Dead Pilots Society

Episode 176: Ilana Peña (Diary of a Future President) and Anne Sundell (writer and comedian) InterviewIn this month's after-show interview, Andrew chats with Ilana Peña (Diary of a Future President) and Anne Sundell (writer and comedian) about their pilot How to Get Over Bryan Byers. The pair share the real-life inspiration behind the show — yes, the actual Bryan Byers who unknowingly brought them together as friends and collaborators.Ilana and Anne reveal the incredible, improbable career breaks that launched them into TV writing, and offer candid, insightful advice about what makes a great writing partnership. This episode is a refreshing reminder that in the midst of all the negativity surrounding the industry, good things still happen — sometimes to good people.

Episode 175: How To Get Over Bryan Byers Written by Ilana Peña & Anne Sundell (Recorded Live at the Elysian Theater)This month on Dead Pilots Society, we're bringing you How To Get Over Bryan Byers, a hilarious comedy pilot from Ilana Peña (Diary of a Future President) and Anne Sundell (writer and comedian).The show follows two former enemies, Anna and Izzy, who become best friends after realizing they've both dated—and been dumped by—the same guy. Together, they tackle the ups and downs of their twenties: work, dating, and moving on. In the end, they discover the only way to truly get over someone is to fall in love with yourself. We recorded this live at the Elysian Theater, and the crowd had a blast.Cast includes: Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time), Jordan Rodrigues (Ladybird), Mary Beth Barone (Black Mirror; Overcompensating), Courtney Parchman (Sex Lives of College Girls; "Average Fashion Blogger”), Brendan Scannell (Loot), Mike Liebenson (Fairfax), Craig Cackowski (The Pitt; Drunk History), Bob Dassie (New Looney Tunes), Caitlin Reilly (Hacks), and Andrew Reich with stage directions.  Want to see the table read? Become a Maximum Fun member for just $5 a month and get access to the video and lots more. Sign up at maximumfun.org/join.And don't forget to check out Andrew's documentary Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story at reddkrossfilm.com/rent.Enjoy the read!

Episode 174: Austen Earl Interview (Letters to Beyoncé, Up All Night, The Millers, Happy Together)In this after-show interview, Andrew talks with writer/producer Austen Earl about his pilot Letters to Beyoncé, inspired by his own mom. Austen shares how he went from a tiny town in Vermont to a Hollywood writing career—with a surprising assist from his athletic background.They discuss the ups and downs of working in TV, including cancelled shows, and the influence of White Lotus creator Mike White on Austen's path. A funny, honest look at what it takes to make it in comedy writing.

Episode 173: Letters to Beyoncé written by Austin Earl (Up All Night, The Millers, Happy Together) In this episode of Dead Pilots Society, we bring you a heartfelt and hilarious pilot from Austen Earl (Up All Night, The Millers, Happy Together, About My Father). The script, Letters to Beyoncé, tells the story of a middle-aged schoolteacher in rural New England who decides to reclaim her life—with a little inspiration from an unlikely source: Beyoncé. Inspired by Earl's own mother (who was in attendance for the table read on Zoom!), the pilot balances sweetness with big laughs. The cast this month is, Stephnie Weir ( Happy Together, A Million Little Things), Jamila Velazquez (Law and Order: SVU, Empire), John Gemberling (The Great North), Steve Agee (Peacemaker), Will Choi (Central Park, BoJack Horseman), Kira Kosarin (The Thundermans), Karan Menon (comedian), Clare Gillies (Sprung), Nancy Lenehan (Veep, People of Earth), and Andrew Reich with stage directions. To watch a video of the table read, become a Maximum Fun member at maximumfun.org/join for as little as $5 a month.And don't forget to check out Andrew Reich's music documentary Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story at reddkrossfilm.com/rent.

In this after-show episode of Dead Pilot Society, we're joined by writer Lauren Herstik, who brought us Camp Friends — a pilot that's had more lives (and deaths) than most scripts could dream of. This one has everything: clown camp trauma, projectile vomit over a salad bar, surrealist puberty freakouts, and a long, winding journey through the chaotic world of TV development.Lauren sits down with host Andrew Reich to talk about the evolution of her coming-of-age summer camp comedy, from its original, raunchy YA vision at HBO Max, to a beachy reinvention, to its current cryogenic stasis somewhere in the Disney orbit. Along the way, we hear how shifting mandates, network rebrands, and executive shakeups nearly killed the project multiple times — and how Lauren refused to let it go quietly.

This month, we have a fantastic dead pilot, Camp Friends, written by Lauren Herstik. You may know Lauren as a writer on American Vandal and Pearson. Camp Friends is about best friends who spend every summer at Camp Wigeon. This is their CIT (counselor-in-training) year, the last before becoming counselors, and the last chance to have the best summer ever. So when a new, hot, mystery girl shows up at camp and threatens to derail those plans it's a big problem.Our cast this month features Zosia Mamet (Girls), Sasheer Zamata (Agatha All Along), Aparna Nancherla (The Great North), Jasmine Elist (Mr. Corman), Comedian Mary Shalaby, John Gemberling (The Great North), Will Choi (Central Park, BoJack Horseman), and Andrew Reich with stage directions. 

