Best Fishko Podcasts (2025)

1
Jen Statsky (Hacks) / Dan Erickson (Severance) 1:14:21

1d ago1:14:21

1:14:21

A double-header today! First, Jen Statsky (co-creator, Hacks) returns to discuss maintaining the high quality of the show four seasons in, staying honest while staying funny, season 4's big emotional moments, Carol Burnett, being raised by television, and more. Then, Severance creator Dan Erickson discusses the challenges of season 2, finding "thin…

1
Michael Seitzman (The Rainmaker) 37:48

8d ago37:48

37:48

Michael Seitzman (creator, The Rainmaker, Intelligence) discusses selling his John Grisham adaptation three times, shooting Dublin for Charleston (for Memphis), his approach to adaptation, storybreaking a conspiracy, hiring a writers room of Finders, Minders, and Grinders, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow a…

1
Nicholas Stoller & Francesca Delbanco (Platonic) 38:05

15d ago38:05

38:05

Nicholas Stoller (writer and/or director, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppets, Neighbors) and novelist Francesca Delbanco created and run Apple TV+'s Platonic. Ahead of the new season on August 6, they discuss writing a show called "Platonic" as a married couple, the importance of set experience for writers, not taking their work home, balancing…

1
The Naked Gun 59:17

22d ago59:17

59:17

The Naked Gun writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand (Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers) discuss the real stakes of a very silly movie, comedy fight scenes, not being referential, why Liam Neeson is integral to remaking The Naked Gun, having on hand an ungodly number of alt jokes, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and …

1
I Know What You Did Last Summer 42:20

29d ago42:20

42:20

I Know What You Did Last Summer writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge; Someone Great) returns along with co-writer Sam Lansky to discuss their continuation of the 1997 horror film, modernizing a morality tale, playing plot Jenga, "trauma but make it popcorn," and justifying THAT TWIST. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PR…

1
James DeMonaco (The Home; The Purge) 45:52

1M ago45:52

45:52

James DeMonaco (writer/director, The Home, The Purge) discusses co-writing during lockdown, collaborating with Pete Davidson, the movie he passed on that got The Home made, advice from Francis Ford Coppola, and news of maybe a new Purge movie! THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Be…

1
TV writer/novelist Stefanie Leder 27:43

1M ago27:43

27:43

Stefanie Leder (Faking It; Boo Bitch) discusses her debut novel, Love, Coffee, and Revolution, a coming-of-age/political adventure/rom com. the long road of writing the book, setting reasonable daily goals, the most important thing to getting published, why "TV is Jewish," and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Fol…

1
Chris & Paul Weitz (Murderbot) 44:09

2M ago44:09

44:09

Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz (creators, Murderbot; American Pie; About a Boy) discuss working with actors and what Alexander Skarsgård brought to the titular role of Murderbot, who your audience is, writing and directing together after a two-decade break, and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the …

1
I Don't Understand You 49:19

2M ago49:19

49:19

David Joseph Craig & Brian Crano (writers/directors of I Don't Understand You) discuss the personal story behind the movie, writing the truth vs writing honestly, scenes you need, who your competition is, why knowing actors is a good thing, poking the turkey, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the…

1
Leon Chills (Shadow Force) 41:31

3M ago41:31

41:31

Leon Chills (Shadow Force) discusses writing his way out of a low point, working things out in the first draft, his approach to action scenes, when to ask someone to read your script, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll a…

1
Mike Drucker (The Tonight Show) 39:41

3M ago39:41

39:41

Mike Drucker (The Tonight Show; Full Frontal with Samantha Bee) discusses his new memoir, Good Game, No Rematch, writing his life through the lens of video games, how prose is different from stand up comedy, how his family responded to stories about them, discovering his emotional vulnerabilities, and more. Check out a live DEAD PILOTS SOCIETY this…

1
Sascha Penn (Power Book III) 37:47

4M ago37:47

37:47

Sascha Penn (creator/showrunner, Power Book III) discusses the value of non-industry experience to showrunning, the truth about reps, the storytelling muscle, advice for entering the business at this moment, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re…

1
Jonathan Tropper (Your Friends and Neighbors) 27:30

4M ago27:30

27:30

Jonathan Tropper (creator, Your Friends and Neighbors, Banshee, Warrior) discusses writing a TV show closer in sensibility to his novels, the role of luck in a writing career, writing a non-action show, one key piece of advice about craft, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing…

