Podcasts about dead pilots society

Ana Nogueira (Supergirl) discusses pitching open writing assignments, setting a reasonable goal, the Westerns that inspired Supergirl, the core of Kara Zor-El, her favorite brainwash, and lots more.Dead Pilots Society returns live and on demand Sunday July 12, 3-5pm, at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Dead Pilots Society, scripts that were developed by studios and networks but were never produced are given the table reads they deserve.The July 12 show features Weekly World News by Michael Colton & John Aboud (Home Economics) and Fangirl by Claudia Lonow (How to Live with Your Parents [for the Rest of Your Life]).Cast includes: Brennan Lee Mulligan (Dimension 20), Alex Moffat (SNL; Bad Monkey), Rich Sommer (Mad Men), Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This), Isabella Roland (Dimension 20; Sex Lives of College Girls), Rekha Shankar (Dimension 20; Star Trek: Starfleet Academy), Fred Melamed (Barry), Zac Oyama (Dimension 20), Jessica Lowe (Minx), James Adomian (Krapopolis), Courtney Pauroso (Jackass Forever), and more.GET TICKETS NOWNo Notes is Sunday July 19, 7pm, at the Dynasty Typewriter Theater in LA!This is a new staged show in which great pilot scripts are adapted for the stage and performed by brilliant casts.The July 19 show features two comedy scripts:The Survivalists is by Kashana Cauley (The Great North; The Daily Show), based on her novel about a Brooklyn lawyer who falls in love with a coffee roaster/survivalist.Suckers by Eden Dranger (Beavis & Butthead) & Daley Haggar (The Big Bang Theory) is about 20-something vampires.Starring Molly Quinn (Castle), Justin Kirk (The Burbs; Weeds), Cooper Tomlinson (Obsessed), Kira Kosarin (The Thundermans), Sarunas Jackson (Insecure; Clipped), and more to be announced!GET TICKETS NOWTHE 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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 203: Joel Kim Booster Interview   This is the aftershow for Here, After, featuring a conversation with writer, actor, and comedian Joel Kim Booster. Joel is known for writing and starring in Fire Island and for his work on The Other Two and Big Mouth. As an actor, he's appeared in Loot, Search Party, Shrill, and more.   In this wide-ranging conversation, Joel talks about his early days as a playwright, the television shows and performers that inspired him to pursue comedy and TV writing, and the long, unusual journey that brought Fire Island from concept to hit feature film.He also shares the ambitious plans he had for Here After, revealing storylines and character arcs that make the loss of this pilot feel especially painful. Along the way, Joel offers an honest look at the realities of today's television and film industry and reflects on why he still thinks of himself as a writer first, even after finding success as a performer.   The next Dead Pilots Society live show is at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 12th. The show will feature readings of Weekly World News by Michael Colton and John Aboud, and Fan Girl by Claudia Lonow. Go to https://www.elysiantheater.com/ to get your tickets. Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Christine Boylan (Avatar: The Last Airbender; Poker Face) discusses running seasons 2 and 3, the Stoppard quote that taught her structure, the real world seeping into a fantasy series, her nerd credentials, season 2 as the Empire Strikes Back season, and more.Dead Pilots Society returns live and on demand Sunday July 12, 3-5pm, at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Dead Pilots Society, scripts that were developed by studios and networks but were never produced are given the table reads they deserve.The July 12 show features Weekly World News by Michael Colton & John Aboud (Home Economics) and Fangirl by Claudia Lonow (How to Live with Your Parents [for the Rest of Your Life]).Cast includes:Brennan Lee Mulligan (Dimension 20), Alex Moffat (SNL; Bad Monkey), Rich Sommer (Mad Men), Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This), Isabella Roland (Dimension 20; Sex Lives of College Girls), Rekha Shankar (Dimension 20; Star Trek: Starfleet Academy), Fred Melamed (Barry), Zac Oyama (Dimension 20), Jessica Lowe (Minx), James Adomian (Krapopolis), Courtney Pauroso (Jackass Forever), and more.GET TICKETS NOWNo Notes is Sunday July 19, 7pm, at the Dynasty Typewriter Theater in LA!This is a new staged show in which great pilot scripts are adapted for the stage and performed by brilliant casts.The July 19 show features two comedy scripts:The Survivalists is by Kashana Cauley (The Great North; The Daily Show), based on her novel about a Brooklyn lawyer who falls in love with a coffee roaster/survivalist.Suckers by Eden Dranger (Beavis & Butthead) & Daley Haggar (The Big Bang Theory) is about 20-something vampires.Starring Justin Kirk (The Burbs; Weeds), Cooper Tomlinson (Obsessed), Kira Kosarin (The Thundermans), Sarunas Jackson (Insecure; Clipped), and more to be announced!GET TICKETS NOWTHE 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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 202: Here, After by Joel Kim Booster   This month, Dead Pilots Society welcomes back writer, actor, and comedian Joel Kim Booster, whose pilot Birthright was previously featured on Episode 34. Joel wrote and starred in the hit Hulu movie Fire Island. He was a writer on The Other Two and Big Mouth, and as an actor, you've seen him on Shrill and Search Party.   Joel's pilot Here, After, never actually sold, despite being developed with the companies of Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, and Aidy Bryant. But when Andrew read it, he knew it deserved a place on the podcast.    It is about the unlikely friendship between Ezra, a Gen Z woman trying to make a difference in the world and find her place in it, and Charlie, a caustic, self-absorbed, gay millennial ghost.   Funny, frank, surprisingly moving, and packed with killer jokes, Here, After is a pilot about friendship, purpose, and what happens when a ghost refuses to move on.   The cast for this pilot includes Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island, The Other Two), MItra Jouhari (Digman!, Bigmouth, The Bear), Poppy Liu (Hacks, I Love Boosters!), Charlie Barnett (The Acolyte, Russian Doll), Katherine Bourne Taylor (Bellingham Bay), Lisa Gilroy (Shrinking)   Video of the live table read is available exclusively to Maximum Fun members. Become a member for as little as $5 a month at maximumfun.org/join.   The next Dead Pilots Society live show is at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 12th. The show will feature readings of Weekly World News by Michael Colton and John Aboud, and Fan Girl by Claudia Lonow. Go to https://www.elysiantheater.com/ to get your tickets.   And don't forget to check out Andrew's documentary Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story at  https://www.reddkrossfilm.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Owen Dennis (creator of Among Us and Infinity Train) discusses conveying tone, discovering theme, deconstructing tropes, dueling arcs, the line from Star Wars that unlocked everything, and more.Dead Pilots Society returns live and on demand Sunday July 12, 3-5pm, at the Elysian Theater in LA! In Dead Pilots Society, scripts that were developed by studios and networks but were never produced are given the table reads they deserve.The July 12 show features Weekly World News by Michael Colton & John Aboud (Home Economics) and Fangirl by Claudia Lonow (How to Live with Your Parents [for the Rest of Your Life]).Cast includes:Brennan Lee Mulligan (Dimension 20), Alex Moffat (SNL; Bad Monkey), Rich Sommer (Mad Men), Jackie Tohn (Nobody Wants This), Isabella Roland (Dimension 20; Sex Lives of College Girls), Rekha Shankar (Dimension 20; Star Trek: Starfleet Academy), Fred Melamed (Barry), Zac Oyama (Dimension 20), Jessica Lowe (Minx), James Adomian (Krapopolis), Courtney Pauroso (Jackass Forever), and more.GET TICKETS NOWNo Notes is Sunday July 19, 7pm, at the Dynasty Typewriter Theater in LA!This is a new staged show in which great pilot scripts are adapted for the stage and performed by brilliant casts.The July 19 show features two comedy scripts:The Survivalists is by Kashana Cauley (The Great North; The Daily Show), based on her novel about a Brooklyn lawyer who falls in love with a coffee roaster/survivalist.Suckers by Eden Dranger (Beavis & Butthead) & Daley Haggar (The Big Bang Theory) is about 20-something vampires.Starring Justin Kirk (The Burbs; Weeds), Kira Kosarin (The Thundermans), Sarunas Jackson (Insecure; Clipped), and more to be announced!GET TICKETS NOWTHE 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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 201: Christian Duguay Interview   This is the After Show for Valley Heat, featuring Andrew's interview with creator Christian Duguay.   A longtime admirer of Valley Heat, Andrew finally gets the chance to sit down with Christian for a conversation about the unusual path that led to the creation of the podcast. Unlike many guests on the show, Christian didn't come up through traditional TV comedy writing. Rather than climbing through sitcom writers' rooms, his background includes music, improv at The Groundlings, and years working in reality television before eventually creating the suburban world of Valley Heat. The conversation explores how the podcast first came together, the trial and error involved in finding its voice, and the meticulous process behind creating each episode. Christian also talks about the challenge of adapting such a specifically audio-based comedy into a visual format. It's a funny and wide-ranging conversation about creativity, persistence, and making something completely its own thing.   Save the date for the next live Dead Pilots Society show at the Elysian Theater on July 12. We will have more info and a link for tickets soon. Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 200: Valley Heat by Christian Duguay   This month marks the 200th episode of Dead Pilots Society, which feels like a real milestone for a show that requires considerably more coordination than a couple of people just turning on microphones and talking. Every pilot episode means finding a pilot, assembling a cast, and putting together a live reading, so reaching 200 episodes feels genuinely significant.   While this is the show's 200th episode, it's also the 118th dead pilot the podcast has brought to life so far. For the occasion, we wanted something special, and this month's pilot more than fits the bill: Valley Heat, written by Christian Duguay. Andrew has previously called Valley Heat (another Maximum Fun show) one of the greatest achievements in podcasting, and after connecting with Christian last year, learned that a pilot version of the podcast existed. After much persistence, Dead Pilots Society finally got the chance to stage it live at the Elysian Theater. Set in Burbank's Rancho Equestrian neighborhood, Valley Heat captures the bizarre rhythms of suburban life in a way that's both deeply specific and completely unhinged. For anyone discovering Valley Heat for the first time, this episode may be the perfect introduction.   The live reading also features many of the recognizable voices from the original podcast appearing onstage in person, making for a uniquely surreal experience. The cast includes: Christian Duguay (Plantman & Blondie, The Dress Up Gang), Kevin CamIa (Fallout), Mike O'Connell (DTF St Louis, Patriot), Merrill Davis (Comics Unleashed, Time Out Comics to Watch), Emily Maya Mills (Key and Peele, Orange is the new Black), Matt Braunger (stand up), Chris Garcia (WTF, This American Life, Scattered), Beth Stelling (Netflix, HBO Max comedy), DeMorge Brown (Destroy All Neighbors)   Video of the live table read is available exclusively to Maximum Fun members. Become a member for as little as $5 a month at maximumfun.org/join. And don't forget to check out Andrew's documentary Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story at  https://www.reddkrossfilm.com/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 1   As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you're getting the best of the best.   The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 199: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Interview Part Two     This is the After Show for Gimme Five, featuring part two of Andrew's conversation with Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, creators of How I Met Your Mother.   The discussion digs into the real-life inspiration behind Gimme Five, a project shaped as much by nostalgia as it is by firsthand experience. Carter and Craig reflect on the writers' rooms that shaped the pilot, and the kind of shared comedy culture that gets handed down over time, something that now feels increasingly rare.   The conversation is loose, funny, and occasionally thoughtful, touching on collaboration, process, and what makes a great room work.   Dead Pilots Society is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 2   As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you're getting the best of the best.   The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 3   As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you're getting the best of the best.   The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 197: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Interview This is the After Show for New York Mythological, featuring Andrew's conversation with Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, creators of How I Met Your Mother.   As part of this MaxFunDrive run, Dead Pilots Society is featuring two pilots from Carter and Craig. In a few days, the second one, Gimme Five, will be released, followed by part two of Andrew's interview with them.   The conversation gets into the real origins of How I Met Your Mother, the experiences, influences, and unexpected ingredients that eventually became the show. Carter and Craig also talk about the years before that success, and the many turns a writing career can take along the way.   It's a funny, candid conversation about writing, setbacks, success, and the odd resilience it takes to keep making things.   Here is a link to "The Future is Now”, Oliver Beene theme song by Carter and Craig's band “The Solids”  Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 4   As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you're getting the best of the best. The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Bonus: Top Five Funniest Openings in Dead Pilots Society History - Number 5   As a special bonus for MaxFunDrive 2026, we bring you the top five funniest openings in Dead Pilots Society history, as voted by the DPS staff. It was a challenge to narrow it down to just five, but that just means you're getting the best of the best.   The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 196: New York Mythological by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas   This month's dead pilot, kicking off the 2026 MaxFunDrive, is New York Mythological, written by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. Best known as the co-creators and showrunners of How I Met Your Mother, Carter and Craig previously wrote for The Late Show with David Letterman and produced American Dad. Carter is the author of the novel The Mutual Friend, Craig wrote the novel That's Not How It Happened, and together they're also members of the band The Solids. Craig also recently launched the How We Made Your Mother rewatch podcast. To celebrate the MaxFunDrive, Dead Pilots Society is featuring not one, but two pilots from Carter and Craig this month.   The log line for New York Mythological - A new arrival joins the team at a museum devoted to exploring supernatural and paranormal phenomena in New York City. With kind of a How I Met Your Mother meets Ghostbusters feel, the pilot features a fantastic cast featuring Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time, Shrinking), Devon Bostick (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Crime 101), Alyssa Limperis (What We Do In the Shadows), Josh Fadem (The Lowdown; American Dad), Kal Penn (Harold and Kumar, Industry) Cyrina Fiallo (HIgh Potential, 911 Lonestar), Tami Sagher (Inside Amy Schumer)   It's MaxFunDrive season, which means celebrating the listeners who make Dead Pilots Society possible. The show is supported by MaxFun members contributing $5 a month or more, and this is the time of year to say thanks and invite new listeners to join. Throughout the drive, there will be more episodes and a few extra check-ins along the way. To learn more or become a member, visit https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots Happy MaxFunDrive! Right now is the best time to start a membership to support your favorite shows. Learn more and join at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Writers/directors Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher (Pizza Movie; Over Your Dead Body) discuss their comedy sketch roots as "BritaNick" and what that represents, writing scripts that wouldn't be made, editing themselves, how to interact with the people paying you to write, why Pizza Movie is the perfect BritaNick movie debut, and more.Some fun events coming up!On Sunday, April 19, 2-4pm, is a live Dead Pilots Society featuring scripts by Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island; The Other Two) and an adaptation of the Valley Heat podcast by its creator Christian Duguay (Mad TV). Cast includes Mitra Jouhari (Big Mouth), Poppy Liu (Hacks), and stand-ups Beth Stelling, Matt Braunger, Chris Garcia, Demorge Brown, Kevin Camea, Emily Maya Mills, Mike O'Connell, and more!Also on Sunday April 19, at 5pm, Ben Blacker is directing a very fun one-person show by actress Katherine Bourne Taylor. Bellingham Bay is for fans of classic WB and CW shows, warm Canadian TV romances, and people who live in their heads.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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer/director BenDavid Grabinski (Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice; Scott Pilgrim Takes Off; Happily) discusses getting caught in the current of his career, runs of bad luck, runs of good luck, perseverance, tips for writing an easy-to-read script, making hamburgers, and more.Some fun events coming up!If you're in New Orleans this week, Ben is at the Overlook Film Festival on a panel called "Fear Factors: Alt-Horror Experiences" in which he'll discuss writing and producing The Thrilling Adventure Hour, his horror comic Hex Wives, and more! It's on Friday. April 10 at 2:30pm.On Sunday, April 19, 2-4pm, is a live Dead Pilots Society featuring scripts by Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island; The Other Two) and an adaptation of the Valley Heat podcast by its creator Christian Duguay (Mad TV). Cast includes Mitra Jouhari (Big Mouth), Poppy Liu (Hacks), and stand-ups Beth Stelling, Matt Braunger, Chris Garcia, Demorge Brown, Kevin Camea, Emily Maya Mills, Mike O'Connell, and more!Also on Sunday April 19, at 5pm, Ben Blacker is directing a very fun one-person show by actress Katherine Bourne Taylor. Bellingham Bay is for fans of classic WB and CW shows, warm Canadian TV romances, and people who live in their heads.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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 195: Georgia Pritchett Interview   This After Show features Andrew's interview with Emmy and WGA Award–winning writer Georgia Pritchett, the writer of this month's dead pilot, Bump.   Georgia is best known for her work on Veep and Succession, and has also written for The Thick of It and Avenue 5. She created and showran The Shrink Next Door and is the author of the memoir My Mess Is a Bit of a Life: Adventures in Anxiety. In the conversation, Georgia talks about building a career in British television, shares stories from the writers' rooms of Veep and Succession, and discusses the inspiration behind Bump. It's a wide-ranging conversation about her career, her approach to writing, and how the idea for Bump first took shape. The next live Dead Pilots Society show will be at the Elysian Theater on April 19, featuring pilots by Joel Kim Booster and Christian Duguay.