This is the After Show episode for Buffalo Tens featuring Andrew's interview with Riki Lindhome and Natasha Leggero (Another Period). It's also our last episode of MaxFunDrive 2025. If you haven't joined, boosted or upgraded yet, what are you waiting for?! You're reading the show notes! You're obviously a fan! Go to maximum fun.org/join right now! And then you can enjoy the insane story of how malaria brought Riki and Natasha together, how Another Period came to be, and the many times Buffalo Tens almost made it to a screen big or small. But first go to maximum fun.org/join and check out all the cool gifts that are only available for a few more days! And help Maximum Fun reach their goal of 15,000 new, boosting or upgrading members. If they make it, they are going to have a blow-out party and invite everyone! Please show your love for our show today, before it's to laaaaaate!!!! Go to maximumfun.org/join!MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

MaxFunDrive 2025 continues with a second episode of Buffalo Tens from Riki Lindhome and Natasha Leggero (Another Period). Fox liked this show about two Matchmakers from Hell in Buffalo, New York enough to order a second episode from Riki and Natasha. And then they passed, but we have revived it and are bringing it to you here! Remember, this is the time of year where we celebrate MaxFun members and remind you that this show exists because listeners like you support it. We recorded this live at the Elysian Theater with a cast that included Riki as Sherri, Natasha as Cami, Joshua Malina from the West Wing as Phil, Luke Tennie from Shrinking and Nickel Boys as Tony, Olivia Liang from Kung Fu as Kensley and Coco, Kyla Kennedy from Mr. Mayor and Speechless as Lacey, Eric Edelstein from We Bare Bears and Jurassic World as Ken, Will Greenberg from Wrecked and The After Party as Dr. Lockport, Duane and The Pawn Shop Owner, Punam Patel from Special and Kevin From Work as Marcy, and John Clarence Stewart from Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist as Martin. You can support Dead Pilots Society and get access to all of our bonus content, and the bonus content from every other Maximum Fun show, by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join. And if you're already a member, first of all - thank you!, you can upgrade or boost your membership and get some cool gifts. Go to maximumfun.org/join now!MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

You can support Dead Pilots Society and get access to all of our bonus content, and the bonus content from every other Maximum Fun show, by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join. And if you're already a member, first of all - thank you!, you can upgrade or boost your membership and get some cool gifts. Go to maximumfun.org/join now! MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

We have another live show coming up soon. It's on Sunday March 16th at 2:00 and at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles, and we will be reading not one but two episodes of a hilarious dead pilot or I guess a dead show, written by and starring the incredible Riki Lindhome and Natasha Leggero. Riki and Natasha co-created and starred in the Comedy Central show Another Period. But you know them from so many other things as well. Riki is one half of Garfunkel and Oates and you've seen her in everything from Big Bang Theory to Knives Out to Wednesday. Natasha you know from her comedy and Chelsea Lately and as a voice actor in one million things. A great cast is coming together for this, it'll be so much fun. Go to Elysiantheater.com to snag your tickets. 

John also wrote on Veronica Mars, iZombie, and Benched. This pilot has that unique Enbom touch.Rich Dan, Poor Dan was recorded live in front of an audience at the Elysian Theatre in Los Angeles. Our cast was Ryan Hansen (Party Down) as Danny, Martin Starr (Party Down, Silicon Valley) as Daniel, Zoe Chao (Party Down) as Marnie, Olivia Liang (Kung Fu) as Sasha, Comedian Patrick McDonald as Stuart, Janet Varney (Stan Vs. Evil, JV Club) as Bernice/Maywell, Ellie Reed (Girlboss) as Louise, Comedian Anna Seregina as Olga/Sexy Assistant/Sally, Brendan Scannell (Bonding, Heathers) as Gerd Himmel/Charmaine, Dead Pilots Society Stalwart Greg Santos as Ivan/Carlo/Marcus/Dr. Tim Salk, and John Enbom with Stage Directions (Andrew had Covid).

In this interview we talk about Joe and Joe's first show business jobs, including the insane, no-longer existent job of Night PA, delivering scripts in the wee hours of the night. They talk about how far having a great attitude can take you in this business, the lessons they've learned through their long careers and what they look for in people when they're staffing shows. And we have an update on Eternally Yours! CBS ordered up a ten week development room for them to hire a few writers and write a few scripts for the show. It is going to start up after they wrap production on Season four of Ghosts next month! So fingers crossed that this great show about the undead will actually become the first Dead Pilots Society pilot to actually rise from the dead. 

Things have been a little tough in Los Angeles this month, so we are bringing you our first ever Dead Pilots Society Rerun. This is one of our all-time favorite episodes. From way back in 2020, it's Eternally Yours from Joe Port & Joe Wiseman (Ghosts, The Office, New Girl), about a family of normal looking but emotionally closed off, stuck-together-for-eternity vampires. If you think there's no fresh spins left in the vampire genre, you need to listen to this one.  Eternally Yours was recorded live at The Improv in Hollywood and stars Ed Weeks as Charles, Briga Heelan as Liz, Asif Ali as Max, Vella Lovell as Emma, Tony Cavalero as Jesse, Yassir Lester as Benji, Matt Walsh as Mort/Sigmund Freud, Mindy Sterling as Phyllis/Woman/Kristen Stewart, Brendan Scannell as Steve The Blood Guy/Man, David Fumero as Henry, and Andrew Reich with stage directions.

