, David Walton as Seph, Andy Ridings as Vet/Guy #2/Newscaster/7-11 Employee, Ethan Peck as Guy #1/Chuck/Tough Guy, Keiko Agena as Hot Girl, and Andrew Reich with stage directions. This month's episode is from the great Colleen McGuinness! Colleen has written on 30 Rock , Friends From College , and Forever . Her pilot is called Yogurt World . It centers around a woman who w...
Apr 25, 2019•2 hr 34 min•Ep. 37
This month's episode was recorded live at SF Sketchfest 2019 and it’s Andrew's all-time favorite of his own dead pilots. Inspired by his own mother, "Pearl" tells the story of a woman who receives a diagnosis of terminal cancer, and decides to use the time she has remaining to orchestrate the lives of her loved ones to her liking. Our cast for this one was incredible: Julia Duffy as Pearl, Tony Hale as Billy, Alice Wetterlund as Olivia, Craig Cackowski as Kurt, Atsuko Okatsuka as Sara, Lucy Davi...
Mar 18, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 36
This month’s episode is called The Recent Calls of Annabel Phipps written by Billy Finnegan (Grace & Frankie). It's an unconventional romantic comedy where Girl meets Boy, Boy very much doesn’t notice. Girl meets bus, Boy notices… sort of. Stay tuned after the table read for Andrew’s interview with Billy. Billy discusses his early transition from New York playwright to LA comedy writer, the development process of Annabel Phipps , and soooo much more. Enjoy! Our cast was Noel Wells as Annabel, Et...
Feb 28, 2019•2 hr 30 min•Ep. 35
Our dead pilot this month is Birthright written by Joel Kim Booster (Comedy Central, Conan). We recorded this one live from SF Sketchfest! Birthright is based in part on Joel’s real life. This outrageous and raw pilot centers on Joel Miller. Adopted by white, Midwestern evangelical parents, Joel "knew he was gay before he knew he was Asian". When he has a falling out with his adoptive parents, he goes in search of his birth mother. He assumes she is in Korea, but finds that the truth is way more...
Jan 31, 2019•50 min•Ep. 34
Our dead pilot this month is called American Alien written by Sierra Teller Ornelas ( Superstore, Happy Endings ). We recorded this one live from The USC Comedy Festival! American Alien centers around Denise “Dee Dee” and Sonny Mendoza, a small-town brother-and-sister team who struggle to keep their working-class jobs while also protecting vulnerable space aliens from everyday pitfalls in their hometown of Tucson, Arizona. We had a great cast for this one including Kaliko Kauhi as Dee Dee, Dusti...
Dec 20, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 33
Our dead pilot this month is The Prince by Mehar Sethi ( It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia , Bojack Horseman ). When Dave Whitney, a ruthless corporate fixer in Texas, is passed over for a promotion in his family's oil business, he decides to take the whole company down. Mehar describes it as "What if Karl Rove worked for Greenpeace?" We had a great cast for this one including Glenn Howerton as Dave Whitney, Brad Neely as Charles Whitney, Mamie Gummer as Molly, Scott MacArthur as State Senator/R...
Nov 29, 2018•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 32
Our dead pilot this month was written by Brian Gallivan ( The McCarthy’s, Happy Endings ). It’s called Mr. Joyce’s Opus and it centers around Chuck Joyce, a catholic school teacher, who decides to throw out his curriculum to connect with his students despite the fact that his students are horrible little monsters. Andrew interviews Brian regarding his dead pilot and you’ll also listen to a live table read of Mr. Joyce’s Opus , performed by some of today's funniest comedic actors. We had a great ...
Oct 25, 2018•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 31
Our pilot this month is so great and so special! It’s written by Morgan Murphy ( 2 Broke Girls, Jimmy Kimmel Live ) and it’s called Talk Nerdy to Me . The log line for this one is a squad of four dorky but brilliant women sharing a house in Venice, CA deal with VR porn, leaky rowboats, people urinating while rollerblading, and other facts of life in Silicon Beach. We had a great cast for this one including Lauren Lapkus as Harper, Kirby Howell Baptiste as Maddie, Elizabeth Ho as Ruth, Aparna Nan...
Sep 27, 2018•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 30
This month’s pilot is hilarious! It's written by Justin Halpern & Patrick Schumacker ( Powerless , S#*! My Dad Said ). It’s called Suspended and it centers around an honors English Literature teacher accustomed to teaching the best and brightest who winds up being put in charge of a bunch of students in in-school suspension. We had a great cast for this one including Matt Jones as Paul, Phil Lamarr as Principal Wendell, Carrie Wampler as Claudia, Kira Kosarin as Cayley, Ayden Mayeri as Diana, Jo...
Aug 23, 2018•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 29
This month’s pilot is a special one written by the great Jenji Kohan! Jenji created Weeds , Orange is the New Black , and is the executive producer of the new hit Netflix series Glow . Her pilot this week is called Gold and it’s about a divorce lawyer named Bobby Gold and the volatile marriages he’s paid to break up. We had such a fun cast for this one including Weeds star Justin Kirk as Bobby Gold, Lauren Lindsey Donzis as Gabby, John Gemberling as Judah Bloom, Yael Groblgas as Suzy Haven, Matt...
