Javier Grillo-Marxuach (creator, The Middleman), Robia Rashid (creator, Atypical), Liz Tigelaar (creator, Life Unexpected), and David Hudgins (Parenthood) discuss storylines they’ve created or by happenstance been assigned to that have mirrored parts of their own lives, how they walked the line between truth and fiction, and how they personally tackled subjects that might be a little too close to home. Moderated by Natalie Abrams (Entertainment Weekly).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 9, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Recorded March 22, 2018, at the Skirball Cultural Center as part of the “Writers Bloc Presents” series.

For more terrific live writers events visits http://writersblocpresents.com

Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, writers of Chappaquiddick, discuss their motivation for writing about Ted Kennedy's 1969 scandal, finding characters in well knows personalities, and more.

The writer/director of The Last Movie Star discusses his lifelong quest to work with Burt Reynolds, his past credits including Mousehunt and Knucklehead, his process, and more.

Developer/showrunner David Kajganich (A Bigger Splash; True Story) and showrunner Soo Hugh (creator, The Whispers; The Killing) chat about their new AMC show, a cold thriller called The Terror. They discuss balancing various tones, a character-first storytelling technique, and lots more. The Terror premieres on AMC on March 26.

Catching up with comics writer Gerry Duggan (Deadpool), whose new Image title Analog comes out April 4. Check it out!

From ATX: Michael Rauch (creator, Royal Pains), Mitchell Burgess & Robin Green (creators, Blue Bloods), David Hudgins (Friday Night Lights), Paul Garnes (Queen Sugar), and Anna Fricke (Everwood) discuss the process of shaping familial relationships on TV, how they are inherently complicated, and why they believe week after week (or all at once) audiences invest in the struggles, successes, and tragedies of these fictional families.

Moderated by Sarah Rodman (LA Times).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 9, 2017. Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Kayla Alpert (Code Black; Sweet Valley High); Leila Cohan-Miccio (Santa Clarita Diet; Awkward); Dwayne Johnson-Cochran (Heist 88).

As the TV landscape changes, each network grapples to find its own place on the spectrum. Kathleen McCaffrey (HBO), Grant Gish (Marvel), and Karey Burke (Freeform) discuss their respective programming ethos’ and how their competition’s successes and failures inform the direction they lead their networks.

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 10, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Andrew Reich (Friends; Netflix's Rev Run show) Kenny Smith (black-ish; The Game); Rebecca Cutter (Gotham; The Mentalist).

Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award nominees for The Disaster Artist, Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, dig deep on their process, offer valuable advice about choosing what to write, discuss their past projects including their breakthrough script for (500) Days of Summer and their John Green adaptations The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns.

Javier Grillo-Marxuach (creator, The Middleman), Michael Rauch (creator, Royal Pains), Julie Plec (creator, The Vampire Diaries), Beau Willimon (creator, House of Cards), Liz Tigelaar (Casual), and Paul Garnes (Queen Sugar) discuss approaching their art as both an outlet and a tool, how (or if) they plan to write for fans that might not agree with them, and where the responsibility of an artist lies in a divided world. Moderated by Michael Schneider (IndieWire). Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 9, 2017. Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

New writer Liz Hara returns! When last we left Liz, she'd moved to LA from New York to work on Life In Pieces. She's still on staff on the CBS sit-com and shares stories about growing more comfortable in the writers' room, discovering how the show works and ticks, and more.

Holly Sorensen (Step Up: High Water; creator, Make It Or Break It); Nick Antosca (creator, Channel Zero); Stacy Rukeyser (Unreal; One Tree Hill)

Co-creator/showrunner Peter Gould and writers Thomas Schnauz, Gennifer Hutchison, Gordon Smith, Ann Cherkis, and Heather Marion discuss the third season of the AMC series, bringing back (introducing?) Gus Fring, their process and the show's depictions of process, turning Jimmy into Saul, and what comes next.

Head writer Shelly Altman and co-head writer Chris Van Etten of the long-running (55 years and counting!) daytime soap opera are joined by GH super-fan Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (The Carmichael Show; LA>Vegas) to discuss the nuts and bolts of writing a daily hour-long drama. 