A happy holidays to you! Hopefully you're wearing that Dead Pilots Society shirt you bought for yourself as a gift while listening to this episode! This is our interview with Amy and Brendan. In it you'll hear an honest take about how hard it is to sell things and make a living in Hollywood these days. We get into Amy & Brendan's writing dynamic, navigating writing with a partner versus writing solo, and the shows Amy and Brendan go back to for inspiration. Thanks for listening—we know you're going to love this episode!WE HAVE MERCH! Merch store: hereFor more information about Dead Pilots Society and to listen to past episodes featuring John Hodgman, Emerald Fennell, and many others, visit: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dead-pilots-society.  

It's the end of the year and we have a very special dead pilot for you! This is The 14th Floor written by Amy Reed (The Diary of a Future President) & Brendan Scannell (Bonding).  It centers around an ambitious young executive at multinational McKenna Corp who gets hip-checked by her threatened CEO, and is then banished to the depths of the 14th floor, where a staff of castoffs collect checks doing absolutely nothing. It was setup at HBO and this episode was recorded live at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles, CA. The cast for this one was outstanding: Olivia Lang (Kung Fu), Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite), Patrick McDonald (Smosh), Greg Santos (Great News), Anna Seregina, Janet Varney (Platonic, The Legend of Korra), Brendan Scannell, Ellie Reed (I Think You Should Leave), and Amy Reed. Thanks for listening—we know you're going to love this episode!WE HAVE MERCH! Merch store: hereFor more information about Dead Pilots Society and to listen to past episodes featuring John Hodgman, Emerald Fennell, and many others, visit: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dead-pilots-society.   

Happy Thanksgiving! In this episode, Andrew interviews Bill Callahan about his pilot Massholes. Bill has an impressive résumé, having worked on Spin City, 8 Simple Rules, Scrubs, Psych, American Housewife, and The Goldbergs.A former college athlete turned comedy writer, Bill shares his journey from football to comedy, starting in an agency mailroom and learning from legends like Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence. He discusses the differences between multi-camera and single-camera comedy writing, what he looks for when staffing a writer's room, and the group of friends that inspired Massholes.Thanks for listening—we know you're going to love this episode!For more information about Dead Pilots Society and to listen to past episodes featuring John Hodgman, Emerald Fennell, and many others, visit: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dead-pilots-society.

This month's pilot is Massholes. It was set up at ABC and written by Bill Callahan (Scrubs, Spin City). Bill is a veteran comedy writer who's worked on so many shows you know and love. This is a Friends-style ensemble pilot inspired by Bill's group of friends from Massachusetts. To keep things authentic, we assembled an all-star cast of actors from the Boston area.Massholes stars Rob Corddry (Ballers, Hot Tub Time Machine), Nicholas D'Agosto (Trial & Error, Criminal Minds), Misha Collins (Supernatural), Josh Gondelman (Last Week Tonight, Desus & Mero), Alyssa Limperis (What We Do in the Shadows), Maggie Lawson (Psych), Brittany Curran (The Magicians), Jamie Loftus (Star Trek: Lower Decks), Killian McAssey, and Andrew Reich with stage directions.If you missed our last live show, you can still watch the live feed here.WE HAVE MERCH! Merch store: hereFor more information about Dead Pilots Society and to listen to past episodes featuring John Hodgman, Emerald Fennell, and many others, visit: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dead-pilots-society. 

Welcome to the after-show for Mr. Macho! Andrew and Al recount their unusual first meeting during a casting session for a show that came together under extraordinary circumstances. They discuss how close Al has come to getting his story on air as a half-hour comedy, as well as the ongoing challenges of Latino representation in TV comedy. Chris also shares his wisdom on guiding and helping sell this pilot as its supervisor. This is a great interview packed with so much insight, and we know you're going to love it! Enjoy!TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW ON 11/17Link to ticketsOur November 17 show will feature scripts by John Enbom (co-creator, Party Down) and Brendan Scannell (Loot) & Amy Reed (Diary of a Future President).Cast includes:Martin Starr (Party Down, Spider-Man)Ryan Hansen (Party Down, Veronica Mars)Olivia Liang (Kung Fu)Chris Witaske (The Bear)Anna Seregina (The Civil Dead)…and more to be announced!For more information about Dead Pilots Society and to listen to past episodes featuring John Hodgman, Emerald Fennell, and many others, visit: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dead-pilots-society.

Our featured dead pilot this month is Mr. Macho, written by Al Madrigal. You might know Al from his stand-up, his time on The Daily Show, or his many TV and film appearances over the years. His autobiographical, focuses on a man struggling with his cultural identity and his place in a newly gentrifying neighborhood. The project was supervised by Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and was set up at CBS with CBS Studios attached to produce. It's an incredibly funny pilot that we know you're going to love.Mr. Macho stars Al Madrigal, Sherry Cola (Joy Ride), Julio Macias (On My Block), Marc Evan Jackson (The Good Place), Rachael Harris (Suits, Lucifer), Melissa Villaseñor (SNL), and Andrew Reich providing stage directions.TICKETS TO OUR LIVE SHOW ON 11/17Link to ticketsOur November 17 show will feature scripts by John Enbom (co-creator, Party Down) and Brendan Scannell (Loot) & Amy Reed (Diary of a Future President).Cast includes:Martin Starr (Party Down, Spider-Man)Ryan Hansen (Party Down, Veronica Mars)Olivia Liang (Kung Fu)Chris Witaske (The Bear)Anna Seregina (The Civil Dead)…and more to be announced!For more information about Dead Pilots Society and to listen to past episodes featuring John Hodgman, Emerald Fennell, and many others, visit: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/dead-pilots-society.