Jul 26, 2018•43 min•Ep. 28
This month’s pilot is a special one written by Caroline Williams! It’s called Rob 5000 and it’s about two girls who buy a robot boyfriend and the chaos that ensues. We had such a fun cast for this one including Ayden Mayeri as Brenda, Yael Grobglas as Dani, Jason Ritter as Rob5000, Carlos Alazraqui as Ivan/Acting Teacher, Justin Kirk as Richard, Carrie Wampler as Jen/Linda’s Refrigerator/Angry Woman, Lauren Holt as Kath, Liz Cackowski as Connie/The Lady/Linda, John Gemberling as Todd/Sloppy Guy/...
Jun 28, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 27
Adulting stars Jessica Rothe as Penny, Scott Michael Foster as Matt, Lucas Neff as Gil, Katelyn Tarver as Ruth, Toni Trucks as Sabine, Jamie Denbo as Faye, Hank Chen as Dave/Cop #1, Marc Evan Jackson as Frandon, Ayden Mayeri as Colleen/Lady/Cop #2/Clerk, and Andrew Reich with stage directions. In this episode, Andrew Reich interviews Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein ( Never Been Kissed ; He’s Just Not That Into You ) regarding their dead pilot, Adulting. You'll also listen to a live table read of Ad...
May 31, 2018•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 26
Airport Marriott stars Jason Ritter as Adam Finn, Toni Trucks as Jamie, Scott Michael Foster as Guy in Toilet/Jose/T1 Guy/Royce, Jessica Rothe as Erin, Brendan Hines as Karl, Hank Chen as Rudy, Marc Evan Jackson as Rick Parkman, Jamie Denbo as Yelena, Lucas Neff as Donald, Ayden Mayeri as Sasha Marriott, and Andrew Reich with stage directions. In this episode, Andrew Reich interviews Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi ( The Invitation; Ride Along ) regarding their dead pilot, Airport Marriott. You'll also...
May 03, 2018•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 25
Totally Laime stars Ayden Mayeri as Molly, Jason Ritter as Andy, Jamie Denbo as Molly’s Mom/Gate Agent/Pilot, Toni Trucks as Kendall/Yvette, Lucas Neff as Burditt, Scott Michael Foster as BDT, Brendan Hines as Julian, Marc Evan Jackson as Waiter/Mountain Man Dude, Katelyn Tarver as Wendy, Nola Bowie as 11 year old Molly, and Andrew Reich with stage directions. In this episode, Ben Blacker interviews Elizabeth Laime (Totally Laime; Totally Married; Totally Mommy) regarding her dead pilot, Totally...
Apr 03, 2018•58 min•Ep. 24
The Money Pit stars Ben Feldman as Walter, Felicia Day as Anna, Steve Agee as Benny, Natalie Morales as Margot, Jenny Wade as Realtor, Mark McConville as Furniture delivery man, Jason Ritter as Restaurant delivery man, Khary Payton as Noel, and Andrew Reich with stage directions. In this episode, Ben Blacker interviews Justin Spitzer (Superstore, The Office) regarding his dead pilot, The Money Pit. You'll also listen to a live table read of The Money Pit , performed by some of today's funniest c...
Mar 08, 2018•54 min•Ep. 23
Red State Blue State stars Dave Koechner as Billy, Busy Philipps as Janie, Baron Vaughn as Evan, Michaela Watkins as Wendy, Marcus Scribner as Oliver, Mikey Madison as Courtney, Craig Cackowski as Teddy, Sujata Day as Customer/Student/Elderly Woman, Joel Spence as Dr. Howard Lean, and Andrew Reich with stage directions. In this episode, Ben Blacker interviews Adam McKay (The Big Short, Anchorman) regarding the dead pilot he wrote with Chris Henchy ( The Other Guys, Daddy’s Home) called, Red Stat...
Feb 08, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 22
The Doulo stars Adam Savage as Mal, Joshua Malina as Doctor/Guy/Man in Suit 1, John Ross Bowie as Paul, Janet Varney as Chrissy/Waitress, John Roderick as Colin, Hal Lublin as Ezekiel/Man in Suit 2, Mark Gagliardi as Mitch, Karen Smith-McGlynn as Teacher/Fanny/Monica, and Andrew Reich with stage directions. In this episode, Ben Blacker interviews Andrew Reich (Friends, Dead Pilots Society Creator) regarding a dead pilot he co-wrote with Ted Cohen called The Doulo. You'll also listen to a live ta...
Jan 11, 2018•49 min•Ep. 21
Jetpackula stars Patton Oswalt as Ben, Tony Hale as Jetpackula, Constance Wu as Megan/Receptionist, Rob Schrab as Dr. Veratu, Mel Rodriguez as Luis/Defenestrator/Announcer/Trent, John Owen Lowe as Jonah, Sujata Day as Future Moo Cow/Susan/Della, Joel Spence as Farmer/Living Scarecrow/Vampresident Martin, and Andrew Reich with stage directions. In this episode, Andrew Reich and Ben Blacker interview Rob Schrab (The Sarah Silverman Program) regarding his dead pilot, Jetpackula. You'll also listen ...
Dec 14, 2017•59 min•Ep. 20