1
Veronica West (Surface) 32:23

5M ago32:23

32:23

Veronica West (creator of Surface, High Fidelity; Dexter: New Blood; Chicago Fire) discusses why she wrote Surface on spec, the elaborate pitch, working with actors, learning on the job, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'l…

1
Abdullah Saeed (Deli Boys) 35:55

5M ago35:55

35:55

Abdullah Saeed (creator, Deli Boys) discusses diligence versus talent, his favorite part of the television-making process, the most important part of your sample script, embracing chaos, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'l…

1
Drew Hancock (Companion) 58:25

6M ago58:25

58:25

Drew Hancock (writer/director, Companion) discusses being put in a box, tricks for directing on the page, writing from the perspective of a robot, why second drafts always suck, and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll al…

1
Katie O'Brien (The Z-Suite) 39:09

6M ago39:09

39:09

Katie O'Brien (creator, The Z Suite; co-creator, Teachers; The Santa Clauses) discusses improv and showrunning, her post-Teachers struggle, optimism in the face of rejection, the bananas sample script she had to write, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's new…

1
Adam Rudman (Nature Cat) 34:11

7M ago34:11

34:11

Adam Rudman (Carl the Collector; Nature Cat; Sesame Street) discusses pitching and selling pre-school series, the throughline in his shows, carrying on the traditions of Buster Keaton and Spongebob, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing,…

1
Michelle Nader (Shifting Gears; Deli Boys) 37:43

7M ago37:43

37:43

Michelle Nader (showrunner of Shifting Gears and Deli Boys) discusses relationships with actors, including her "avatar" Kat Dennings, writing yourself out of your low points, how growing up in the mob prepared her for a career in television, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribi…

1
MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios 59:32

8M ago59:32

59:32

In our last episode of the year, journalists Joanna Robinson and Dave Gonzales, the authors of MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, discuss making a living as a "pop culture pundit," mapping the story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the missing "DC vs Marvel" chapter, lessons the MCU might take from recent successes like Deadpool & Wolverine and Aga…

1
Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, and Heath Corson 1:15:22

8M ago1:15:22

1:15:22

Heath Corson (Animal Kingdom; Batman: Assault on Arkham) discussing his new 4-issue comic, The Brood. Set in the “Minor Threats” universe, The Brood is a story about family, the patriarch of which happens to be a criminal mastermind. Heath Corson talks about writing from a personal place, how good and evil don't apply to family dynamics, human mome…

1
Dana Ledoux Miller (Moana 2) 41:45

9M ago41:45

41:45

Dana Ledoux Miller (co-writer/co-director of Moana 2; creator/showrunner of Thai Cave Rescue; Kevin Can F*** Himself; Narcos) discusses turning the Moana sequel from a TV series to movie, learning the rules of musicals, wrong turns, trusting herself, creating a work worthy of 101 years of Disney features, and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPL…

1
Roma Roth (Sullivan's Crossing) 28:26

9M ago28:26

28:26

In this craft-centered episode, Roma Roth (creator, Sullivan's Crossing; Virgin River) discusses finding and adapting IP. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'll also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed ove…

1
Dean Lorey (Creature Commandos) 43:08

9M ago43:08

43:08

In this craft-centered episode, Dean Lorey (showrunner of Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, Poppa's House, Creature Commandos, and Harley Quinn) discusses running multiple shows, writing drama so that the comedy shines, defining Harley Quinn as a solo act, shepherding James Gunn's vision for Creature Commandos, relying on his collaborators, when to stop fiddli…

1
Dailyn Rodriguez (The Lincoln Lawyer) 32:20

10M ago32:20

32:20

In this craft-centered episode, The Lincoln Lawyer showrunner Dailyn Rodriguez (Queen of the South; The Night Shift) discusses writing procedurals. Dailyn has worked in that genre frequently, including The Glades, Lie To Me, In Plain Sight, and others. Come see Dead Pilots Society live on Sunday, November 17, 2-4pm at the Elysian Theater in LA! Als…

1
Gremlins: The Wild Batch 30:14

10M ago30:14

30:14

Gremlins: The Wild Batch's Tze Chun and Brendan Hay discuss the smooth sailing of their show, writing animation scripts, bringing little monsters to the Wild West, keeping a stress-free environment during lockdown, and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's ne…