John Shiban (Shut Eye; The X-Files; Breaking Bad); CeCe Pleasants (Bill Nye Saves the World; Jimmy Kimmel Live!); Liz Hannah (The Post)

Show creator Jeremy Slater (The Umbrella Academy) and co-showrunner Sean Crouch (Numb3rs) discuss the Fox series' second season, horror on network TV, capturing the feel of both the original film and William Peter Blatty's book, and more. The season finale of The Exorcist is December 15 on Fox. You can catch up on the show on Hulu! It's worth it!

Writer Josh Schwartz is the creator of The OC, Chuck, Gossip Girl, and more. Fake Empire, his production company with partner Stephanie Savage, is behind Hulu's Runaways, CW's Dynasty and Hart of Dixie, and many other TV shows and films. Josh and Stephanie discuss their successes and failures, how writing is like producing and how it isn't, bringing Runaways to the screen, and lots more.

Patrick Brammall and Trent O’Donnell (creators, No Activity); Cynthia Mort (creator, Tell Me You Love Me; Roseanne); Sanjay Shah (Fresh Off the Boat; Cougar Town).

Frankie Shaw (creator, SMILF); Sarah-Violet Bliss (co-creator, Search Party).

Creators Kyle Hunter & Ariel Shaffir (Sausage Party) and showrunner Ben Karlin (Modern Family; The Daily Show) discuss their new Hulu series, a sci-fi comedy.

The writer/director of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and the forthcoming Wonder chats about the line between honesty and sentimentality, the similarities between novel writing and film directing, why and how he writes, and gives a valuable four-point piece of advice to writers.

Live from Id10tfest, creator Dana Gould (The Simpsons) and stars John C. McGinley (Scrubs) and Janet Varney (Legend of Korra) look back on the show's first season and look forward to the second which premieres November 1 on IFC!

Moderated by Nerdist's Jessica Chobot.

Stan Against Evil theme is by Eban Schletter.

Glenn Gordon Caron (creator of Moonlighting, Now & Again, and Medium); Hillary Benefiel (Beyond; Person of Interest); Rob Wright (Lethal Weapon [TV]; Ash Vs the Evil Dead; Walker Texas Ranger).

Sera Gamble (showrunner, The Magicians; Supernatural; upcoming; You), Sallie Patrick (showrunner, Dynasty; Revenge), Lindsey Shockley (creator, Unit Zero; Black-ish; Trophy Wife)

Billy Ray (creator, The Last Tycoon; Captain Phillips; The Hunger Games); Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters (creators, Kevin [Probably] Saves the World; showrunners, Agent Carter); Alison Schapker (Scandal; The Flash; Fringe, Alias)

Mark Feuerstein (co-creator, 9JKL; actor, Royal Pains); Dana Klein (co-creator, 9JKL; Friends; Becker); Davita Scarlett (Queen Sugar; Constantine)

From Reddit threads and think pieces to live-tweeting and podcasts, the TV Theory business is booming. Yet, for a series with an ongoing mystery and unanswered questions, it can feel like the fandom is more interested solving a show than experiencing it. Michael Rauch (creator, Royal Pains), Monica Owusu-Breen (Alias), Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost), Noreen O'Toole (associate producer, Westworld), and Eric Goldman (Marvel, IGN) discuss how hyper-analysis does (and doesn’t) affect the creative process, balancing the art of misdirection vs. deception, and what it means to cede your story to an audience in 2017. Moderated by Natalie Abrams (Entertainment Weekly).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 9, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

TV executives Kathleen McCaffrey (HBO), Grant Gish (Marvel), Carolyn Newman (eOne), Alex Maggioni (Amblin), Ali Krug (Annapurna Television), Peter Gal (Dreamworks Animation Television), and Simran Sethi (Freeform) discuss the pros & cons of finding and purchasing pre-existing properties across all formats, employing appropriate talent to adapt, packaging with cast and directors, selling to networks, and more. Moderated by Dan Fienberg (The Hollywood Reporter).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 9, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Producer Stacey Sher's films include Adventures in Babysitting, Reality Bites, The Fisher King, Get Shorty, Pulp Fiction, Erin Brokovitch, Django Unchained, and many, many more. She discusses her successes and her role in making so many landmark films, her stint at Danny DeVito's Jersey Films, working with writers and directors, and her current job as the co-president of Activision Blizzard Studios.

