The Writers Panel - podcast cover

The Writers Panel

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.

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Episodes

THE KNICK's Michael Begler and Jack Amiel

The Knick's Michael Begler and Jack Amiel discuss creating the series, collaborating with director Steven Soderbergh on all 20 episodes, writing about social issues, New York, and more. CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Oct 15, 20151 hr 9 minEp. 227

Jason Rothenberg, Janine Sherman Barrois, Gloria Calderon Kellett, and Zev Borow

Jason Rothenberg (creator, The 100), Janine Sherman Barrois (Criminal Minds; ER), Gloria Calderon Kellett (iZombie; How I Met Your Mother), and Zev Borow (Chuck; lots of legit stuff like The New Yorker and McSweeneys). Recorded September 27, 2015. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL IS A...

Oct 13, 20151 hr 30 minEp. 226

MANHATTAN's Sam Shaw and Thomas Schlamme

Show EP/creator Sam Shaw and EP/director Thomas Schlamme (Sports Night; The West Wing; ER; The Americans) discuss bringing out the show's themes, casting, pitching, and lots more. Season 2 of Manhattan airs Tuesday, October 13, at 9pm on WGN America. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL I...

Oct 10, 20151 hr 10 minEp. 225

Damon Lindelof, Chris Dingess, Noelle Valdivia and Kit Boss

Damon Lindelof (co-creator, Lost, The Leftovers), Chris Dingess (Agent Carter), Noelle Valdivia (Ash Vs the Evil Dead; Manhattan), and Kit Boss (iZombie; Bob’s Burgers). Recorded September 13, 2015. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST https://foreverdogpodcasts.c...

Oct 06, 20151 hr 34 minEp. 224

Marc Guggenheim, Corinne Marshall, Evan Bleiweiss and Laura Valdivia

Marc Guggenheim (co-creator, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow), Corinne Marshall (School of Rock; Surviving Jack; creator, KC Undercover), Evan Bleiweiss (Rosewood; Matador; The Shield), and Laura Valdivia (Hot and Bothered; Weird Loners; Ben & Kate). Recorded August 23, 2015. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWrite...

Sep 29, 20151 hr 31 minEp. 223

Family Men: Masters of the Family Sitcom

Family Men: Masters of the Family Sitcom with Norman Lear (creator of All in The Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, One Day at a Time, Sanford and Son, Good Times, and MORE), Phil Rosenthal (creator of Everybody Loves Raymond), and Steve Levitan (co-creator of Modern Family). LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPane...

Sep 22, 20151 hr 43 minEp. 222

An Animated Career 2

Join us for a lively panel discussion with a very engaged audience on the ups and downs of careers in cartoons between voice actor Jason Spisak (Young Justice), producer/writer/director/artist Shannon Eric Denton (Ultimate Spider-Man) , and writers Heath Corson (Throne of Atlantis), and Adam Beechen (Transformers: Robots In Disguise). Topics include getting started, finding ideas and staying sane. Recorded at Phoenix Comic-Con May 28-31, 2015 LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PL...

Sep 19, 20151 hr 3 minEp. 221

Steven Knight

The creator of Peaky Blinders, The Detectives, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and screenwriter of the upcoming Pawn Sacrifice and World War Z II, as well as Locke, Closed Circuit, Eastern Promises, Dirty Pretty Things, and others discusses his process, structure, telling six-hour stories, collaboration, and more. Pawn Sacrifice is in cinemas tomorrow. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL O...

Sep 15, 201551 minEp. 220

The Leftovers

Writer/creator Damon Lindelof, director/executive producer Mimi Leder, and co-stars Ann Dowd, Chris Eccleston, Carrie Coon discuss the first season of the HBO series and what's coming next. Recorded June 7, 2015 at ATX Television Festival. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL IS A FOREVER...

Sep 08, 20151 hr 1 minEp. 219

“To Adapt Is To Evolve” from ATX Television Festival

Adaptions are hard enough honoring an original vision, satisfying a fan base, and translating characters from one medium (written word or film) to another (episodic television). What if in addition to that, you also had to balance tone, voices, and rhythm? Join a conversation between three unique, powerhouse creators, who have managed to do something beyond adaptation: they have respected the original distinctive worlds and characters, while managing to create something of their own. With Bryan ...

