Alan Ball on writing for and becoming co-executive producer on Cybill, being disheartened, and writing American Beauty
04:49
Alan Ball on channeling his anger from working on Cybill into writing American Beauty
00:42
Alan Ball on how he got the idea for American Beauty; on not having to have a "moment of shit" in it; on the joy of writing for different media
05:05
Alan Ball on writing and staffing writers for Six Feet Unde
03:13
Walter Bernstein on always wanting to be a writer and his early writing in grammar school and high school
00:57
Walter Bernstein on his writing process with screenwriting partner Ben Maddow
00:38
Walter Bernstein on the writing process on Danger -- and getting blacklisted while on the show and continuing to write under a pseudonym; on trying to get a "front"
01:49
Walter Bernstein on the writing and research process among blacklisted writers Abraham Polonsky, Arnold Manoff, and Walter Bernstein for You Are There
03:51
Walter Bernstein on his strengths as a writer and how that helped him as a director
01:57
Walter Bernstein on how long it takes to write a half-hour script for HBO
00:23
Walter Bernstein on rewriting the HBO movie The Doomsday Gun and the process of doing a rewrite; on how it feels to be rewritten
03:01
Walter Bernstein on how his experiences (particularly being blacklisted) affected his writing
01:15
Sam Bobrick on his writing partner Bill Idelson, and on the advantages of having a writing partner
01:51
Sam Bobrick on his writing process for pilots
05:39
Sam Bobrick on the craft of writing and his process
09:34
Sam Bobrick on what he likes about writing, and on writing plays
03:15
Sam Bobrick on advice to an aspiring writer and on how he'd like to be remembered
00:54
Yvette Lee Bowser on advice to aspiring writers
00:23
Yvette Lee Bowser on receiving the Writers Guild Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award
01:25
Yvette Lee Bowser on the season two writers' room on A Different World
01:58
Yvette Lee Bowser on assembling a writers' room
02:47
Yvette Lee Bowser on what she enjoys about writing
00:45
Yvette Lee Bowser on her writing process
04:05
Yvette Lee Bowser on her involvement with the Writers Guild Showrunner Training Program
03:13
Yvette Lee Bowser on not having mentors early in her career and on being a mentor to others
01:41
Yvette Lee Bowser on the Zoom writers' room on UnPrisoned, pros and cons of remote writers' rooms, and whether or not Zoom writers' rooms and Zoom pitches will persist
05:35
Yvette Lee Bowser on what she does to prep for a pitch
02:04
Joshua Brand on writing the pilot for Northern Exposure, and on his writing process with writing partner John Falsey
04:10
Joshua Brand on his writing process
09:31
Joshua Brand on dealing with writers block and on the general process of writing
04:16
Joshua Brand on what he loves about writing
03:05
Joshua Brand on advice to an aspiring television writer, and on dealing with studio politics
03:19
Joshua Brand on getting the Writers Guild Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement with John Falsey, and on his feelings about the Writers Guild
05:13
Stephen J. Cannell on writing quirky characters
01:30
Stephen J. Cannell on his knack for casting the right people in the right roles
02:35
Stephen J. Cannell on his daily schedule when he's writing a script for an television episode
00:56
Stephen J. Cannell on the tools and physical methods he uses to write
03:50
Stephen J. Cannell on his writing process and how it's developed over the years
08:20
Steven J. Cannell on advice to an aspiring television writer
01:35
Glen Charles on beginning to write with his brother, Les
05:15
Glen and Les Charles on the atmosphere in the writing room of Taxi
05:34
Glen and Les Charles on the writers' room on Cheers
02:01
Glen and Les Charles on their writing style
01:35
Glen and Les Charles on why Cheers was considered to have sophisticated writing
00:30
Les Charles on he and his brother, Glen Charles, deciding to become writing partners
02:31
Glen and Les Charles on the atmosphere in the writing room of Taxi
05:34
Glen and Les Charles on the writers' room on Cheers
02:01
Glen and Les Charles on their writing style
01:35
Glen and Les Charles on why Cheers was considered to have sophisticated writing
00:30
Ron Cowen on what he learned about being a writer from working with director Lloyd Richards at the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference
01:35
Ron Cowen on how he approached his first television writing job (for CBS Playhouse) versus writing plays
01:49
Ron Cowen on what he enjoys about writing
03:09