Plus: a short chat with returning guest Tim McKeon (creator of Odd Squad) about his new Amazon pilot, Will vs the Future, a YA sci-fi comedy about the boy who may destroy the future and the girl sent from the future to prevent that from happening. Will vs the Future is available to watch now on Amazon, and you should! And if you like it, please leave a review!

Just in time to go back to school, writers Julie Plec (Dawson's Creek; The Vampire Diaries), Amanda Lasher (Sweet/Vicious; Gossip Girl) and YA author turned YA TV producer Rebecca Serle (Famous in Love) discuss the “New Adult” genre, why it has taken the place of YA, and the fun and challenges of post-high school teen characters. Moderated by Jarett Wieselman (BuzzFeed).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 11, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Ken Olin, Sarah Caplan, Andre Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, and Monica Owusu-Breen reunite to reflect on the show’s long-term impact, the challenges of maintaining their elaborate concept across 105 episodes, and to share their favorite moments in the life of Sydney Bristow. Moderated by Sara Vilkomerson (Entertainment Weekly).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 10, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Mara Brock Akil (creator, Being Mary Jane), Kevin Falls (creator, Franklin & Bash), Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (creator, Sweet/Vicious), and Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham (creators/stars, Playing House) discuss writing TV friendships. Moderated by Jarett Wieselman (BuzzFeed).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 9, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Graham Yost (creator, Justified) and Dave Andron (Justified) and  Julie Plec (creator, The Originals) and Carina MacKenzie (The Originals) in conversation about taking chances and catching breaks, exploring the relationship from both sides of that first gig. Moderated by Sara Osburn (Mix 94.7).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 8, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Greg Garcia (creator, The Guest Book, My Name Is Earl, The Millers, Raising Hope, and Yes, Dear); James Roland (creator, Blood Drive).

Samantha McIntyre (People of Earth; Unicorn Store); Jennifer Muro (Star Wars: Forces of Destiny); Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (Family Guy).

Creator Josh Brand, writers/executive producers Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, writer/producer Cheryl Bloch, and cast members Rob Morrow, Janine Turner, Cynthia Geary, and Adam Arkin reunite to discuss the series’ enduring strangeness, how the self-proclaimed comedy became an award-winning drama, and why we we’re still thinking about that moose more than 20 years later.

Moderated by Variety's Maureen Ryan who can be found on Twitter at @MoRyan and who is co-releasing this episode on her own podcast, Talking TV. Subscribe now for lots of great TV talk!

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 9, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

A double feature with Everybody Loves Raymond creator and food-lover Phil Rosenthal. Breakfast with Phil has become an ATX Television Festival tradition. From last year's fest, Ben Blacker join Phil to talk breakfast tacos, coffee, travel, and more, while Phil resists the narrative.

Then, from 2017's season six, Sweet/Vicious creator Jennifer Kaytin Robinson joins Phil to discuss his favorite moments from the first season of I'll Have What Phil's Having, his favorite places he visited on this upcoming season, what he thinks Raymond would look like if it were on the air today.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

A double dose from ATX Teleivion Festival.

First, following a screening of Episode 309 (“Aporia”) , creator Noah Hawley, executive producer John Cameron, and actors Michael Stuhlbarg and Mary McDonnell discuss the series, season three, and the future of Fargo.

Then, creators Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta and executive producer/director Mimi Leder discuss the end of HBO's The Leftovers, from the creative collaboration that shaped three incredibly distinct seasons, a departure from the book, and a look back at their favorite moments from the final episode. Moderated by Variety's Maureen Ryan who can be found on Twitter at @MoRyan and who is co-releasing this episode on her own podcast, Talking TV. Subscribe now for lots of great TV talk!

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 8-9, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Fresh off the heels of The Americans' penultimate season, creator/showrunner Joe Weisberg and executive producer/showrunner Joel Fields reflect on the gripping, nail-biting journey of the Jennings family across the last five years, as viewers prepare themselves for the final episodes of FX's critically acclaimed drama. Moderated by Variety's Debra Birnbaum.

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 10, 2017.

Get your badge now for ATX's seventh season, June 7-10, 2018, at http://atxfestival.com/

Misha Green (creator, Underground); Jake Fogelnest (Girlboss; Difficult People); Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (The Carmichael Show; New Girl).

Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz (People of Earth; Brooklyn 99); Lindsey Allen (MacGuyver; Agent Carter); Heather V. Regnier (Sleepy Hollow; Falling Skies).

Field Correspondents Ashley Nicole Black, Allana Harkin, and Mike Rubens discuss keeping a sense of humor when things get dire, putting the show together, keeping up with the news, the guidance of Samantha Bee, and more. 

Writer Liz Hara just completed her first week as a professional TV writer on a network show, Life In Pieces. In this first of what we hope will be many chats with Liz, she describes how she got the job, her previous work as a costumer and puppet-wrangler on Sesame Street, her concerns and expectations of being in a writers' room and the reality she faced there. 

Powerful TV panel from ATX, Jack Amiel (co-creator, The Knick), Jason Katims (creator, Friday Night Lights and Parenthood), Jennie Snyder Urman (creator, Jane the Virgin), Mike Royce (co-creator, Men of a Certain Age; Enlisted), and Carter Covington (Faking It) discuss how their series have surpassed diversity trends and token characters by organically weaving in storylines of race, religion, the foster care system, immigration, abortion, health care, and many many more. Moderated by Maury McIntyre (President of the Television Academy).

PLUS: The Shield Writers' Room Reunion with creator Shawn Ryan (co-creator, Timeless), Glen Mazzara (Damien; The Walking Dead), Scott Rosenbaum (Queen of the South), Kurt Sutter (creator, Sons of Anarchy), and Charles ‘Chic’ Eglee (Hemlock Grove; The Walking Dead). Moderated by Lynette Rice (EW). Recorded June 2016 at ATX Television Festival.

Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

The showrunners of ABC's terrific Downward Dog, John Hoberg & Kat Likkel, talk about being a married couple and writing partners, protecting and translating the show creators' vision, what they learned working on My Name Is Earl, The Neighbors, and more, running Galavant in its second season, their approach to comedy, and lots more. Downward Dog premieres May 17th on ABC. Watch it! It's like a terrific indie movie that happens to have a dog as its narrator.

Creator Tara Armstrong, showrunner Tassie Cameron (co-creator, Rookie Blue), and lead actor Caroline Dhavernas (Hannibal; Wonder Falls) discuss their new Lifetime show, writing complicated characters, their hectic shooting schedule, adding comedy and crime to a euthanasia drama, and more.

With creator Josh Schwartz (creator, Gossip Girl, Chuck, and more), Stephanie Savage (creator, Gossip Girl, The Astronaut Wives Club), Leila Gerstein (creator, Hart of Dixie), and music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas. Moderated by Alan Sepinwall (HitFix). Recorded June 12, 2016 at ATX Television Festival on June 12, 2016. Plus: Blind Casting panel featuring casting director Jennifer Euston (Orange Is the New Black; GLOW), casting director Tracy Lilienfield (Superior Donuts; Grace & Frankie), Justin Spitzer (creator, Life in Pieces), Brian Michael Bendis (creator, Powers, Jessica Jones), Brad DeLima (VP casting, NBCUniversal).

Recorded June 10, 2016 at ATX Television Festival on June 12, 2016. Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

A double header today. First, TV and comics writer Gerry Duggan (Attack of the Show) talks about his new Guardians of the Galaxy book for Marvel, bringing humanity to Deadpool, comedy in comics, and lots more. Gerry's All New Guardians of the Galaxy #1 is out tomorrow, May 3, and the Free Comic Book Day special is out on Saturday! Then, Philipp Meyer, creator of AMC's new series The Son, discusses bringing his sprawling novel to TV, working in a writers' room for the first time, artistic integrity, and more.

Executive Producer Warren Littlefield (former president of NBC) and creator Bruce Miller (The 100; Eureka; ER) discuss their adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel, why the time is right for the story, working with Hulu, their history together, and lots more.

The Handmaid's Tale premieres April 26 on Hulu.

David Caspe (creator, Happy Endings and Marry Me); Amanda Lasher (Togetherness; Gossip Girl; Sweet/Vicious); Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (creator, Sweet/Vicious).