This is the after-show for Honey Do List, featuring our interview with Julie Bean and Brian Donovan. Julie and Brian share incredible stories about breaking into the industry and how they worked their way up to becoming showrunners. Brian also discusses his time on the legendary Georgetown improv troupe alongside Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Mike Birbiglia, and Jacqueline Novak, to name a few. There's great practical and honest insight into showrunning in this episode. Plus, you'll find out why every writer should have a post-it note on their computer that says: "Put it in the bathroom." You'll also hear about the development of Honey Do List and how it went from a tik tok video to a TV pilot. We loved chatting with Brian and Julie, and we know you're going to love listening to this one. Enjoy!The mother-daughter duo and tik tok video that inspired Honey Do List hereTickets to Ben Blacker's show Retro Specs live at The Elysian Theater on 9/29ticket link: https://www.elysiantheater.com/shows/retrospecsFor more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This month's pilot is Honey Do List, written by Julie Bean (showrunner of Grown-ish) and Brian Donovan (American Housewife). It's based on the real-life story of a mom who extricates herself from a controlling marriage, moves in with her lesbian daughter, Summer, and begins to rediscover joy by checking items off her bucket list, one at a time. This fantastic pilot was written during the pandemic, and we know you're going to love it! Enjoy!The cast for this one includes Katy Mixon (American Housewife), Olivia Scott Welch (Fear Street), Brea Grant (director of Torn Hearts and 12 Hour Shift), Andrew Ti (Yo Is This Racist podcast; That 90s Show writer), Chris Tallman (The Thundermans), Jamila Velasquez (Empire, Law and Order SVU, and West Side Story), Raymond Lee (Quantum Leap), Simon Gibson (Netflix is a Joke Festival & Star of the Amazon Prime Docuseries “Inside Jokes”)  and Andrew Reich with stage directions. For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This is a very special episode of Dead Pilots Society. It's our interview with Damir and Dario Konjicija, and in it, you'll hear perhaps the most interesting Hollywood origin story we've ever encountered. Damir and Dario discuss their journey from being Bosnian refugees to arriving in America in 1997 and falling in love with American television. They talk about starting school in America as Bosnian immigrants, how they quickly found their artistic passion, and the pact they made to move to Los Angeles and try to make it. They also discuss their humble beginnings in Los Angeles, how they started writing together, and the development of their pilot I Hate Myself. This is a terrific interview that we know you're going to love.For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

Our dead pilots this month is I Hate Myself by Dario & Dami Konjicija (Home Economics, Young Sheldon). This is a fun multi-camera buddy comedy with a time traveling twist. It was developed for CBS Studios and we know you're going to love it.  The cast for this one includes Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Josh Banday (Upload), Paige Collins (Good Girls), Leah Lewis (Matlock), Nabeel Muscatwalla (Better Days), Punam Patel (Ghosts) and Andrew Reich with stage directions. For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

We sat down with Jordan Roter to discuss her pilot Common Enemy. If you haven't listen to it yet, what are you waiting for? Jordan is an experienced writer who's sold her work in the literary, feature and television space. She talks about the process of pitching  a low concept character driven show, pushing the envelope in the family space and development stories about various projects she's had over the years. We  loved getting to sit down with Jordan and you're going to love listening to her too. Enjoy!For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com 

You're listening to the table read of Common Enemy written by Jordan Roter (Girl in Development author, American Housewife, The Watchful Eye). Common Enemy is a multi-generational family comedy about three generations of the same family going through their own version of puberty at the same time. The title comes from a joke Jordan's dad loves to tell. You'll have to listen to the table read to hear it. Common Enemy was developed for ABC Signature. This is a great network family show that totally pushes the envelope of what you can do in that space. It's a great script, with great energy. Enjoy it!Common Enemy stars Beth Dover (Orange Is The New Black, Another Period), Antonio Raul-Garcia (Brooklyn 99, Minions), Zainab Johnson (Upload, Hijabs Off), Nancy Lenehan (The Boys, Veep), Emma Shannon (Righteous Gemstones) Olivia Sui (Smosh, Do Revenge), Keith Szarabajka, (Fargo, The Dark Knight), Jonathan Tucker (Westworld, Kingdom), with stage directions by Andrew Reich. For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com   