Episode 194: Bump by Georgia Pritchett   This month's dead pilot is Bump, written by Emmy and WGA Award–winning writer Georgia Pritchett. Georgia is widely known for her work on Veep and Succession, and has also written for The Thick of It and Avenue 5. She served as creator and showrunner on The Shrink Next Door and is the author of the memoir My Mess Is a Bit of a Life: Adventures in Anxiety.   Bump follows a British couple coming to America to meet their surrogate, since surrogacy is illegal in the UK, only to discover she's very different from what they imagined. The pilot blends emotional stakes with sharp, unexpected comedy in a way that feels very much in line with Georgia's writing style.   The pilot was read live on stage at the Elysian Theater in Frogtown, Los Angeles with an amazing cast featuring Sarah Solemani (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Bad Education), Ed Weeks (The Mindy Project, Drop), Jessica Sula (Split, Michael), Logan Miller (Escape Room), Ginger Gonzaga (She Hulk), Beth Dover (Orange is the New Black, Nobody Wants This), with Stage direction from Andrew Reich The next live Dead Pilots Society show will be at the Elysian Theater on April 19, featuring pilots by Joel Kim Booster and Christian Duguay.   Video of the live table read is available exclusively to Maximum Fun members. Become a member for as little as $5 a month at maximumfun.org/join.   And don't forget to check out Andrew's documentary Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story at https://www.reddkrossfilm.com/