Ron Cowen on his solo writing process, including his editing and rewriting process, and on never having had writer's block
04:57
David Crane and Marta Kauffman on learning to write as they went along, and deciding not to be actors
02:17
David Crane and Marta Kauffman on the success of their writing partnership
00:55
David Crane and Marta Kauffman on what appealed to them about writing
02:38
David Crane and Marta Kauffman on learning to write as they went along, and deciding not to be actors
02:17
David Crane and Marta Kauffman on advice to aspiring television writers
03:50
David Crane and Marta Kauffman on the success of their writing partnership
00:55
David Crane and Marta Kauffman on what appealed to them about writing
02:38
David Crane and Marta Kauffman on advice to aspiring television writers
03:50
Bill Dana on what writers made in the 1960s compared to today
02:15
Bill Dana on why he hated performing and loved being a writer
00:40
Bill Dana on writing for the voice of Don Adams and the birth of "would you believe" jokes
01:06
Bill Dana on writing the memorable sketch "The Question Man" with Don Hinkley and Leonard Stern on The Steve Allen Show, and his favorite, Chicken Teriyaki
03:24
Bill Dana on writing the parody "The Nutley-Hinkley-Butley-Winkley Report"
04:48
Bill Dana on writing for The Golden Girls, where the script was bible, versus other shows where the writers could adapt a script, such as his own Bill Dana Show on NBC
01:04
Bill Dana on advice to aspiring writers and comedians
01:14
Sam Denoff on wanting to be writers, not producers, and the process of writing for The Steve Allen Show
02:02
Sam Denoff on learning a lesson from Carl Reiner: "the best comedy comes from reality"
02:43
Sam Denoff on bringing your home life into your work life as a writer
01:28
Sam Denoff on his writing partnership with Bill Persky
00:29
Sam Denoff on his advice to aspiring writers
Tom Fontana on the writing process of St. Elsewhere and becoming a producer on that show
02:45
Tom Fontana on coming up with script ideas for St. Elsewhere
03:00
Tom Fontana on constructing the stories for Homicide: Life on the Street
05:40
Tom Fontana on the darkness of his writing style
02:33
Tom Fontana on constructing the stories for Homicide: Life on the Street
05:40
Horton Foote on his writing process, and using his own life for ideas
05:25
Horton Foote on the importance of casting, and on the writer working with actors
03:32
Horton Foote on how he feels about directing as a writer
01:03
Horton Foote on writing for cable networks
02:15
Horton Foote on the importance of creating a mood or setting for a story
02:53
Ron Friedman on making the transition from writing for variety shows to writing sitcoms
04:49
Ron Friedman on acting as a troubleshooter for shows, including A Year at the Top, and on writing for Barney Miller
02:23
Ron Friedman on making the transition from writing sitcoms to writing dramas
01:40
Ron Friedman on his writing process
03:22
Ron Friedman on dealing with writers block
02:00
Ron Friedman on how his process for writing drama differs from his process for writing comedy
01:29
Ron Friedman on joining the Writers Guild, and on how it benefits writers
03:57
Ron Friedman on what he enjoys about teaching writing
03:24
Ron Friedman on advice to aspiring writers, and on his children who are writers
02:24
Lowell Ganz on his early writing partner Mark Rothman and their writing process on The Odd Couple
04:09
Lowell Ganz on working with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall on The Odd Couple
02:21
Lowell Ganz on his advice to young writers
02:05
Lowell Ganz on the key to his success in writing
03:23
Lowell Ganz on his and Babaloo Mandel's approach to writing pilots and various unsold pilots
03:16
Larry Gelbart on getting his first break while still in high school writing for Danny Thomas on the "Fanny Bryce Maxwell House Coffee Time" radio show, because his father convinced Thomas, who was a customer at his barbershop, that the teenager could write
02:21
Larry Gelbart on lessons he learned about when to ask for a raise, and the value of having fun with language
03:32
Larry Gelbart on the process and structure of writing Bob Hope's monologues
04:01
Larry Gelbart on the valuable lesson of writing with a beginning, middle, and end in mind for a sketch while working on the Red Buttons Show
01:22
Larry Gelbart on the rigorous schedule the writers had on Caesar's Hour
02:04
Larry Gelbart on the differences between writing for Broadway versus television; on changes in the profession since TV's Golden Age
02:53
Larry Gelbart on the differences between television in the UK versus the US in the '60s