Hilary Winston (creator, Bad Teacher; Community; My Name Is Earl, Happy Endings); Henry Alonso Myers (Ugly Betty; The Magicians; Charmed), Lon Zimmet (Superstore; Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; Happy Endings).

Former WGA President Christopher Keyser (co-creator, Party of Five) is joined by guild members Marqui Jackson (Rosewood; Battle Creek) and Deirdre Mangan (iZombie) to talk about today's return to the negotiating table with the AMPTP (the studios and networks), what the WGA is asking for, what's at stake, bagels, and more. 

Krista Vernoff (Grey's Anatomy; Private Practice; Shameless); Stefanie Leder (Faking It; Melissa & Joey); Wendy Molyneux & Lizzie Molyneux (Bob's Burgers).

New pal Amy Aniobi (Insecure; Silicon Valley) joins returning champions Charles Murray (Luke Cage; Sons of Anarchy) and Ben Wexler (The Grinder; creator, The Comedians) to talk about what they all learned as assistants, common mistakes new writers make, ruining friendships, and lots more. 

The creator of Prison Break and author of the new novel The Far Shore discusses prose writing, TV writing, compromising his vision, his Buddhism, and more. Recorded at Book Soup in Los Angeles on March 10, 2017.

Gina Fattore (Dawson's Creek; Californication; Better Things); Courtney Lilly (Black-ish; My Boys), Kathleen Robertson (writer: upcoming: Swimming with Sharks; Your Time Is Up; actor: Murder in the First; Beverly Hills 90210).

Simon Rich (creator, Man Seeking Woman); Richard Keith & Erin Cardillo (creators, Significant Mother, Life Sentence), Dave Holstein (I'm Dying Up Here; Weeds).

The creator of Madam Secretary, Judging Amy, and Joan of Arcadia talks about tackling politics, writing about what's important, what she's learned from each experience, getting her start on Northern Exposure and I'll Fly Away, her country rock band, and more.

John Wirth (V; Falling Skies), Krista Vernoff (Charmed; Wonderfalls), and Joanna Klein (SVP Scripted Development, The CW) discuss fantasy TV from building the look of a new world and the characters that inhabit it to placing supernatural characters into our everyday lives. Moderated by Emily Moss Wilson.

PLUS: The Ugly Betty reunion with creator Silvio Horta and cast members America Ferrera, Vanessa Williams, Eric Mabius, Michael Urie, Tony Plana, Ana Ortiz, Mark Indelicato, Rebecca Romijn, Ashley Jensen, and Judith Light.

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 12, 2016. Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

Superior Donuts co-creator Bob Daily talks about finding new material with every show, from his earliest days on Frasier to Desperate Housewives, The Odd Couple, and more, what he's learned from rooms he's worked in, how to write good characters, and more.

But first, Christine Lennon discusses The Drifter, her first novel after twenty years as a journalist. Lennon talks about her process, the serial killer on her college campus that inspired the story of friendship, and more.

The Drifter is available now via Amazon or your local bookstore!

Shondaland's partner who isn't Shonda talks about working in one of the top pods in the business, where it's headed, and more. In conversation with EW's editor-in-chief Henry Goldblatt.

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 10, 2016. Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

The creator of The Blacklist and its spin-off, The Blacklist: Redemption, discusses why he made the move to television after fourteen years in features, leaving and returning to LA, his collaborators, how he does and doesn't like writing, and more. 

Comedies and dramas alike are finding the humanity and nuance in faith-based storylines, whether it’s reconciling concepts of self and sexuality in religion or questioning a long-standing ideology. How does a series navigate what role a character’s faith will play in his or her story or the show as a whole? Jessica Goldberg (The Path), Brenda Lilly & Hollis Rich (State of Grace), Glen Mazzara (Damien), Jack Amiel (The Knick), and Tom Fontana (Oz) discuss navigating questions of God and church within their series and the role of religion in an ever-expanding landscape of content. Moderated by Sandra Gonzalez (Mashable).

PLUS: The Preacher panel with series creator Sam Catlin (Breaking Bad) and stars Anatol Yusef, Ruth Negga, and Dominic Cooper. Moderated by Eric Goldman (IGN).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 12, 2016. Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

Brian Koppelman & David Levien, creators of Showtime's Billions, discuss their long road to creating a hedge fund show, dole out valuable advice on screenwriting and working as a writer, their successes like Oceans 13, their disappointments like Runner Runner, their breakthrough script Rounders, and so much more. Definitely listen to Brian's podcast, The Moment, if you enjoy this podcast!

