Ben Blacker

The Writers Panel

Tv EN ↓ 647 episodes

The definitive insider's guide to our current golden age of television, Ben Blacker's The Writers Panel is an ever expanding anthology of live convention panels and intimate in-studio interviews with the writers, producers, and show runners responsible for all the shows you can't stop watching. Over the course of nearly 500 episodes and counting, The Writers Panel has sat across from guests such as Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele (Key and Peele), Liz Meriwether (New Girl), and Damon Lindelof (L...

Author

Ben Blacker

Category

Tv

Podcast website

benblacker.substack.com

Latest episode

Jun 26, 2026

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Episodes

Meredith Averill, Chris Collins, & Sarah Gertrude Shapiro + Bonus Interview w/ Julie Plec 11.09.2018

Roundtable interview with Meredith Averill (The Good Wife, The Haunting of Hill House, Locke and Key); Chris Collins (The Wire, Sons of Anarchy, The Continental); and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (Unreal). Starts at 18:50. Plus a bonus interview with Julie Plec, co-creator of The Vampire Diaries and its spinoff The Originals, talking witches on TV, creating the rules of a supernatural world, and pop cul...

400th Episode! Live at Dynasty Typewriter 04.09.2018

Ben records the 400th episode of The Writers Panel Live at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles featuring an incredible panel of writers and showrunners, including: Caroline Dries (NBC's upcoming Witchblade; DC Universe's upcoming Batwoman; Vampire Diaries) LaToya Morgan (creator of AMC's upcoming adaptation of Hugh Howey's Wool; Into the Badlands) Alexandra Cunningham (showrunner, Bravo's upcoming D...

Alison Bennett, Steven Lilien, & Bryan Wynbrandt + Bonus Interview w/ Winnie Holzman 28.08.2018

Roundtable interview with Alison Bennett (You're the Worst; LA to Vegas; Single Parents) and Steven Lilien & Bryan Wynbrandt (God Friended Me). Starts at 20:48. Plus a bonus interview talking witches with Winnie Holzman, the creator of My So-Called Life and the librettist for the musical version of Wicked. Today's episode of The Writers Panel is brought to you by Hello Fresh . Visit https://ww...

“Bottle Episodes” (ATX TV Festival 2018) + Bonus Interview w/ Maggie Friedman 21.08.2018

"Bottle Episodes" from the ATX Television Festival 2018. Panelists: Michael Jacobs ( Boy Meets World ); Anthony Hemingway ( Underground ); John Wirth ( Hell On Wheels ); and Kevin Falls ( The West Wing ). Moderated by Ben Blacker. Recorded June 9, 2018 at the ATX Television Festival, Austin TX. Plus a bonus interview with Maggie Friedman (Eastwick, Witches of East End) about the open ended mytholo...

BONUS! The TV Campfire Podcast & ATX TV Fest Co-Founders Caitlin McFarland & Emily Gipson 16.08.2018

Ben talks with ATX Television Festival Co-Founders Caitlin McFarland & Emily Gipson and offers a preview of the ATX produced podcast, The TV Campfire. You can find The TV Campfire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tv-campfire/id1386598065 The ATX Television Festival Official Website: http://atxfestival.com LISTEN TO THE WRITE...

Jacque Edmonds Cofer, Akela Cooper, & Caroline Kepnes + Bonus Interview w/ Amanda Damron 14.08.2018

Roundtable interview with Jacque Edmonds Cofer (creator, Let's Stay Together; Martin; Moesha ); Akela Cooper ( The Flash; Luke Cage; The 100 ); Caroline Kepnes (creator, YOU ). Starts at 23:16. Plus a bonus interview with practicing witch Amanda Damron (@AmandaDamron) about the differences between witchcraft and wicca, discovering witchcraft via Oprah, and spellcraft as a political act. The 400th...

BONUS! DC Vertigo Relaunch (SDCC 2018) 09.08.2018

Meet the new voices behind DC Vertigo comics relaunch. Moderated by DC Vertigo Executive Editor Mark Doyle. Panelists include the creative team from Sandman Universes HOUSE OF WHISPERS, Nalo Hopkinson and Dominike Domo Stanton; BORDER TOWNs Eric M. Esquivel and Ramon Villalobos; HEX WIVES Ben Blacker and Mirka Andolfo; AMERICAN CARNAGE writer Bryan Edward Hill; GODDESS MODEs Zo Quinn and Robbi Rod...

Raamla Mohamed, James LaRosa, & Holly Henderson + Bonus Interview w/ Claudia Black 07.08.2018

Roundtable interview with Raamla Mohamed ( Scandal ); James LaRosa (creator, Hit the Floor ); and Holly Henderson ( Hit the Floor; Smallville ). Starts at 23:25. Plus a bonus interview with actress Claudia Black ( The Originals ) about playing a witch, her favorite pop culture witches, and more. The 400th Episode of The Writers Panel is recording live at the Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles on Su...

"The Spy Who Dumped Me" Creators + Bonus Interview w/ Amber Benson 31.07.2018

The creators of the brand new action comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me , Susanna Fogel (writer/director) and David Iserson (writer), join Ben to talk about the making of the film and why it often takes 10 years to become an overnight success in Hollywood. Plus a bonus interview with actress/writer Amber Benson ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Witches of Echo Park ) about the art of witchcraft, playing w...