01:45
Larry Gelbart on his advice to writers: "maintain your identity as an artist"
03:14
Vince Gilligan on the advice he received from his mentor, Mark Johnson, to not move to Los Angeles at the beginning of his career, which he felt helped his writing style
05:19
Vince Gilligan on initially turned down a job as a television writer, but going back to it after hitting a spell of bad luck in the business
02:56
Vince Gilligan on the writers' room at The X-Files; on the first episode he wrote as a staff writer "Pusher"; on the writing process
02:17
Vince Gilligan on "Folie Aux Deux" - an X-Files episode he wrote and how the visual element was incorporated into the show; on why the visual is as important as the dialogue
Vince Gilligan on how writers "break" a story
Carl Gottlieb on the sociopolitical content of his work in The Committee improv group, which led him into being a writer
04:26
Carl Gottlieb on how improv skills dovetail with writing skills
09:27
Carl Gottlieb on getting his jokes and sketches on air on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
04:19
Carl Gottlieb on what he loved about writing for television
10:31
Carl Gottlieb on his writing process
02:41
Carl Gottlieb on finding structure in his writing
08:25
Carl Gottlieb on writing alone versus collaborating
01:24
Carl Gottlieb on the process of editing and rewriting
04:20
Carl Gottlieb on advice to an aspiring writer
01:27
Carl Gottlieb on dealing with writers block
02:57
Carl Gottlieb on the value of an education to a writer
02:19
Walon Green on what makes a good writer
02:46
Walon Green on what he likes about writing
02:29
Walon Green on his writing process
06:08
Walon Green on never having had to deal with writers block, and on the importance of rewriting
02:41
Walon Green on rewriting other writers' work, and on having his own work rewritten by others
02:32
Walon Green on learning the format to write feature films
02:36
Walon Green on what it has meant to him over the years to be a member of the Writers Guild
02:18
Walon Green on advice to an aspiring writer
02:52
Dean Hargrove on learning to write for several different genres, and on writing for The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
06:37
Dean Hargrove on the elements that make a great television character
03:29
Dean Hargrove on what he enjoys about writing
05:46
Dean Hargrove on his writing process and his routines
03:14
Dean Hargrove on advice to aspiring writers and producers
02:16
Paul Henning on getting a job at a Kansas City radio station and pursuing a career as a writer
04:35
Paul Henning on beginning to seriously consider a career in writing
05:13
Paul Henning on differences between writing for the radio and television versions of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
00:32
Paul Henning on the writing process for the television version of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
01:26
Paul Henning on his writing philosophy of placing characters above jokes
01:13
Buck Henry on the challenges of writing for The Garry Moore Show; on writing for someone else's voice
Buck Henry on the challenge of writing comedy about dark or difficult subject matter
Buck Henry on satire and the history of the satyr play - "nothing is sacred until somebody hurts you"; on what is off-limits to him
Buck Henry on why he enjoyed writing on Get Smart; on the different "voices" of comedy teams
02:07
Buck Henry on the myth of "pitching"; on identifying primarily as a writer but loving acting
Buck Henry on his advice to aspiring writers
Winifred Hervey on her writing strengths on Benson
00:50
Winifred Hervey on the difficulty of having her writing disregarded or thrown out
00:57
Winifred Hervey on the writers' room of The Golden Girls
02:09
Winifred Hervey on differences between writing for multi-camera and single camera shows
01:02
Winifred Hervey on her process for writing pilot episodes
03:52
Winifred Hervey on her writing process
03:17
Winifred Hervey on what she likes about writing
01:05
Winifred Hervey on advice to aspiring writers and producers
01:15
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on their early collaborative writing process
06:31
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on how they collaborate
04:02
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on dealing with writers' block
02:25
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on The Writers Guild of America
02:12
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on writing for different genres
02:15
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on advice to aspiring writers