Colby Day (In the Blink of an Eye; Spaceman) discusses assurance in writing and business, learning by making, writing impossible-to-execute ideas, receiving notes, and more.A couple of fun shows coming up that you can attend in LA or stream from anywhere! On Saturday March 28, 8:30pm, and Sunday April 19, 5pm, Ben Blacker is directing a very fun one-person show by actress Katherine Bourne Taylor. Bellingham Bay is for fans of classic WB and CW shows, warm Canadian TV romances, and people who live in their heads. Also on Sunday, April 19, 2-4pm, is a live Dead Pilots Society featuring scripts by Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island; The Other Two) and an adaptation of the Valley Heat podcast by its creator Christian Duguay (Mad TV).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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 191: Text Thread Dead Pilot Summit This special episode of Dead Pilots Society brings together the writers behind the last two pilots for a sort of Text Thread Dead Pilot Summit. The conversation features Aaron Brownstein and Simon Ganz, writers of Guy Text, alongside Mike Gagerman and Andrew Waller, writers of The Thread.Andrew brings all four writers together for a deeper, side-by-side look at their creative processes.What makes the conversation especially unique is the generosity on display. Rather than competing, the writers openly praise what they admired in each other's pilots, offering thoughtful insight into how similar ideas can emerge independently, without imitation. It's a rare, candid conversation about writing partnerships, creative overlap, and the realities of comedy writing, presented without ads or interruptions—just four writers talking honestly about the work.