The creators of NBC's Timeless discuss their collaboration, the tricks of writing time travel, how creating their own shows—The Shield and Supernatural, respectively—as young writers informed their process, and more. 

Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent, creators of Channel 4/AMC's Humans, talk about artificial intelligence in storytelling, what Westworld does well, their earlier work on MI-5, and lots more.

The showrunner and co-creator of the Syfy series Incorporated discuss their working relationship, their show's relavence, and more. 

Will Beall (developer/showrunner, Training Day); Dan Newmark and Ben Newmark (Gigi Does It; Coupled).

Take a break from reality with a double header from ATX, a Television Festival. First, Jennie Snyder Urman (creator, Jane the Virgin), Kevin Biegel (creator, Enlisted and Cougartown), Justin Adler (creator, Life in Pieces), and Dana Tuinier (VP Original Programming, TVLand) talk about why a kinder approach to storytelling may be exactly what viewers want and need.

Moderated by Dan Fienberg (THR). Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 12, 2016.

Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

The American political system often lends itself to some of TV’s bleakest and most inspiring moments. In this conversation, Kevin Falls (The West Wing), Rosemary Rodriguez (The Good Wife), and Bryan Seabury (SVP Drama Development, CBS) examine working with an existing framework of D.C., what happens when fictional politics meet real-world expectations. and why the subject lends itself to rich storytelling and keeps an audience tuning in. Moderated by Henry Goldblatt (EW).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 11, 2016.

Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi talk about translating their Maximum Fun podcast into a TV Land late-night style series, their performance backgrounds, and more. 

The It's Always Sunny in Philadephia writers and co-stars discuss their now-airing 12th season, changing the face of TV comedy, how their show is written, and more. Co-hosted by Sunny super-fan Jenny Klein (Supernatural; Jessica Jones).

Peter Tolan (co-creator/showrunner, Outsiders, Rescue Me); Brannon Braga (co-creator/showrunner, Salem; Star Trek: Next Generation); Y. Shireen Razack (Shadowhunters); Adam Nussdorf (creator, Beyond).

Phillip Iscove (co-creator, Sleepy Hollow), Gloria Calderon Kellett (co-creator, the new One Day at a Time), and Dierdre Mangan (iZombie) look back on 2016 and try to find hope in the trends, movements, and good TV from this annus horribilis.

The screenwriter of A Monster Calls, and the author of the novel on which it's based, talks about how anyone with a story can be a writer, adapting his novel, his process, his other books including the Chaos Walking series and The Rest of Us Just Live Here, the Doctor Who spin-off Class he created for BBC, and more.

A Monster Calls is in theaters December 23rd and throughout January.

The actor (Silicon Valley; Big Love) and writer/director of Captain Fantastic, one of the best movies of the year, chats about stepping behind the camera, writing for actors, the biographical aspects of Captain Fantastic, and more. Seriously, stop messing around and see Captain Fantastic.

The screenwriter of Arrival talks about the decade-long process of bringing that story to the screen, “hard hat jobs” he's worked on including the remake/prequel of The Thing, his directorial debut, Hours, and more.

Megan Metzger (When Calls the Heart), Dave Metzger (The Blacklist), Joelle Cornett (Pure Genius), Charlotte Lewis (Faking It), and Jake Thomas (Notorious) discuss what the job entails, how they got their jobs, the best rooms, and the odd place a writers' assistant holds in a writers' room. Recorded on September 11, 2016 at Nerdmelt Theater

Michael Schur (creator of The Good Place; co-creator of Parks & Recreation), Damon Lindelof (co-creator, Lost, The Leftovers), Carlton Cuse (co-creator of Jack Ryan, Colony, and Bates Motel; co-showrunner, Lost), Marti Noxon (co-creator of Unreal and Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce), Douglas Petrie (co-showrunner of Daredevil and The Defenders), David Fury (Buffy; 24), Jane Espenson (Buffy; Once Upon a Time), Charles Murray (Luke Cage; Sons of Anarchy), Andrew Miller (co-creator, Secret Circle; creator of the upcoming Tremors), Andrew Reich (Friends; co-producer Dead Pilots Society), Ben Acker (co-creator, Thrilling Adventure Hour; Supernatural), and Heath Corson (co-host, Nerdist Comics Panel; Scream) join Ben Blacker and Writers Panel darlings Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles; Avatar 3) and Jeff Greenstein (Friends; co-showrunner, Will & Grace; director, Mom) to celebrate this milestone episode of the podcast!