02:41
Irma Kalish on the process of writing with her husband Rocky and how they divvied up responsibilities
11:06
Irma Kalish on writing for Popular Publications, a pulp magazine, and getting paid a penny a word in her early days as a writer
00:33
Irma Kalish on the difference between writing books versus writing for television
00:50
Rocky Kalish on writing for Martin & Lewis in their early radio career, as a boost to his career with wife Irma
01:26
Irma Kalish on writing sketch humor
00:40
Irma Kalish on how writing the All in the Family episode dealing with cancer helped her friend, and impacted her feeling about her profession "you never know how many people you've touched"
02:11
Irma and Rocky Kalish on how they work together and how they determine what is funny
01:05
Rocky and Irma Kalish on tackling scripts with social import in the 1970s
02:30
Irma Kalish on her advice to aspiring writers
01:25
Rocky and Irma Kalish on advice on crafting a script
01:38
Rocky and Irma Kalish on writing comedy for different kinds of venues
06:03
Rocky and Irma Kalish on their reasons for going into comedy
08:07
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the business part of show business
02:46
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the importance of keeping writing
02:57
Rocky and Irma Kalish on writing jokes that stand the test of time
02:11
Rocky and Irma Kalish on their writing process
06:07
Rocky and Irma Kalish on teaching writing, and what young writers should know when they start
04:23
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the longevity of certain comedians and writers
03:13
Rocky and Irma Kalish on if you can teach someone to be funny
02:47
Rocky and Irma Kalish on their children, and on putting together a stand-up act or eulogy
06:36
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the importance of writers playing their dues
01:23
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the value of comedy and on working with Madeline Kahn on Oh Madeline
05:06
Rocky and Irma Kalish on their reasons for going into comedy
08:07
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the business part of show business
02:46
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the importance of keeping writing
02:57
Rocky and Irma Kalish on writing jokes that stand the test of time
02:11
Rocky and Irma Kalish on their writing process
06:07
Rocky and Irma Kalish on writing comedy for different kinds of venues
06:03
Rocky and Irma Kalish on teaching writing, and what young writers should know when they start
04:23
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the longevity of certain comedians and writers
03:13
Rocky and Irma Kalish on if you can teach someone to be funny
02:47
Rocky and Irma Kalish on their children, and on putting together a stand-up act or eulogy
06:36
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the importance of writers playing their dues
01:23
Rocky and Irma Kalish on advice on crafting a script
01:38
Rocky and Irma Kalish on the value of comedy and on working with Madeline Kahn on Oh Madeline
05:06
Irma and Rocky Kalish on how they work together and how they determine what is funny
01:05
Irma Kalish on the process of writing with her husband Rocky and how they divvied up responsibilities
11:06
Rocky Kalish on writing for Martin & Lewis in their early radio career, as a boost to his career with wife Irma
01:26
Irma Kalish on writing sketch humor
00:41
Irma Kalish on how writing the All in the Family episode dealing with cancer helped her friend, and impacted her feeling about her profession "you never know how many people you've touched"
02:11
Rocky and Irma Kalish on tackling scripts with social import in the 1970s
02:30
Irma Kalish on her advice to aspiring writers
01:25
Hal Kanter on realizing he had a gift for comedy writing
03:05
Hal Kanter on learning to write comedy from the greats
02:18
Hal Kanter on learning to write for different comedians' voices on radio
05:21
Hal Kanter on learning to structure jokes, and on working with Bob Hope
03:02
Hal Kanter on dealing with agents and managers, and the business end of show business
11:48
Hal Kanter on how humor has evolved over the years
01:28
Hal Kanter on advice to aspiring comedy writers
00:42
Hal Kanter on his contributions to television history thought his writing
02:18
Michael Patrick King on starting to write plays - "One Act" and wanting to be a writer
00:58
Michael Patrick King on his rule - "Follow the Green lights"
00:42
Michael Patrick King on questioning oneself when you're creative
00:37
