This 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. You...
Jan 26, 2024•54 min•Ep. 138
This 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 (College Humor),...
Jan 19, 2024•45 min•Ep. 137
This 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-camer...
Dec 29, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 136
This 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 (Wanderlust), Pa...
Dec 21, 2023•57 min•Ep. 135
Andrew 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 writ...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 134
This 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 at CBS...
Nov 24, 2023•43 min•Ep. 133
We 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 haven’t ...
Oct 26, 2023•53 min•Ep. 132
This 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 Killa...
Oct 19, 2023•46 min•Ep. 131
We 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 important ...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 130
Another 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 pilots th...
Sep 21, 2023•50 min•Ep. 129
This 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 somethi...
Aug 31, 2023•53 min•Ep. 128
This 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 real la...
Aug 24, 2023•49 min•Ep. 127
We 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 they ...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 126
You 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, Sarah R...
Jul 27, 2023•48 min•Ep. 125
We 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 and i...
Jul 20, 2023•56 min•Ep. 124
Grit 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. (If ...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 123
This 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 fami...
Jun 23, 2023•47 min•Ep. 122
We 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 their ...
May 25, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 121
Our 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 his...
May 18, 2023•48 min•Ep. 120
We 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 abo...
Apr 27, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 119
Our 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 then...
Apr 20, 2023•51 min•Ep. 118
There’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 Fun...
Mar 30, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 117
It’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 Rose...
Mar 27, 2023•50 min•Ep. 116
It’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 embroiled in...
Mar 23, 2023•54 min•Ep. 115
It’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 was so...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 114
The 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 and...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 113
We’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 wer...
Feb 16, 2023•47 min•Ep. 112
Steve 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 exp...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 111
We’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 set u...
Jan 19, 2023•55 min•Ep. 110
This 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 stories ...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 109