Welcome to the after show, folks! Andrew sat down with the writer of last week's pilot Codependent, Mark Gross. Mark spoke to us about all things sitcom writing. We talked about how he got his start in comedy and his early days as a touring stand up comedian. How fellow comic Rodney Carrington helped him break into tv writing and what he learned working with the great Chuck Lorre. He also told us about the key word he has on a post-it by his computer when he's writing. No spoilers though! Mark offers some great perspective in this one! Enjoy it!WE HAVE A LIVE SHOW ON 6/30 / 2 PM at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. Our June 30 show features scripts by Dario Konjicija & Damir Konjicija (Home Economics; Young Sheldon) and Jordan Roter (American Housewife). We have a great cast for this one including: Beth Dover (Orange Is the New Black), Jonathan Tucker (Warrior; Westworld), Josh Banday (Upload; Not Dead Yet), Vinny Thomas (Platonic; Ahsoka), Leah Lewis (Matlock; Elemental), Punam Patel (Special; Ghosts), Nancy Lenehan (The Boys; People of Earth), Olivia Sui (Smosh; Do Revenge), Zainab Johnson (Upload; Last Comic Standing), Nabeel Muscatwalla (Good Trouble; Better Days), Paige Collins (Distance; Good Girls), Emma Shannon (Better Things; Puppy Dog Pals) and Antonio Corbo (Summer Camp Island; Minions). GET YOUR TICKETS HERE: https://www.elysiantheater.com/shows/deadpilots

We have a great pilot for you this month! It's written by the hilarious and well respected, Mark Gross (How We Roll, Mike & Molly). His pilot is called Codependent and it centers around a relationship between Nate, an aimless substitute teacher and Ed, the grandfather who raised him and how that relationship is challenged when Nate meets a women who could be the one. This pilot was written and sold to CBS twice before we were able to get our hands on it. Codependent stars Billy Gardell (Bob Hearts Abishola, Mike & Molly), Louis Mustillo (Mike & Molly), Katie Lowes (Scandal) Cecily Knobler, Sarah Stouffer (Switched At Birth), Nyambi Nyambi (The Good Fight, Night Court, Mike & Molly), Aaron Branch (Unstable), Tre Hale (Platonic), Marcus Bishop Wright, Katrina Davis, Noah Findling and Andrew Reich with stage directions. Enjoy!WE HAVE A LIVE SHOW ON 6/30 / 2 PM at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. Our June 30 show features scripts by Dario Konjicija & Damir Konjicija (Home Economics; Young Sheldon) and Jordan Roter (American Housewife). We have a great cast for this one including: Beth Dover (Orange Is the New Black), Jonathan Tucker (Warrior; Westworld), Josh Banday (Upload; Not Dead Yet), Vinny Thomas (Platonic; Ahsoka), Leah Lewis (Matlock; Elemental), Punam Patel (Special; Ghosts), Nancy Lenehan (The Boys; People of Earth), Olivia Sui (Smosh; Do Revenge), Zainab Johnson (Upload; Last Comic Standing), Nabeel Muscatwalla (Good Trouble; Better Days), Paige Collins (Distance; Good Girls), Emma Shannon (Better Things; Puppy Dog Pals) and Antonio Corbo (Summer Camp Island; Minions). GET YOUR TICKETS HERE: https://www.elysiantheater.com/shows/deadpilots  

You're listening to our after show interview with Michael Jonathan Smith (Twisted Metal). In it you'll hear Michael tell the arduous journey he went on to getting this pilot rejected. We talk about his bumpy journey, how he got to where he is now as the creator and showrunner of Twisted Metal on Peacock. For the Cobra Kai heads out there, there's some good discussion of the evolution of that show which he worked on all the way through from season one. We talked about what drew him to write this pilot and where it might go in series and we also discussed the things he would change about it. You're going to love this one! Enjoy it!For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

We have a hilarious pilot for you this month! It's called Faking A Murderer  written by Michael Jonathan Smith (creator of Twisted Metal, Cobra Kai). This pilot is about  the members of a small town police department who invent a serial killer to save their town's budget. Trigger warning! There's a lot of death, sick gross stuff, and the mistreatment of corpses in this one but it somehow manages to be insanely hilarious. Faking A Murderer was written by Michael Jonathan Smith and developed by Chris Yule and Alex Aschinge. This project was setup at Quibi with Sony attached to produced. Julius Sharpe was signed on to co-showrun with Seth Gordon attached to direct.  This is a twisted pilot for all of our sickos out there! Enjoy it!Our cast for this one included Allison Tolman (Fargo), Mike Mitchell (Love, The Doughboys Podcast), Andrew Lopez (The Bear, Platonic), Ryan Asher (Second City Mainstage), Rachel Marsh (Unstable), Chris Yule (I Own You), Alex Aschinge (I Own You)   and Andrew Reich with stage directions. For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This is our after show interview with Michael Lisbe & Nate Reger (Acapulco, The Cool Kids). In it you'll hear them talk about their show business breaks, how they generate ideas for pilots,  a real dilemma they faced early on in their career,  their favorite staffing jobs and the parts of their pilot Frenemies, that are based on facts. This one is a great conversation with old friends! Enjoy it!For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