Michael Patrick King on turning in the very best version of his work
01:23
Michael Patrick King on the writers' room on Will & Grace
02:02
Michael Patrick King on the writers of Sex and the City
04:08
Michael Patrick King on the three layers of the writers' room of Sex and the City
04:50
Michael Patrick King on keeping the writing fresh on Sex and the City and personal space in a writers' room
05:50
Michael Patrick King on advice for aspiring writers and producers
01:05
Arnie Kogen on his writing process
05:12
Arnie Kogen on what he likes about writing, and on writing in groups
03:00
Arnie Kogen on continuing to write for "Mad Magazine" and how he juggles it with his television work
01:28
Arnie Kogen on joining the Writers Guild and on his retirement
01:11
Arnie Kogen on advice to an aspiring writer
00:42
Buz Kohan on the writing process for The Carol Burnett Show
03:28
Buz Kohan on how evolving technology impacted his writing process
06:52
Buz Kohan on the end of his writing partnership with Bill Angelos and what had made the partnership work
03:42
Buz Kohan on the beginning of his solo career as a writer
01:56
Buz Kohan on the formula for writing an Academy Awards show and the pressure of the show; on working with the host and the host's writing team
03:15
Buz Kohan on the preparations for Academy Awards shows -- nominations, working with presenters, turning in material, and the producer (often Gil Cates) being the position of power
03:56
Norman Lear on the rigorous schedule writers had in the Golden Age of Television and on his personal life at the time
05:30
Norman Lear on his creative process
05:22
Norman Lear on whether good writing can be taught
01:41
Norman Lear on advice to those getting into comedy
01:55
Norman Lear on what makes people laugh
00:58
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on their early collaborative writing process
06:31
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on how they collaborate
04:02
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on dealing with writers' block
02:25
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on The Writers Guild of America
02:12
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on writing for different genres
02:15
Ken Levine and David Isaacs on advice to aspiring writers
02:41
William Link on his writing style
06:11
William Link on the logic behind writing shows like Columbo
01:28
William Link on his and his partner Richard Levinson's writing process
01:20
William Link on how, as a writer, he creates suspense, fear, or tension
02:42
William Link on whether or not writing can be taught
01:10
William Link on projects he hasn't been able to get off the ground
02:03
William Link on the importance of having an agent for a television writer, and on making it in television
03:55
William Link on the process of creating a show
01:00
William Link on how writing on television can impact society
08:48
Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on their writing process when they write together
02:16
Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the writing process on Sisters
03:17
Daniel Lipman on what he enjoys about writing
02:35
Daniel Lipman on writing alone versus writing with partner Ron Cowen
01:21
Daniel Lipman on advice to aspiring writers
02:29
Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on their writing process when they write together
02:16
Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman on the writing process on Sisters
03:17
Christopher Lloyd on the writing process and competitive environment on The Golden Girls, his first job as a writer in television
Christopher Lloyd on the format of writing The Golden Girls and situational comedy in six scenes
Christopher Lloyd on writing for the different characters on The Golden Girls; on writing for older women
Christopher Lloyd on the lessons learned on The Golden Girls; the importance of having vulnerability in characters
Christopher Lloyd on the highly intellectual aspect of a show like Frasier and why it worked to take that risk; on giving credit to the intelligence of your audience; a "10%" joke
04:02
Christopher Lloyd on the writing process on Frasier; trying not to sacrifice storytelling for a good joke
01:44
Christopher Lloyd on returning to Frasier for the last season; the satisfaction of writing the final episode
Christopher Lloyd on his approach to working with actors
Christopher Lloyd on being proud to have won five Emmys for Frasier.
00:59
Christopher Lloyd on advice to aspiring writers
01:30
Chuck Lorre on writing for Roseanne
02:32
Chuck Lorre on writing for My Two Dads, originally called Who's Dad?