Recorded at Largo at the Coronet on November 6, 2016.

Blindspot creator Martin Gero chats about putting together the team, breaking story, how he uses the writers' room, his unusual hiring process, his late, beloved series LA Complex, procedurals, those tattoos, and more. Recorded at EW Popfest in Los Angeles, CA on October 29, 2016.

The author of The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and more discusses discovering young adult fiction, the invention of characters, how his stories take shape, his earnest love of The Babysitters Club books, and more; he even drops some hints about his next novel! Recorded at NerdCon: Stories in Minneapolis, MN on October 14, 2016.

Barbara Hall (creator of Madame Secretary, Judging Amy, and Joan of Arcadia); Joan Rater (co-creator of Doubt); Aline Brosh McKenna (co-creator of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend); Jenny Snyder Urman (creator of Jane the Virgin); Corinne Brinkerhoff (creator of No Tomorrow). Recorded at CBS Studios on October 5, 2016.

The creators of the new MTV show Mary + Jane discuss writing what they care about, their partnership and process, their breakthrough feature that led to Can't Hardly Wait, what happened after Josie & the Pussycats, and lots more.

Ben Blacker and The Writers Panel have lots of upcoming live shows and appearances, including the 300th Episode Celebration on 11/6 in LA with Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, Marta Kauffman, Mike Schur, and lots more!

Writer/creators/stars Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Orvedahl and Ben Roy discuss their TruTV comedy about teachers who are less mature than their students, getting their break in TV after the success of their Denver-based sketch group The Grawlix, the remarkable Maria Thayer, and more. Season 2 of Those Who Can't is on TruTV now.

Ben Blacker and The Writers Panel have lots of upcoming live shows and appearances, including the 300th Episode Celebration on 11/6 in LA with Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, Marta Kauffman, Mike Schur, and lots more!

A double-header recorded at ATX, a Television Festival earlier this year. First, “Keeping the Romance Alive” with Hart Hanson (creator, Bones), Liz Tigelaar (showrunner, Casual; creator, Life Unexpected), Carter Covington (creator, Faking It), and Jennie Snyder Urman (creator, Jane the Virgin). How do writers keep a show going that's centered around a romance? What pitfalls can that bring, how do they keep an audience caring through the third, fourth, and fifth break ups…or even more, after the central couple commits for the long haul, or worse decides to leave the show? Moderated by Jarret Wieselman (Buzzfeed).

Then, Jarret is joined by Carina MacKenzie (The Originals) to talk about “Young Adult TV” with Tigelaar, Covington, Anna Fricke (developer, Being Human), and Rebecca Serle (Famous in Love). The creators of these “teen centered” TV shows discuss what they believe classifies a show as YA, what storylines they will and will not broach when it comes to this age range, and how they have mastered writing from the teenage perspective while garnering audiences of all ages. Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 10-11, 2016. Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

Steven Moffat (Doctor Who; Sherlock), Bryan Fuller (American Gods; Star Trek; Hannibal), and Michael Green (American Gods) join Alicia Lutes (co-host/creator, Fangirling) at the “Nerdist TV: The Boundary Pushers” panel. Recorded at San Diego Comic Con on July 21, 2016

Westworld creators Jonah Nolan and Lisa Joy, Graham Yost (creator, Justified), Jonathan Tucker (actor, Justified), John Wirth (showrunner, Hell on Wheels), and Anson Mount (actor, Hell on Wheels) discuss the rich tradition of westerns on TV from iconic characters, to revenge, duels, outlaws, lawmen, and the communities they protect.

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 11, 2016. Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

A double-header recorded at ATX, a Television Festival this year. First, Ryan Condal (co-creator, Colony), Zander Lehmann (creator, Casual), Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (co-creator, unREAL), and Joe Pokaski (co-creator, Underground) discuss the process of creating and/or running their own show for the first time, and learning to juggle all that having a new series entails, from pitching, to writing and producing a pilot, having their series picked up, organizing a writers room, and being paired with seasoned showrunners (or learning to become one themselves). Moderated by Tim Goodman (The Hollywood Reporter).