Thank you to everyone who upgraded their max fun membership this year. We had more upgrades than last year and we're so grateful for all of you. You're support allows us to keep bringing you dead pilots. Our dead pilot this month is called Frenemies: The Journey Of Lewis & Clark  written by Michael Lisbe & Nate Reger (Just Shoot Meet, Cougar Town, 2 Broke Girls). Their dead pilot is a comedic take on Lewis & Clark's epic journey of discovery through the American west. This pilot is hard funny and it's also NSFW. We warned you! It was a spec Mike & Nate wrote in the early days of Covid and they set it up at Sony. Our cast included Brandon Scott Jones (Ghosts), Drew Powell (Gotham), Tre Hale (Platonic), Michael Cassidy (People Of Earth), Haskiri Velazquez (Saved By The Bell), Carlos Aazraqui (Reno 911!), Greg Santos (Great News)  and Andrew Reich with stage directions. There's still time to help support our podcast by becoming a maximum fun member for as little as $5 a month.  Help us support what we do by going to maximumfun.org/join.For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com 

This is an episode dedicated to unscripted television.  J. Keith van Straaten, Jordan Morris, and John Moe talk about their dead unscripted projects that were sold to networks and streams but never produced. This conversation went to a ton of unexpected places and that's definitely a part of it's charm. Enjoy it!There's still time to help support our podcast by becoming a maximum fun member for as little as $5 a month.  Help us support what we do by going to maximumfun.org/join. MaxFunDrive ends on March 29, 2024! Support our show now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

Another #maxfundrive bonus episode for you! Thank you to everyone who has boosted or become a #maxfundrive member, it's because of you that we can put out episodes like this. We sat down with comedy writer Andy Bobrow about his sitcom writing rules. Andy is a writer who's script Greatest American Heroes (ep link here) was last year's MaxFunDrive episode. We had an incredible cast for that one including Will Forte, Stephen Root, Rachel Harris, Sam Richardson and more.  Andy has written on Malcolm In The Middle, Community, Last Man On earth, Brooklyin Nine-Nine and currently he's been writing for Krapopolis. Recently, he posted some of his sitcom writing rules on twitter that we found to be super spot on and we wanted to talk to him about it. There's a lot of extremely practical advice in this one. Things that can help comedy writers at any level who are maybe stuck on a scene or looking for general things not to do. You can find his list here This is for all writers or fans who are interested in the craft of how comedy shows are written. If you get something useful out of this conversation please consider becoming a #maxfun member at just $5 a month by going to maximumfun.org/donate. Thanks for listening! Enjoy!  MaxFunDrive ends on March 29, 2024! Support our show now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

This is our after show interview with Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burger) about their pilot Principle. Mike and Mike developed Principle for Comedy Central wanting to explore the differences between a rapper's public and private persona. In this interview, you'll hear them talk about their comedy and hip hop influences, Open Mike's move from rapper to comedy writer/rapper and the process of pitching and developing a rap show for Comedy Central.  If you'd like to support our podcast, now is the time. It's MaxFunDrive; the one time of year where listeners like you can directly support our podcast. Your support is what allows us to keep putting out dead pilot after dead pilot. Help us out for as little as $5 a month.  MaxFunDrive ends on March 29, 2024! Support our show now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

We have a hilarious MAX FUN DRIVE episode for you!  It's the table read for Principle written by Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burgers) recorded LIVE at THE ELYSIAN THEATER! Principle was sold to Comedy Central. It's about a rapper trying to change his life and image but keeps being pulled back into the gangster character that made him famous. This show should be on the list along with Atlanta and Dave of the great television hip hop comedy of the last decade but alas it never it never made it to air. It's only available here on Dead Piltos Society and Dead Pilots Society only exists because of listeners like you  becoming Maximum Fun members. Your support is what keeps this podcast going. You can become a member for as little as $5 a month by going to maximumfun.org/joinPrinciple stars Open Mike Eagle, Shakira Ja'nai Paye, Tawny Newsome, Langston Kerman, Jamel Johnson, Paul F. Tompkins, Phil Lamarr, Aaron Branch, Taylor Garron and Andrew Reich with stage directions. For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com MaxFunDrive ends on March 29, 2024! Support our show now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

This is a special  episode in honor of The MaxFunDrive where Andrew and Ben answer a variety questions sent to us from listeners.  We had J. Keith van Straaten from Go Fact Yourself drop by to moderate. It was a lot of fun and we know you're going to love it.  Thank you for supporting our show!This special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you'd like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join.     MaxFunDrive ends on March 29, 2024! Support our show now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

This special network wide event is a celebration of The MaxFunDrive! If you'd like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. We're kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts.J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:Austin Taylor & Brenda Snell -“Secret Histories of Nerd Mysteries” Manolo Moreno - “Dr. Gameshow”Andrew Reich - “Dead Pilots Society”If you'd like to hear more hosts competing for trivia supremacy, visit Maximumfun.org for the full version of this show. MaxFunDrive ends on March 29, 2024! Support our show now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

This is our after show interview with Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show, Man With A Plan) about his pilot You're Only Young Twice. Tommy tells us about starting his stand up career at the age of 19, inspired by David Letterman.  How he went from being a touring comedian to writing on a television show. Andrew shares some good insight from his time on Friends and they both spend time figuring out a better second act complication for Tommy's pilot. This is a great one! Enjoy it!For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com    