06:34
Chuck Lorre on the writers room on Grace Under Fire
02:52
Chuck Lorre on the benefits of collaborating with other writers
02:02
Chuck Lorre on his advice to writers starting out
01:03
Garry Marshall on his early literary writing influences
01:27
Garry Marshall on tailoring writing for the star of a show
02:10
Garry Marshall on comedy writing from life experience
02:25
Garry Marshall on the differences between the fictional writers on The Dick Van Dyke Show and the actual ones
01:27
Garry Marshall on the advice Milt Josefsberg gave him about the financial rewards for writing for a Lucille Ball show
01:28
Garry Marshall on Tony Randall and Jack Klugman's professionalism raising the bar for his sitcom writing
01:21
Paul Monash on how he got work as a freelance writer in the 1950s, and on the challenge of writing for live television
01:42
Paul Monash on his writing style, and on his writing process
09:45
Paul Monash on working with an agent, and on taking on the role of producer
05:10
Paul Monash on advice to aspiring television writers
02:40
Tad Mosel on finding his writing style and on his influences
04:47
Tad Mosel on writing an adaptation as opposed to writing an original piece
05:16
Tad Mosel on how the technological advances in camera work affected writing for television and on the challenges of writing to accommodate costume changes
08:19
Tad Mosel on writing to commercial breaks for live television and on adapting "A Death in the Family" for the stage
02:56
Tad Mosel on his writing process
10:28
Tad Mosel on working in Hollywood as opposed to working in New York
02:34
Tad Mosel on the pressures of writing and performing for live television and the decline of live television
02:28
Michael Moye on the writing process for Good Times
02:22
Michael Moye on the writing process for The Jeffersons
02:06
Michael Moye on rules for writing characters on The Jeffersons
02:58
Michael Moye on a change in the writing process on The Jeffersons
03:52
Michael Moye on his writing style
02:28
Michael Moye on advice to aspiring TV writers
03:11
Bernie Orenstein on he and Saul Turteltaub's responsibilities as producers of That Girl and what they looked for in staff writers
03:43
Bernie Orenstein on collaborating with his writing/producing partner Saul Turteltaub
00:54
Bernie Orenstein on his writing process when writing a novel or play
01:50
Bernie Orenstein on the process of writing for television
02:10
Bernie Orenstein on the process of writing for television
02:10
Bernie Orenstein on his writing process when writing a novel or play
01:50
Bernie Orenstein on advice for aspiring writers
00:26
Bill Persky on getting started as a writer for television, and the story of the 10 pounds of comedy material
Bill Persky on his favorite comedy joke, which he wrote for The Steve Allen Show, about Ben Casey
Bill Persky on what comedy is, "a positive look at negative things"
03:49
Bill Persky on his collaboration with writing partner San Denoff
03:14
Bill Persky on advice to aspiring television writers
02:26
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on their working style in their writing partnership
02:48
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on their writing process on I Love Lucy
05:18
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on scripting I Love Lucy's physical comedy
00:47
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on writing for Lucille Ball
02:20
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on their working style in their writing partnership
02:48
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on their writing process on I Love Lucy
05:18
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on scripting I Love Lucy's physical comedy
00:47
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on writing for Lucille Ball
02:20
Del Reisman on the craft of writing episodic television
01:41
Del Reisman on finding material as story editor for Playhouse 90, and on the duties of the story editor
03:05
Del Reisman on the process of editing scripts
01:34
Del Reisman on advice to aspiring writers
03:53
Del Reisman on how he would like to be remembered
00:37
Sol Saks on breaking into comedy writing, during the radio days
01:38
Sol Saks on noticing that on My Favorite Husband he was distracted from the set so he wouldn't interfere with production regarding changes in the script
01:23
Sol Saks on his philosophy of comedy writing and writing in general
02:10
Sol Saks on not believing in writer's block
00:57
Sol Saks on learning his first lesson on how writers are treated
01:36
Sol Saks on how writers were treated in the early days of television
06:08
Sol Saks on what makes for good television writing and on honesty in writing
06:37
Sol Saks on his first attempt at writing a comedy script
01:22
Sol Saks on where writers fit in society, and on the writer as storyteller
03:25
Sol Saks on discovering the effectiveness of using simple language in comedy writing
03:18
Sol Saks on advice to aspiring television writers
01:47
Sol Saks on the most difficult aspects of comedy writing
01:54
Sol Saks on the most rewarding aspect of comedy writing
02:38
Sol Saks on career achievements and regrets
03:39