Episode 187: Guy TextWritten by Aaron Brownstein & Simon Ganz This month's dead pilot is Guy Text, written by Aaron Brownstein and Simon Ganz, whose credits include Santa Clarita Diet, Beavis and ButtHead, and About a Boy.  Four geriatric millennial friends struggle with what it means to be sensitive, thoughtful, emotionally available modern men. It's a fast paced and funny pilot that you'll really enjoy.This episode launches a special two-month experiment on Dead Pilots Society. Two pilots built around the same premise—male group text threads—landed on Andrew's radar, and both received table reads. In January we will be posting the second pilot, the after show interview, and  a special roundtable episode featuring the writers of both pilots, diving into their approaches, creative choices, and the challenges of tackling the same premise.The cast includes Ben Feldman (Superstore), Ritesh Rajan (Definition Please, Ken in animated Barbie TV shows), Alex Klein (Guardians of the Galaxy 2), Josh Banday (Upload), Jonathan Slavin (Better Off Ted), Holly Chou (X-Men 97), Jessica Lowe (Minx), writer and comedian Megan Gailey, Anna Seregina (The Civil Dead), and Andrew Reich with stage directions.Video of the Zoom table read is available exclusively to Maximum Fun members. Become a member for as little as $5 a month at maximumfun.org/join.And don't forget to check out Andrew's documentary Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story at https://www.reddkrossfilm.com/.

Episode 186: Lisa Muse Bryant InterviewThis month's After Show features Andrew's conversation with Lisa Muse Bryant, the powerhouse behind our latest dead pilot Dream. Lisa traces her remarkable journey from Camden, New Jersey, to writing on standout series like Black-ish, The Four Seasons, Man on the Inside, and Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. She dives into the real-life inspiration behind the pilot and the serendipity of her collaboration with Amber Riley. We also get to hear her wonderful insights about carving out a career and making the most of every opportunity that came her way.Don't miss the Dead Pilots Society live show at the Elysian Theater this Sunday, December 7th. The evening will feature a pilot from actress Ginger Gonzaga, joined onstage by Luke Tennie, Lauren Potter, and Kyle Bornheimer, along with a script by Georgia Pritchett whose cast includes Sarah Solemani and Ed Weeks. Get your tickets at elysiantheater.com.