1
Soo Hugh (Pachinko) 36:00

11M ago36:00

36:00

Soo Hugh (showrunner, Pachinko; The Terror) discusses international filmmaking, the translation process, rewriting, her first second season, mild, medium, and spicy takes, and more. Come see The Thrilling Adventure Hour at the Dynasty Typewriter Theater on October 13, 6pm and 8pm, or stream it live or on demand! "An Evening Beyond Belief" stars Pau…

1
Colin from Accounts 53:22

11M ago53:22

53:22

Colin from Accounts creators and stars Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer discuss falling into making this show, writing for themselves, creating flawed and funny characters, who's allowed access to the shared document, and more. Come see The Thrilling Adventure Hour at the Dynasty Typewriter Theater on October 13, 6pm and 8pm, or stream it live or …

1
Charlie Covell (Kaos) 43:13

11M ago43:13

43:13

Charlie Covell (creator of Kaos and The End of the F***ing World) discusses their influences in retelling classical myths, creating a "contemporary kinked" world, threading the tonal needle, why they love first drafts, their playlists, and more. Want to check out one of the playlists Charlie made as they were creating the characters? Visit benblack…

1
Sherman Payne (Emperor of Ocean Park) 44:26

11M ago44:26

44:26

Sherman Payne (creator, Emperor of Ocean Park; Shameless) discusses how to tell a great story, the different kinds of writers in TV, adaptation, what it takes to thrive as a TV writer, "prestidurals," and more. Come see Ben Blacker's live show, RETROSPECS, on Sunday, September 29, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we dig those o…

1
Producer Ashley Jay Sandberg (Twisters) 33:08

11M ago33:08

33:08

Producer Ashley Jay Sandberg (Twisters; The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) discusses what a producer does, the art of giving and receiving notes, putting together the team, the future of movies, and lots more. Come see Ben Blacker's live show, RETROSPECS, on Sunday, September 29, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we …

1
Will Smith (Slow Horses) 40:52

12M ago40:52

40:52

Will Smith (creator, Slow Horses) discusses comedy in drama, building off of author Mick Herron's plots, his work on Veep and The Thick of It with Armando Iannucci, and the reason why this show works as well as it does. Come see Ben Blacker's live show, RETROSPECS, on Sunday, September 29, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we di…

1
Christy Hall (Daddio; It Ends with Us) 40:19

1y ago40:19

40:19

Christy Hall (Daddio; It Ends with Us) discusses what working in theater taught her, being curious by the gray areas, what matters most in getting a project off the ground, co-creating I Am Not Okay with This, mowing down cornfields, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Be…

1
Sierra Katow (Exploding Kittens) 41:53

1y ago41:53

41:53

Writer/actor Sierra Katow (Funt; Golden Axe; The Sex Lives of College Girls) discusses performing stand-up from a young age, putting together her first hourlong special, the fun of narrative writing, the comedy landscape, writing jokes for clubs, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subs…

1
Kathleen Jordan (The Decameron) 41:19

1y ago41:19

41:19

Kathleen Jordan (creator, The Decameron and Teenage Bounty Hunters) discusses finding inspiration in a 14th century text, creating comic characters, balancing tone, theme, and plot, and lots more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where you'l…

1
Robert Rodat (Those About to Die; Saving Private Ryan) 47:23

1y ago47:23

47:23

Robert Rodat (Those About to Die; Saving Private Ryan) discusses the parallels of his ancient Roman series to today's politics, his grueling rewriting process, the "heart and soul" of Saving Private Ryan, the three levels of conflict, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to B…

1
Anna Fishko (Orphan Black: Echoes) 39:02

1y ago39:02

39:02

Anna Fishko (creator/showrunner, Orphan Black: Echoes; Fear the Walking Dead) discusses showrunning as a three-person job, hiring people she can trust, her writing superpower, the evolution of the series, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Wr…

1
Jordan Morris (Youth Group) 33:48

1y ago33:48

33:48

Jordan Morris (Jordan Jesse Go!) talks about his new graphic novel, Youth Group, out this week. It's a funny and charming horror-comedy about teenage exorcists in the 1990s. Order your copy now: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250789235/youth-group THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribi…

1
David Koepp (Jurassic Park; Spider-man; Mission Impossible) 1:04:28

1y ago1:04:28

1:04:28

Jurassic Park, Spider-man, Mission: Impossible, Carlito's Way, Indiana Jones, Bad Influence, Kimi, Snake Eyes, Panic Room, Presence, Black Bag, and even more. We're lucky to have David Koepp on today's episode. Want to participate in a writing workshop this summer with Ben Blacker and some terrific writers? Go from idea to first draft or get a rewr…