Sep 05, 201559 minEp. 218

“The Buyers” panel from ATX Television Festival

How does a studio or network know whether or not a show is right for them? What happens when multiple executives from different companies want the same series? Hear from a panel of network, cable, and platform executives responsonsible for buying content. These individuals will discuss what makes them unique, as well as, how they form and buy series. Featuring Kathleen McCaffrey (HBO), Ken Segna (Starz), David Sleven (NBC Entertainment), and Grant Gish (20th Century Fox Animation). Moderated by ...

Sep 01, 20151 hrEp. 217

Bunheads/Teachers/Younger panels from ATX Television Festival

First, Bunheads creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and cast members Sutton Foster, Kelly Bishop, and Stacey Oristano discuss the dance sequences, turning points, and character moments that made this Cancelled-Too-Soon series so loved in it's short time on air.Then, Younger star Sutton Foster discusses the hit TVLand sitcom.And finally, Teachers, an upcoming TV Land sit-com based upon the web-series is discussed by showrunners Jay Martel and Ian Roberts (Key & Peele), and writer/creator/actors The...

Aug 30, 20151 hr 57 minEp. 216

The Simpsons from ATX Television Festival

The Simpsons has spanned 27 years. It has shaped many people's childhood, young adolescence, and adulthood, while defining a culture and a medium. Listen to co-creator James L. Brooks, and veteran writers/producers Al Jean, Matt Selman, and David Silverman discuss its long running history and how it has evolved and shifted over three decades. Moderated by James Hibberd (Entertainment Weekly). Recorded June 6, 2015 at ATX. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdo...

Aug 25, 201551 minEp. 215

Justified finale panel from ATX Television Festival

Esquire's Andy Langer chats with writer/creator Graham Yost, writer/producers Dave Andron and Fred Golan, director Jon Avnett, and co-star Nick Searcy (Art Mullen) about ending the brilliant FX series based upon the Elmore Leonard story. Recorded June 6, 2015 at ATX LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE ...

Aug 22, 20151 hr 6 minEp. 214

“Coffee with Amy Sherman-Palladino” from ATX Television Festival

The creator Gilmore Girls and Bunheads joins Entertainment Weekly's Danielle Nussbaum for an intimate conversation about the creation of her shows, writing strong characters and dialogue, and lots more. Recorded June 5, 2015 at ATX Television Festival. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL...

Aug 18, 20151 hr 6 minEp. 213

BAMFest at San Diego Comic Con

Riki Lindhome (co-creator, Another Period; Garfunkel & Oates), Mickey Fisher (creator, Extant), Tad Stones (creator, Darkwing Duck), Ben Edlund (creator, The Tick; Powers; Gotham), Cheryl Heuton (co-creator, Numb3rs), Jenny Klein (Supernatural), Aaron Ginsburg (The 100), Patrick Schumacker (iZombie; co-creator, $#*! My Dad Says). Recorded live at BAMFest in San Diego, July 13, 2015. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN B...

Aug 11, 20151 hrEp. 212

James L. Brooks in conversation with Phil Rosenthal from ATX Television Festival.

James L. Brooks is the writer/director of such seminal films as Terms of Endearment and Broadcast News. In TV, he started in series such as My Mother the Car, That Girl, and The Andy Griffith Show before creating or co-creating a staggering list of shows that changed the entertainment landscape: Room 222, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-offs Rhoda, Phyllis, and Lou Grant, Taxi, and more. He's responsible for shepherding The Tracy Ullman Show and The Simpsons. In this candid conversation w...

Aug 04, 201548 minEp. 211

Halt and Catch Fire

Chris Cantwell and Chris Rogers, creators of AMC's Halt and Catch Fire, discuss telling personal stories in a public medium, writing together, pitching and selling, and more. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/the-writers-...

Aug 01, 20151 hr 5 minEp. 210

ORPHAN BLACK panel from ATX Television Festival

With co-creator Graeme Manson and co-star Kristian Bruun (Donnie). Hosted by Natalie Abrams (Entertainment Weekly). Recorded June 6, 2015 at ATX Television Festival. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/podcasts/the-writers-panel Lea...

Jul 25, 201545 minEp. 209

BONUS EPISODE TV Writers Room from WonderCon

Moderated by Sony Pictures Television's jocular senior VP of drama development & production Chris Parnell, this year's heroic lineup includes Jesse Alexander (Agent X, Heroes, Lost, Hannibal), Michael Narducci (The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Medium), not so savage Steve Holland (The Big Bang Theory), Sarah Watson (Parenthood, About a Boy), Ashley E. Miller (Terminator, Fringe, Andromeda), Steve Melching (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Rebels, Guardians of the Galaxy Animated), Gabrielle Sta...