Then, Debra Birnbaum (Variety) talks with Hart Hanson (creator, Backstrom), Ted Griffin (creator, Terriers), Javier Grillo-Marxuach (creator, The Middleman), and Kevin Falls (creator, Journeyman) about the lessons they have learned from their one-season wonders, the constantly-changing definitions of success, not compromising creative vision, and how these short-lived series have shaped their ongoing careers. Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 11, 2016.

Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld, the creators, writers, and directors of web-series High Maintenance discuss their emotional writing process, keeping their trusted collaborators, the stories that interest them, and more. High Maintenance makes its premiere on HBO on September 16. All past episodes will then be available on HBOGo.

Anna Fricke (developer, Being Human), Liz Tigelaar (creator, Life Unexpected), Hart Hanson (creator, Bones), John Wirth (Hell on Wheels), and Scott Rosenbaum (The Shield) discuss the process of planning and plotting a season. Moderated by Natalie Abrams (Entertainment Weekly). Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 10, 2016.

Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

The creator of Mr. Robot talks about how he is and isn't like his creation, writing and directing, working with his writing staff, and more.

Joanna Klein (The CW), Kathleen McCaffrey (HBO), Grant Gish (Fox Animation), Bryan Seabury (CBS), and Brendan Countee (Hulu) discuss their role in getting an episode from pilot script to production to ready for air. Hear their POV and goals, the factors viewers might never have considered, as they give us an inside look at creating shows from the “business” side of “show business.”

Moderated by Lesley Goldberg (The Hollywood Reporter).

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 10, 2016. Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

The writer/director of Joshy and Life After Beth talks about his new movie, his process, his script for I Heart Huckabees, and more.

The screenwriter of Nerve, Speak, and other features, as well as American Horror Story writer and producer, discusses writing and directing, presenting psychological states in scripts, her process, her beginnings, and more. 

Javier Grillo-Marxuach (creator, The Middleman), Brian Michael Bendis (creator of Jessica Jones and Powers), and Rosemary Rodriguez (director, Jessica Jones) discuss how a storyteller infuses his or her own voice into an often stylized and specific world while still satisfying a pre-existing (and passionate) fan base, adapting one highly visual format to another, and what makes TV such an appealing medium for exploring these fantastical series.

Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 10, 2016. Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

After more than a decade of reporting crime from the streets of Baltimore, how did a career journalist like David Simon learn to navigate a TV writers’ room? The outcome was in no small part due to the indispensable guidance of veteran TV producer Tom Fontana. Together, they brought Simon’s realistic characterization to Homicide: Life on the Street. Separately, the two would go on to create series that defined HBO and stand out as part of the TV revolution: Oz and The Wire. Join Simon and Fontana as they reflect on their earlier and vastly different experiences in the realm of 90s broadcast TV.

Moderated by Beau Willimon (creator, House of Cards) Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 11, 2016.

Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

The creator of Six Feet Under and True Blood discusses the creation of his seminal HBO series, exploring death, working with actors, swinging 180 degrees for his vampire soap opera, writing American Beauty in reaction to his experiences on sit-coms like Grace Under Fire, and more.

Norman Lear (creator of All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude, One Day at a Time, and more) is interviewed by Katey Sagal (actor, Married with Children, Sons of Anarchy) following a screening of the new documentary about Lear, Just Another Version of You. Then, Lear is joined by Nahnatchka Khan (creator, Fresh Off the Boat), David Windsor (executive producer, The Real O’Neals), Phil Rosenthal (creator, Everybody Loves Raymond), and Hollis Rich (co-creator, State of Grace) for a conversation about “The New American Family” and its portrayal in TV comedies. Moderated by Variety's Debra Birnbaum. Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 10, 2016. Plus: amazing cover of the All in the Family theme by Jean Grae and Ted Leo!

Get your badge now for ATX's sixth season, June 8-11 2017, at http://atxfestival.com/

The best-selling authors of House of Secrets discuss what each of them brings to their co-writing, learning from each other, comic books, and more.