This week Erin shares her new hobby of reading rare books from the 1930s, and Bryan gets back to smoking on the set of a short film in New York. Bryan covers annual polls from YouGov/The Economist and Gallup showing support for gay marriage and trans rights is at its lowest level in the last 10 years. Erin discusses how the NHS in the UK is now including menopause screening in routine health checks, plus how the FDA is removing black box warnings from most menopausal therapy products. To subscribe to Erin's Substack click here. For tickets to Dead Pilots Society on 12/7 in LA click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 185: Dream Written by Lisa Muse BryantThis month's Dead Pilots Society features Dream, a musical comedy pilot from Lisa Muse Bryant, whose work includes Black-ish, The Four Seasons, Man on the Inside, and Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. The show centers on Dream Morgan, a former teen mom who finally goes after her long-delayed ambition of becoming a singer once her son finishes college. This is a musical, single camera comedy about one fierce and funny woman who uses her voice to find her voice. From the very first pages, the script announces itself with a bold, memorable opening and a world full of sharp, engaging characters. The live reading only amplified that energy. Yvette Nicole Brown, Cedric Yarbrough, Stakiah Lynn Washington, and Amber Riley delivered powerhouse performances, with Riley's vocals bringing the audience to its feet for a standing ovation.The Cast Includes: Lisa Muse Bryant, Amber Riley (Glee), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Sarah Francis (Hairspray), Vinny Thomas (Platonic), Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911), Cyrina Fiallo (High Potential, Good Luck Charlie), Marcel Spears (The Neighborhood), Christina Anthony (Mixed-ish), Stakiah Lynn Washington (Primo), Brittany Curran (The Magicians), and Andrew Reich with stage direction Dead Pilots Society is also gearing up for a live show at the Elysian Theater on Sunday, December 7th. The evening will feature a pilot from actress Ginger Gonzaga, joined onstage by Luke Tennie, Lauren Potter, and Kyle Bornheimer, along with a script by Georgia Pritchett, whose cast includes Sarah Solemani and Ed Weeks. Tickets are available at elysiantheater.com.The video of the table read is available exclusively to Maximum Fun members. Become a 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.

Episode 184: Jim Brandon & Brian Singleton InterviewWelcome to this month's after-show interview with Brian Singleton and Jim Brandon.You heard their hilarious pilot Humans of the Americas last week on Dead Pilots Society. You may know Brian and Jim from their work on Mixed-ish (ABC), Black Monday (Showtime), Arrested Development (Netflix), or their current show Animal Control (FOX), now on it's fourth season.Their viral web series Dorm Life, which they wrote, cast, and produced while in college in 2011, caught Andrew's eye and earned them their first paid show business job. In this interview, you'll get to hear Brian and Jim's journey from Dorm Life, through many writers' rooms, and into Humans of the Americas. You'll even get a glimpse into where the show was headed, had it been made. Also, save the date for our next live show, which will be Sunday, December 7th, at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles. Tickets aren't on sale yet, but follow us on social media for updates.

Episode 183: Humans of the Americas Written by Jim Brandon & Brian Singleton This month's dead pilot is Humans of the Americas by Jim Brandon and Brian Singleton, whose credits include Animal Control (FOX), Mixed-ish (ABC), Black Monday (Showtime), and Arrested Development (Netflix). Here's the logline: A single camera comedy set in a small town neighborhood, that is actually a human exhibit. At a zoo. Run by robots. It's high concept, but not self-limiting—funny, heartfelt, and full of inventive world-building and great character work.Humans of the Americas was read second at the last live show, following Dream by Lisa Muse Bryant, a musical pilot starring Amber Riley, who earned a standing ovation with her closing number. Despite that tough act to follow, the audience loved Humans of the Americas just as much—and listeners will too. The live cast includes Christina Anthony (Mixed-ish), Brittany Curran (The Magicians), Cyrina Fiallo ( High Potential), Dan Gregor (The Naked Gun), Tai Leclaire (King of The Hill), Jessica McKenna (Dropout), Jordan Riggs (Dorm Life), Bryan Safi (Throwing Shade), Chris Smith (Dorm Life), Nick Smith (Dorm Life), Stakiah Lynn Washington (Primo), Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911), and Andrew Reich with stage direction The next Dead Pilots Society live show is set for Sunday, December 7th at 3:00 PM at the Elysian Theater, featuring a brand-new pilot from the multi-talented Ginger Gonzaga. More details coming soon! The video of the table read is available exclusively to Maximum Fun members. Become a 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.

Episode 181: The Cheap Seats Written by David S. Rosenthal This month on Dead Pilots Society we have The Cheap Seats by David S. Rosenthal, a veteran television writer whose credits include Spin City, Gilmore Girls, The Middle, and Jane the Virgin. The script centers on a close-knit group of emotionally and intellectually stunted friends whose world is shaken when one of them begins dating a brainy and sophisticated medical student.Rosenthal delivers a classic multi-camera hangout comedy, showcasing his knack for crafting characters with interesting, fun dynamics, and well-paced story beats. The cast includes Anjelica Fellini (Teenage Bounty Hunters, The French Dispatch), Sam Lerner (The Goldbergs), Charlie Gillespie (Julie and the Phantoms), Ciara Bravo (Wayne and Cherry), Kyla Kenedy (Mr. Mayor), Logan Miller (Escape Room, Chicago Med) The video of the table read is available exclusively to Maximum Fun members. Become a 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.