This is the table read for You're Only Young Twice written by Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show, Man With A Plan). This pilot was a CBS network multi-camera sitcom. Logline: A young couple  discover the upside to getting pregnant at your junior prom is that your kid goes to college when you're 35, and you become empty nesters who get to start life all over again while you're still young enough to enjoy it. The downside is finding out your spouse has different plans for their second chance.You're Only Young Twice stars Jean-Luc Bilodeau (Baby Daddy, Carol's Second Act), Shakira Ja'nai Paye (House Party), Emily Robinson (Transparent), Taylor Garron (Yo Gabba Gabba), Aaron Branch (Unstable), Fahim Anwar (Neighbors), Kirk Fox (Jury Duty), Ryan Singer (Maron) and Andrew Reich with stage directions. For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This is our after show interview with Alex Burnett & Brendan McCarthy (Grace & Frankie) about their pilot Localized.  Alex's recounts his personal connection to the show, having grown up on Nantucket. You'll hear about the persistence it took to sell this show, their experience working with Mitch Hurwitz (creator of Arrested Development) and their journeys to becoming tv writers. They also share some really great writing insight they received from Mitch Hurwitz during the development process. You won't want to miss this one. Enjoy!For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This is the table read of LOCALIZED written by  Alex Burnett & Brendan McCarthy (Grace & Frankie). This pilot is based on a real life character. A man who is the only full time doctor on the island of Nantuckett. Localized is based on the book Island Practice written by Pam Belluck.  It's a wonderfully weird pilot that was sold to HBO Max with Mitch Hurwitz attached to executive produce. We had a great cast for this one! It includes  Adam Arkin (Chicago Hope, West Wing), Tobey Grey (College Humor), Cyrina Fiallo (Good Luck Charlie), Emily Chang (The Bold Type), Brendan Hines (Suits), Lizzie Peet (American Crime Story), John Ross Bowie (Speechless), Nick Wechsler (Roswell), Baron Vaughn (Grace & Frankie), Hal Lublin (The Venture Bros) and Andrew Reich with stage directions. WE HAVE A LIVE SHOW COMING UP on January 21st from 3PM to 5PM at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. Come see us table read scripts the following scripts: Principle written by Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burgers)You're Only Young Twice written by Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show, Man With A Plan). TICKETS at elysiantheater.comIf you'd like to see the video feed of Localized, you can do so by going to maximum fun.org/join and become a member for as little as $5. Tune in next week for our interview with Alex & Brendan. Thanks for watching and supporting our show! Enjoy!For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This is the after show for Fulfillment with its writer Vali Candrasekaran (Modern Family, 30 Rock). Vali is a respected veteran comedy writer who's written on all of your favorite sitcoms. You'll hear the crazy story about how he landed his first job on "My Name Is Earl".  He talks about a show he created with Christopher Lloyd (Modern Family, Frasier) starring two A-list actors that somehow didn't get picked up to series.  Vali shares some great advice he received from Chris regarding multi-camera sitcom writing and some of his own advice on writing a pilot. Writers, do not miss this episode.  Enjoy!WE HAVE A LIVE SHOW COMING UP on January 21st from 3PM to 5PM at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. Come see us table read scripts the following scripts: Principle written by Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burgers)You're Only Young Twice written by Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show, Man With A Plan). TICKETS at elysiantheater.comFor more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This is the table read of Fufillment written by  Vali Chandrasekaran (Modern Family, 30 Rock). FULFILMENT  is an ensemble workplace comedy about a group of people whose job it is to make money for the most evil company on earth, but they spend most of their time helping each other through life.  It's about maintaining your humanity in a dehumanizing world. The cast for this one is nothing short of amazing! It includes Zooey Deschanel (New Girl, 500 Days Of Summer) Michaela Watkins (Wanderlust), Padget Brewster (Criminal Minds, Community) Hamish Linklater (The Big Short), Asif Ali (WandaVision), Solomon Georgio (Shrill, High Fidelity), Eric Edelstein (Jurassic World), John Lutz (SNL, 30 Rock), Hal Lublin (We Got This with Mark and Hal) and Andrew Reich with stage directions. WE HAVE A LIVE SHOW COMING UP on January 21st from 3PM to 5PM at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. Come see us table read scripts the following scripts: Principle written by Open Mike Eagle (The New Negroes) & Mike Benner (Bob's Burgers)You're Only Young Twice written by Tommy Johnagin (That 90s Show, Man With A Plan). TICKETS at elysiantheater.comFor more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

Andrew interviewed the writer of Sam In Retrograde, Sam Jarvis (Dollface, Tosh.O)! Sam has a fresh voice and even still has that new writer passion for the business. We love to see it, it's a breath of fresh air. In this interview, Sam tells us about the germ of the idea for her show and why she named her lead character after herself. She talks about what it's like to be the only woman in writer's room and some insight into working on the Comedy Central hit Tosh.O. Sam's also one of the few writers we know who writes everyday. We love that for her and we know you will too. Enjoy this one and thanks for listening.  For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This is the table read of Sam In Retrograde written by Sam jarvis (Dollface. Tosh.o). SAM IN RETROGRADE is a weird little comedy about one woman's journey through grief, and her attempt to find herself in the process. More specifically, it's about a girl who starts carrying her dead husband's urn around everywhere and talking to it as if they're still married. Which yes, does affect her relationships with everyone else in her life. As you'd imagine. The project was developed and optioned at CBS Studios with Party Over Here producing, and Bert & Bertie (HAWKEYE, THE GREAT, TROOP ZERO) attached to direct. It was taken out the summer of 2021 and pitched to Hulu, Apple, Paramount+, Showtime, Peacock, FX, Freeform, and HBOMax. While a few execs fought for it, they all ended up passing. And if I recall correctly, Amazon and Netflix passed before hearing a pitch. It was all very cool. The cast for this one is  nothing short than spectactular. It includes Katie O'Brien (Teachers), Katrina Davis (Figuring It Out), Julie Brister (Goliath), Suzy Nakamura (Avenue 5, Dead to Me, Dr. Ken), John Ross Bowie (Speechless, Big Bang Theory), Leonard Robinson (Insecure), Ashley Padilla (Son of Zorn) and Andrew Reich with stage directions. For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com 