Jul 23, 201552 minEp. 208

Marta Kauffman

The co-creator of Friends, Grace & Frankie, and Dream On discusses how she runs shows, what she looks for in a room, bringing heart to her shows, working with Netflix, the cultural impact of Friends, and lots more. Recorded June 5, 2015 at ATX Television Festival. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel TH...

Jul 21, 201552 minEp. 207

BONUS EPISODE FX Comedy Night panels from ATX Television Festival

FX Comedy Night panels from ATX Television Festival, June 5, 2015.Married featuring creator Andrew Gurland and stars Nat Faxon, Judy Greer, Brett Gelman, and Sarah Burns; moderated by Ben Blacker; Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll featuring creator/star Denis Leary and stars Elaine Hendrix, Bobby Kelly, Elizabeth Gillies, and John Ales; moderated by Gary Levin (USA Today); You're the Worst featuring creator Stephen Falk and stars Aya Cash, Chris Geere, Desmin Borges, and Kether Donohue; moderated ...

Jul 16, 20151 hr 27 minEp. 206

Chris Carter

Chris Carter, The X-Files creator discusses returning to the franchise he started 24 years ago, pitching and planning the show, mythology and monster-of-the-week episodes, his collaborators, how the room works, and lots more. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST h...

Jul 14, 20151 hr 10 minEp. 205

Neil Cross

Neil Cross, the creator of Luther and Crossbones talks about his beginnings as a novelist, banging his head against the wall, working from Wellington, New Zealand (where this interview was recorded!), learning TV from his first job on BBC's Spooks/MI-5, the fun of writing Doctor Who, and lots more, including comic books, Fox's Luther remake, and how great Idris Elba and Matt Smith are. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BL...

Jul 07, 20151 hr 33 minEp. 204

Kay Cannon

Kay Cannon, the hilarious, charming writer of Pitch Perfect and its sequel talks about her compulsion to write an a capella movie, her six years on 30 Rock, training at various Chicago improv studios, and lots more. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST https://for...

Jun 30, 201558 minEp. 203

BONUS EPISODE: CBS Summer Series Writers from ATX Television Festival

Mickey Fisher (creator, Extant), Joshua Applebaum (co-creator, Zoo), and Adam Stein (Under the Dome) discuss their CBS summer event series, how they started in the business, and lots more. Under the Dome's third season debuted June 25; Zoo premieres June 30; Extant's second season premieres July 1. Recorded June 5, 2015 at ATX Television Festival. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIA...

Jun 27, 201553 minEp. 202

BONUS EPISODE The Devoted Niche vs The Casual Mass panel from ATX Television Festival

What makes an audience valuable? Can a loyal, passionate fan base whose voice is ten times louder than a casual viewer make an impact? That and more are discussed by Phil Rosenthal (creator, Everybody Loves Raymond), Bryan Fuller (creator, Hannibal, Pushing Daisies, Wonder Falls), Noah Hawley (creator, Fargo), and HBO director of development Kathleen McCaffrey. Recorded June 5, 2015 at ATX Television Festival. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.co...

Jun 25, 201554 minEp. 201

BONUS EPISODE from ATX Television Festival

Following an advance screening of the Complications premiere, creator Matt Nix (Burn Notice), writer/producer Michael Horowitz, and stars Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl), Beth Riesgraf (Leverage) discuss the show with Mark Peikert of Backstage Magazine. Recorded at ATX opening night, June 4, 2015. Complications premieres on USA tonight, June 18! PLUS: The original ATX theme song by @BenBlacker & @ToddCooper! LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/...

Jun 18, 201536 minEp. 200

Brannon Braga

Brannon Braga, the co-creator of WGN America's Salem discusses his 15 years in the Star Trek franchise, starting as an intern on The Next Generation, running Voyager, and creating Enterprise, as well as talking candidly about Fox's Terra Nova, getting energized on 24, and lots more. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TV...

Jun 16, 20151 hrEp. 199

COMPLICATIONS' Matt Nix

Matt Nix, the creator of USA's upcoming Complications and Burn Notice returns to talk about his new medical thriller, telling a personal story, changing viewer habits, caring about stories, and making soup. Complications debuts on USA on June 18th. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PANEL IS ...

Jun 09, 20151 hr 4 minEp. 198
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