Niya Palmer (co-creator, Miss Governor; Run the World) discusses working with Tyler Perry, being quiet on set, getting inspired by D.A.R.Y.L., how growing up sparring prepared her for some very bad writers' rooms, driving in the wake of an ambulance, and more.LIVE STUFF!A live Dead Pilots Society in LA (or available to stream on demand) on Sunday 9/14 2-4pm at the Elysian Theater. With scripts by Lisa Muse Bryant (The Four Seasons; Black-ish) and Jim Brandon & Brian Singleton (Animal Control; Mixed-ish). Starring Amber Riley (Glee), Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn 99), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Kyla Pratt (One On One), Dan Gregor (The Naked Gun co-writer), Marcel Spears (The Neighborhood), Brian Safi (Throwing Shade), Jessica McKenna (Dropout), and more.Get live or streaming tickets here.The Thrilling Adventure Hour celebrates its 20th anniversary with shows in NY and London!Come see Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, Busy Philipps, Joshua Malina, Janet Varney, and more this fall! https://thrillingadventure.live for details.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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 180: Gracie Glassmeyer Interview This after-show episode dives deeper into Here She Lies with its creator, Gracie Glassmeyer. If you heard the table read of this dark, twisty pilot, you probably have questions—like why Seth can't leave his house, or why Talia has been spying on Amber's stepmom. Gracie shares the answers, along with her unique path into comedy writing.She's part of that rare breed of “jock comedy writers”—a group that proves you don't have to be bad at sports to be good at jokes. This conversation explores the thoughtful world-building behind the pilot and the larger series it could have become. Dead Pilots Society has a live show coming up on Sunday, September 14th at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles, featuring two fantastic pilots:Humans of the Americas by Jim Brandon and Brian Singleton (Arrested Development, Animal Control, and more)Dream by Lisa Muse Bryant (Black-ish, The Four Seasons)Go to elysiantheater.com and get your tickets for Sunday, September 14th.And don't forget to check out Andrew's documentary Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story at reddkrossfilm.com/rent.

Writer/director Macon Blair (The Toxic Avenger; I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore) discusses managing a bigger production for his second feature, "handmade" films, balancing tones, writing a movie that's not "accidentally stupid," and lots more. LIVE STUFF!A live Dead Pilots Society in LA (or available to stream on demand) on Sunday 9/14 2-4pm at the Elysian Theater. With scripts by Lisa Muse Bryant (The Four Seasons; Black-ish) and Jim Brandon & Brian Singleton (Animal Control; Mixed-ish). Starring Amber Riley (Glee), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Kyla Pratt (One On One), Dan Gregor (The Naked Gun co-writer), Phil Lamarr (King of the Hill; Futurama), Marcel Spears (The Neighborhood), Brian Safi (Throwing Shade), Jessica McKenna (Dropout), and more.Get live or streaming tickets here.The Thrilling Adventure Hour celebrates its 20th anniversary with shows in NY and London!Come see Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, Busy Philipps, Joshua Malina, Janet Varney, and more this fall! https://thrillingadventure.live for details.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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 179: Here She Lies Written by Gracie GlassmeyerWelcome to Dead Pilots Society, the podcast that takes comedy pilots from A-list writers that were sold and developed at networks and streamers but never produced, and gives them the table reads they never got to have.This episode features a pilot from Gracie Glassmeyer. Gracie has written for Ghosts and The Neighborhood, with previous credits including Jane the Virgin, Happy Together, and Impastor. Her pilot defies easy categorization—too smart and compelling to be just a comedy, too funny to be labeled strictly drama.The story centers on a fascinating main character, originally conceived by Yael Grobglas (Matlock, Jane the Virgin), who also leads the cast. She's joined by Dustin Ybarra (One Day at a Time, We Bought a Zoo) as the agoraphobic co-lead. The rest of the ensemble is a powerhouse Dead Pilots Society lineup: Rachel Keller (Legion, Tokyo Vice), Imani Hakim (Mythic Quest), Oscar Montoya (Minx, Star Trek: Lower Decks), Joy Osmanski (1923, Ghosts), Katherine Bourne Taylor (The Ms. Pat Show), and Marcus Bishop-Wright (Bring on the Damned!).Video of this Zoom read is available to Maximum Fun members along with exclusive bonus content from past years. Become a member for as little as $5 a month at maximumfun.org/join.Dead Pilots Society has a live show coming up on Sunday, September 14th at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles, featuring two fantastic pilots:Humans of the Americas by Jim Brandon and Brian Singleton (Arrested Development, Animal Control, and more)Dream by Lisa Muse Bryant (Black-ish, The Four Seasons)Go to elysiantheater.com and get your tickets for Sunday, September 14th.