We sat down with the writers of Let's Do Lunch, Amanda Lund and Maria Blasucci. Andrew covers so many things with Amanda and Maria including a full description of the food spread at a 90s sitcom taping, the story about how they met, Maria's many appearances on Drunk History, the importance of making your own content, and how to write what's in your heart. Amanda and Maria are Dead Pilots Society regulars that we love having on the show and we're thrilled we got to do their pilot. If you haven't listened to it yet, you must do so now. You're going to love this one. We guarantee it. Enjoy!For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This month's pilot is comedy gold! It's called Let's Do Lunch written by Maria Blasucci & Amanda Lund. Let's Do Lunch is a satirical look into the drug and sex fueled world of Hollywood throughout the blockbustery 1980s as seen through the eyes of male visionary power producers, Chase Tillman and Brock Springs (played by Maria Blasucci and Amanda Lund). Their project was set up at FX with Party Over Here attached to produce.Our cast for this one includes Amanda Lund, Maria Blasucci, Taran Killam, Taylor Garron, Patty Guggenheim, Andy Daly, Mark McKinney, Flula Borg, Crack Cackowski, Richelle Meiss, Morgan Jay and Andrew Reich with stage directions.Tune in next week for our interview with Amanda and Maria. Thanks for watching and supporting our show! Enjoy!For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

We have a terrific after show interview for you with the creators of Pretty, Santina Muha, Lindsey Kraft and Andrew Leeds. This is a truly uplifting and inspiring conversation. You'll hear Santina talk about how she got her start in comedy and how her childhood accident forced her to hone her comedy skills. She discusses the importance of making light of a terrible situation, simple things people take for granted like sidewalks, and her passion of using comedy as a platform to discuss important issues. This was a great interview with some of our favorite creators. We know you're gong to love it. Enjoy!Santina's music video for A$$ LEVEL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fvcDkqWO2EGet the video for the Pretty table read for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/joinFor more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

Another month, another pilot! It's Pretty written by Lindsey Kraft (story by Lindsey Kraft, Santina Muha, Andrew Leeds). Pretty is about a ballsy, passionate woman (Muha) who moves from Jersey to L.A. to pursue her dreams of finding love and becoming the next Oprah. Kraft and Muha were attached to star in the project with Michelle Nader, Kaley Cuoco's Yes, Norman Productions and Warner Bros. TV attached to produce. We loved reading this one. It's one of those funny, sweet and inspiring pilots that can brighten your day. We know you're going to love it. Enjoy!We had a terrific cast for this one including Santina Muha, Lindsey Kraft, Timm Sharp, Oscar Montoya, Andrew Leeds, Sydney Steinberg, Justina Machado and Andrew Reich with stage directions.If you'd like to see the video feed of Pretty, you can do so by going to maximum fun.org/join and become a member for as little as $5. Tune in next week for our interview with Lindsey, Santina and Andrew. Thanks for watching and supporting our show! Enjoy!If you're trying to support the writer's strike below is a link to do so:https://secure2.convio.net/afa/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20120a?df_id=2857&2857.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&NONCE_TOKEN=9EE6EC32C18BA876373B9C3236C55098 For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This week we sat down with the writers of Trial, Matteo Borghese & Rob Turbovsky. Spoiler alert! Rob and Matteo reveal who the killer in their pilot is. We're not going to spoil it for you in the show notes though. You'll have to listen to this episode to find out. The Emmy nominated duo also discuss their experience staffing on Silicon Valley, Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Only Murders In The Building. They explain what they believe a TV writer's job is. We'll give you a hint, it has something to do with reading your boss's mind. This is a great interview that we know you're going to love. Enjoy!Get the video for the Trial table read for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/joinFor more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

This month's table read is for a pilot called Trial written by Emmy nominated writing duo Matteo Borghese & Rob Turbovsky. Trial centers around an aging comedy icon who finds his life turned upside down when he is charged with the murder of his sleazy business manager and, possibly worse, revealed to be not all that nice.  Trial was setup at Comedy Central. It should be noted that we read this pilot live in Los Angeles at The Lyric Hyperion Theater. That's right, you're going to hear some real laughs! Our cast for Trial was truly outstanding. It features Mark McKinney as Bradley, Ritesh Rajan as Donald, Khary Payton as Detective Hanscom, Taylor Garron as Alex Bridge,  Vinny Thomas as Chet, Patty Guggenheim as Paula Glass, Craig Cackowski as Marty, Richelle Meiss as Debbie Tremblay/various characters, Morgan Jay as Jacob Tremblay/various characters and Andrew Reich with stage directions. Thanks for listening! Enjoy!For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com