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on plotting scenes backwards on I Love Lucy
00:32
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the writing process on I Love Lucy
01:52
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the writing process on I Love Lucy and a typical workweek
10:09
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on writing Lucille Ball's physical comedy into the scripts of I Love Lucy
00:37
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the writing process on Maude and Norman Lear's involvement with the writing
02:52
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on winning the WGA's Paddy Chayefsky Award for Television Achievement
01:07
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on their writing style and discipline, on why they've had a successful writing partnership
04:11
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on advice to aspiring comedy writers
02:31
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on why their writing has held up over the years
00:21
Richard Shapiro on his goals as a writer
00:28
Richard Shapiro on the challenges of being a freelance TV writer
01:00
Richard Shapiro on defining himself as a writer
00:33
Richard and Esther Shapiro on their pitching style
01:06
Richard and Esther Shapiro on advice to aspiring television writers
01:28
Richard and Esther Shapiro on their pitching style
01:06
Sidney Sheldon on why he loves writing more than directing
00:47
Sidney Sheldon on his process for writing novels
01:28
Sidney Sheldon on differences between writing for film and television and writing novels
01:00
Sidney Sheldon on his writing process
00:59
Sidney Sheldon on advice to aspiring television writers
01:08
Robert Smigel on his early ambition to be funny but not believing one could make a living at that profession; on early cartoon drawings he would make, but deciding early on to follow his father's footsteps to be a dentist instead
03:56
Robert Smigel on the writer Jim Downey and what he brought to the writers' room at Saturday Night Live, and on how Downey's tenure at The Harvard Lampoon impacted his humor
09:52
Robert Smigel on Dana Carvey as a performer on Saturday Night Live and his collaborations with Smigel and enjoying improvising while doing impressions; on contributions from writers Bonnie and Terry Turner; on some of Carvey’s sketches and impressions; on working with Carvey on his Johnny Carson impression, on The McLaughlin Group impression being one of Smigel’s favorite sketches that he wrote; on his Regis Philbin impression; on “finding the music” in an impression with Carvey
05:50
Robert Smigel on writing the "Get a life" line for William Shatner on the classic Saturday Night Live sketch "Trekkers" in which Shatner says the line to some Star Trek superfans, and on the sketch being a turning point in his writing career at SNL
02:48
Robert Smigel on the sketch "In the Year 2000" that he wrote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien and on the inspiration coming from 1960s television shows like The Jetsons; on the Clutch Cargo sketches which involved cutting out out lips from a still photograph and re-enacting the mouth through the photo (it was Smigel’s mouth); on his impressions being more "impercisions" than impressions of famous people like President Bill Clinton
04:49
Robert Smigel on the genesis of the Late Night with Conan O'Brien sketch "Masturbating Bear" which writer Brian Reich developed, and on the bear bit being funnier due to the limitations put on it by Standards & Practices
01:44
Robert Smigel on why the Clutch Cargo sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien worked and what made them funny, and on his Arnold Schwarzenegger Clutch Cargo impression
02:13
Robert Smigel on writing for his character "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on the Westminster Dog Show remote episodes with "Triumph"; on some of the best lines being improvised and not pre-written; on the remote bit where "Triumph" roasts fans of Star Wars outside the movie's premiere in NYC
07:39
Robert Smigel on coming up with the idea for his character "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" for Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on his wife getting him puppets for his birthday, which was coincidentally right when the Westminster Dog Show was happening; on the character first saying “for me to poop on”; on the dog’s gold bow tie; on the cigar prop; on doing a deadpan stare as "Triumph" in the vein of comedian Myron Cohen; on the character being a good catharsis for the audience since Conan is super polite and "Triumph" is the opposite
08:45
Robert Smigel on whether there is a disconnect between himself and his character "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" and how his identity merged with "Triumph’s" character; on his feeling "Triumph" has more irony and absurdity than an insult comic, which makes "Triumph" less biting or mean
03:29
Robert Smigel on writer Dino Stamatopoulos making suggestions for Smigel’s cartoon idea and working on a Superhero parody of "Batman" and "Robin" as "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" for The Dana Carvey Show (and later Saturday Night Live's "TV Funhouse"); on playing with ideas of homoeroticism and masculinity in writing the sketches