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 "things you can only do on this show," early comedy influences, "Bad Pitch Mondays," and more.LIVE STUFF!A live Dead Pilots Society in LA (or available to stream on demand) on Sunday 9/14 2-4pm at the Elysian Theater. With scripts by Lisa Muse Bryant (The Four Seasons; Black-ish) and Jim Brandon & Brian Singleton (Animal Control; Mixed-ish). Starring Amber Riley (Glee), Vic Michaelis (Dropout's Very Important People), Dan Gregor (The Naked Gun co-writer), Phil Lamarr (King of the Hill; Futurama), Marcel Spears (The Neighborhood), Brian Safi (Throwing Shade), Jessica McKenna (Dropout), and more.Get live or streaming tickets here.Come see Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, Busy Philipps, Joshua Malina, Janet Varney, and more in The Thrilling Adventure Hour live in New York or London this fall! https://thrillingadventure.live for details.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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 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.

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 Sunday in LA, or stream on demand from anywhere!TICKETS HEREThe cast includes but is not limited to Peri Gilpin (Frasier), Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time), Brandon Scott Jones (Ghosts), Jordan Rodrigues (Ladybird), Mary Beth Barone (Black Mirror; Overcompensating), Clancy Brown (Highlander; The Shawshank Redemption), Brendan Scannell (Loot), Caitlin Reilly (Dead Boy Detectives), Courtney Parchman (Sex Lives of College Girls; "Average Fashion Blogger"), 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 also get weekly advice from the thousands of writers he's interviewed over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comCome see Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, Busy Philipps, Joshua Malina, Janet Varney, and more in The Thrilling Adventure Hour live in a city near you! https://thrillingadventure.live for details.SOCIALS:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bablacker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 25-31, 1995 This week Ken welcomes old friend, favorite person, and TV Writer (Only Murders in the Building, Silicon Valley), Rob Turbovsky. Ken and Rob discuss Rob's time in Boston, moving to LA, Thai food, Ken catching Rob on his failing into retirement journey, getting to write for your heroes, Martin Short doing a Clifford impression JUST for you, The Oscars, David Letterman, Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction, cigarettes to Rx drugs, Ask TV Guide, how you used to have to ask questions about pop culture before the internet, placing Greg Barnes, Geraldo's legal background, Martin Landeau, Ed Wood, shows set in Boston, people stalking TV members, Tracy Gold in Ladykiller, Made for TV movies, weird horny Tylnol ads, male fragility, Chicago Hunk: Peter Berg, the odd 90s trend of barefoot celebrity photos, Aspen Extreme, celebrith recipies, using a sword to chop lettuce, Dave Couler's Swordfish with tomato sauce, Alex Trebek's dangerous frying style, Charles Grodin's talk show, Rob's oral history of Clifford for Vulture, SCTV, how Ken insists the Martin Short role in Captain Ron was written for Steve Martin, The Bob Hope Young Comedian's Special vs. The HBO Young Comedians Special, the memory hole of Backdraft, the lost era of movies, Taxi reruns, MST3k, Lawmower Man, Oscar counter programming, Cabin Boy, Raising Caine, the lost full musical cut of "I'll Do Anything", Phantom of the Paradise, Dead Pilots Society, the greatness of Mark McKinney, Exit 57, The Vacant Lot, Twilight Zone: The Movie, American Inventors Corp, a Tribute to Andy Kaufman, Unsolved Mysteries, Stormy Justice, Crime Story, being pranked by Tony Clifton, how turning to stand up is the worst thing ever, Major League, Midnight Run, how Beverly Hills Cop II is the better movie than Beverly Hills Cop, and loving John Waters.

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.

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. 

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 fiddling, and more.Come see Dead Pilots Society live on Sunday, November 17, 2-4pm at the Elysian Theater in LA! Also available to watch on demand.In Dead Pilots Society, scripts that were developed by studios and networks but were never produced are given the table reads they deserve.The November 17 show features 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), Olivia Liang (Kung Fu), Maria Bamford (Kite Man: Hell Yeah!), Ryan Hansen (Party Down; Veronica Mars), Anna Seregina (The Civil Dead), Chris Witaske (The Bear), Brendan Scannell (Heathers), Ellie Reed (Diary of a Future President), Patrick McDonald (Smosh), and more to be announced.GET TICKETS HERE.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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialTwitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

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! Also available to watch on demand.In Dead Pilots Society, scripts that were developed by studios and networks but were never produced are given the table reads they deserve.The November 17 show features 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!GET TICKETS HERE.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 over the years, as well as access to exclusive live Q&As, meet-ups, and more: benblacker.substack.comSOCIALS:Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/benblacker.bsky.socialTwitter: twitter.com/benBlacker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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