1
Quinn Shephard and Samir Mehta (Under the Bridge) 40:41

1y ago40:41

40:41

Under the Bridge creator Quinn Shephard (writer/director, Not Okay) and showrunner Samir Mehta (Narcos; Fear the Walking Dead) discuss couching emotional story in mystery plot, finding the universal in the specific, the Sopranos as children and as comedy, writing from the heart, reading to hire a room, and lots more. Come see Dead Pilots Society on…

1
The Big Cigar's Janine Sherman Barois and Jim Hecht 37:00

1y ago37:00

37:00

The Big Cigar's Janine Sherman Barois (Claws; Criminal Minds) and Jim Hecht (Winning Time; Ice Age) discuss the responsibility of telling true stories, how The Big Cigar isn't just a biopic, working on multiple projects, the state of the industry, and more. Come see Dead Pilots Society on Sunday, June 30, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In D…

1
The First Omen's Arkasha Stevenson + Tim Smith 42:38

1+ y ago42:38

42:38

The First Omen writer/director Arkasha Stevenson and co-writer Tim Smith discuss bringing their perspective to a beloved franchise, body horror, David Lynch, their writing process, that image, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Writing, where…

1
Ned Benson (The Greatest Hits) 42:05

1+ y ago42:05

42:05

Writer/director Ned Benson (The Greatest Hits; The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby) discusses writing an earnest love story, writing through the lens of a director, the delusions of belief, when to let go, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by subscribing to Ben Blacker's newsletter, Re:Wr…

1
Aron Eli Coleite (Spiderwick Chronicles; Atlas) 48:37

1+ y ago48:37

48:37

Aron Eli Coleite (creator/showrunner, The Spiderwick Chronicles; Atlas) discusses dialogue and action, helpful Aron-isms, our goldfish attention spans, key differences between TV and movie writing, why development takes so long now, and lots more. Come see Retrospecs on Sunday, May 19, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we dig th…

1
Don McKellar (co-creator, The Sympathizer) 39:45

1+ y ago39:45

39:45

Writer/director/actor Don McKellar (co-creator, The Sympathizer' 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould; Childstar) discusses throwing yourself into the deep end, the terrors of expectation, tradlation, and representation, collaborating with Park Chan-wook, how to know when to fight, his role on Slings and Arrows, and more. Come see Retrospecs on Sunday,…

1
Michael Jamin (Tacoma FD; Maron) 37:38

1+ y ago37:38

37:38

Michael Jamin (Tacoma FD; Maron) discusses his new collection of personal essays, A Paper Orchestra, sharing versus oversharing, what he learned about art from David Bowie and Pharrel, and more. Buy A Paper Orchestra and see Jamin on his live reading tour! Info here: https://michaeljamin.com/product/a-paper-orchestra/ Come see Retrospecs on Sunday,…

1
Evan Waite (Family Guy; Kimmy Schmidt) 32:37

1+ y ago32:37

32:37

Evan Waite (Family Guy; The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) discusses the kinds of comedy he enjoys, breaking in by taking chances, his new book Life Wants You Dead: A Calm, Rational and Totally Legit Guide to Scaring Yourself Safe, and more. Come see Retrospecs on Sunday, April 21, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we dig those old …

1
Melanie Marnich (showrunner, Apples Never Fall) 44:30

1+ y ago44:30

44:30

Melanie Marnich (creator, Apples Never Fall; The OA; Big Love) discusses pursuing projects that explore personal questions, casting her room for their strengths, pitching her perspective on Lianne Moriarty's novel, the Apples cast's secret text chain, and more. THE WRITERS PANEL IS A COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION. Follow and support the show by…

1
Abe Sylvia (Palm Royale; George and Tammy) 42:18

1+ y ago42:18

42:18

Abe Sylvia (creator, Palm Royale, George and Tammy; Dead to Me; Nurse Jackie) discusses making discoveries on set, healthy debate vs story breaking, working with frequent collaborators, how not outlining "reintroduces writerly delight," and more. Come see Retrospecs on Sunday, April 21, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we dig t…

1
John Orloff (Masters of the Air) 45:04

1+ y ago45:04

45:04

John Orloff (creator, Masters of the Air) discusses scripts as selling tools vs scripts as production tools, integrating research into scenes, writing a nine-hour movie, Band of Brothers, and more. Come see Retrospecs this Sunday, March 17, 2-4pm PT at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Retrospecs, we dig those old scripts by established writers out of …

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