06:11
Robert Smigel on his "Fun with Real Audio" sketches (for Saturday Night Live) being the inverse of the Clutch Cargo animated device; on the first "Fun with Real Audio" sketch animating real audio clips between Larry King and Ross Perot
01:23
Robert Smigel on the animated sketch "Journey to the Disney Vault" for Saturday Night Live's "TV Funhouse"
02:17
Robert Smigel on his "TV Funhouse" animated sketch skewering NBC's parent company GE on Saturday Night Live
05:26
Robert Smigel on his parody of the Peanuts for his "TV Funhouse" animated sketch on Saturday Night Live
04:37
Robert Smigel on his involvement with the 25th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live in 1999; on the animated sketch "Life of a Catchphrase" he created for "TV Funhouse" that aired during that special
03:48
Norman Stiles on the early process of writing for Sesame Street
04:41
Norman Stiles on writing for the actors on Sesame Street
03:39
Norman Stiles on writing for the ensemble of Sesame Street
01:35
Norman Stiles on collaborating with the writers on Sesame Street as head writer of the show and what he looked for in a writer
03:14
Norman Stiles on keeping his writing for Sesame Street fresh over several decades
04:06
Norman Stiles on the craft of writing
03:32
Saul Turteltaub on working with his writing partner Bernie Orenstein
02:38
Saul Turteltaub on the craft of writing: "You don't write the first page unless you know the last page"
01:47
Saul Turteltaub on writing on a typewriter, and his partner Bernie Orenstein getting a computer long before he did
01:20
Saul Turteltaub on what he likes about writing
01:55
Saul Turteltaub on advice to aspiring writers
00:44
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on plotting scenes backwards on I Love Lucy
00:32
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the writing process on I Love Lucy
01:52
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the writing process on I Love Lucy and a typical workweek
10:09
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on writing Lucille Ball's physical comedy into the scripts of I Love Lucy
00:37
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the writing process on Maude and Norman Lear's involvement with the writing
02:52
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on winning the WGA's Paddy Chayefsky Award for Television Achievement
01:07
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on their writing style and discipline, on why they've had a successful writing partnership
04:11
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on advice to aspiring comedy writers
02:31
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on why their writing has held up over the years
00:21
John Wells on crafting the stories of China Beach using real life stories from veterans
04:17
John Wells on the writing of ER and the use of real medical terminology in the scripts
07:10
John Wells on his writing process
05:58
John Wells on how writing for television differs from writing for feature film
03:07
John Wells on advice to aspiring writers
02:10
John Wells on the writing of ER and the use of real medical terminology in the scripts
07:10
Dan Wilcox on the writing process on Captain Kangaroo
01:54
Dan Wilcox on the writing process of Sesame Street
07:56
Dan Wilcox on writing the characters of Captain Kangaroo
05:17
Dan Wilcox on his writing process and dealing with writers block
04:49
Dan Wilcox on what he likes about writing and advice to an aspiring writer
02:09
Max Wilk on learning to write for television while on Ford Television Theatre, and on working with director Marc Daniels
03:03
Max Wilk on producer Fred Coe, and on the process of writing for shows like Robert Montgomery Presents
06:03
Max Wilk on the experience of adapting plays for television for Ford Television Theatre, and on dealing with the time limitations
02:41
Max Wilk on the experience of adapting plays for television for Ford Television Theatre, and on dealing with the time limitations
02:41
Terence Winter on wanting to become a sitcom writer
04:03
Terence Winter on rules for writing The Sopranos and the writers' room on the show
03:48
Terence Winter on directing and writing The Sopranos episode - "Walk Like a Man"
04:54
Terence Winter on working with the other writers on The Sopranos
03:48
Terence Winter on advice to an aspiring writer
00:54
Alan Zweibel on writing comedy for other voices, including Larry David's
02:45
Alan Zweibel on writing the character "Roseanne Roseannadanna" with Gilda Radner for Saturday Night Live, and on their writing process
08:25
Alan Zweibel on his writing process
04:36
Alan Zweibel on writing things for hire and writing things for himself
05:13
Alan Zweibel on the process of pitching a project
06:40
Alan Zweibel on what he likes about collaborating with other writers
05:03
Alan Zweibel on winning his life achievement award from the Writers Guild
03:34
Alan Zweibel on advice to an aspiring television writer
02:15
Alan Zweibel on how his writing process varies for different media
03:21
Alan Zweibel on what he likes about being a writer
06:19