Nash Bridges Writers Room Reunion (ATX Television Festival 2018) 24.07.2018

Nash Bridges Writers Room Reunion from the ATX Television Festival. Carlton Cuse (Writer/EP); Shawn Ryan (Writer/Co-Producer); Glen Mazzara (Writer); Jed Seidel (Writer/Supervising Producer); Pam Veasey (Writer). Moderated by Ben Blacker. Recorded June 9, 2018 at the ATX Television Festival, Austin TX. THIS EPISODE BROUGHT TO YOU BY PUBLIC DOMAIN THEATER, HOSTED BY KELLY NUGENT & LINDSAY KATAI...

Robert and Michelle King (ATX Television Festival 2018) 17.07.2018

Ben talks to Robert and Michelle King, co-creators of "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight." Recorded June 9, 2018 at the ATX Television Festival, Austin TX. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA: https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S...

Shernold Edwards, Vera Santamaria, & Christine Boylan 10.07.2018

Shernold Edwards ( Red Line, Anne with an E ); Vera Santamaria ( Orange is the New Black, Bojack Horseman ); and Christine Boylan ( The Punisher, Painkiller Jane, Cloak and Dagger ). Recorded July 1 2018. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA: https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https...

Breakfast with Phil (w/ Phil Rosenthal, Danny Trejo, Niki Nakayama, Carole Iida-Nakayama) + Glen David Gold 26.06.2018

Ben brings his hit ATX panel "Breakfast with Phil" to LA's Dynasty Typewriter Theater (30:00) talking food, entertainment, creativity, and why LA is the world's best restaurant city with Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal, actor/restauranteur Danny Trejo (Machete, Spy Kids, Breaking Bad, Trejo's Cantino, Trejo's Doughnuts), and n/naka chefs Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama.  Reco...

Kenneth Biller, Maggie Mull, and David Graziano 19.06.2018

Roundtable discussion with Kenneth Biller (creator, Genius ); Maggie Mull ( Family Guy; Life in Pieces ); and David Graziano ( American Gods; Southland ). LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA: https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanel THE WRITER'S PA...

American Vandal from ATX 2018 12.06.2018

Last fall, in the midst of pop cultures ongoing obsession with all things true crime, Netflixs American Vandal arrived just in time to set social media ablaze with one tantalizing question: Who drew the dicks? Like amateur documentarians Peter and Sam, viewers found themselves enamored not only by the shows central mystery (uncovering the perpetrator of a costly, phallic prank), but the precision...

"Directors and Showrunners" from ATX 05.06.2018

As different directors tackle single episodes or an entire series, a strong relationship between directors and showrunners is crucial to maintaining a cohesive and dynamic vision of the storytelling. Join these showrunner + director pairs, who have worked together across multiple episodes, as they discuss the challenges of collaborating across a season of stories, establishing trust, and what occu...

"A Showrunner Defined" from ATX 29.05.2018

Greg Garcia (creator, My Name Is Earl ), Tracey Wigfield (creator, Great News), Danielle Sanchez-Witzel ( The Carmichael Show ), Bob Daily ( Superior Donuts ), and Javier Grillo-Marxuach ( The Middleman ) discuss what the job of showrunner actually entails, swapping stories, asking each other for advice, and giving insight into the lessons theyve learned along the way. Moderated by Julie Plec ( Th...

“Power(ful) TV” from ATX 22.05.2018

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (creator, Sweet/Vicious), Gloria Calderon Kellett (creator, One Day at a Time), Justin Simien (creator, Dear White People), and David Hudgins (Friday Night Lights) discuss how their series have surpassed diversity trends and token characters by organically weaving in storylines of race, religion, sexual assault, the foster care system, immigration, health care, and many ma...

“The Revival of the Socially Conscious Sitcom” from ATX 15.05.2018

Bob Daily ( Superior Donuts ), Justin Simien (creator, Dear White People ), Mike Royce and Gloria Calderon Kellett (creators, One Day at a Time ), and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel ( The Carmichael Show ) discuss taking their inspiration from Norman Lear and incorporating issues and debates that are meant to challenge and teach. From race to gender, and politics to religion, these sitcom writers achieve...

"Teens on TV" LA Festival of Books 08.05.2018

"Teens on TV" from the LA Times Festival of Books. Lauren Iungerich (creator, On My Block and Awkward ), Gina Fattore ( Better Things; Gilmore Girls; Dawson's Creek ), and Dave Nadelberg (creator, The Mortified Guide ) discuss angst on TV, from the scripted ( The Wonder Years, Freaks & Geeks ) to The Mortified Guide , a nonfiction storytelling project where adults share the embarrassing things...

Colony + Aline Brosh McKenna, Sam Bain, & Tanya Saracho @ LA Festival of Books 01.05.2018

Catching up with Colony creator Ryan Condal and co-showrunner Wes Tooke. Season 3 of Colony premieres on USA tomorrow night, May 2! Then, Aline Brosh McKenna (co-creator, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ), Sam Bain (creator, Peep Show, Fresh Meat, Ill Behaviour ), Tanya Saracho (creator, Vida ; How to Get Away with Murder ; Looking ). Recorded live at the LA Times Festival of Books on April 22, 2018. LISTEN T...

"Presidents of TV" from ATX 24.04.2018

Craig Erwich (Hulu), Jennifer Salke (NBC), Casey Bloys (HBO), Nick Grad (FX), and Gary Levine (Showtime) discuss how their networks forge individual paths in a time of "Peak TV," their decisions behind which and how many series to order, balancing their brands while growing their audiences, and more. Moderated by Debra Birnbaum ( Variety ). Recorded at ATX Television Festival on June 9, 2017. Get...

“Too Close To Home” from ATX 17.04.2018

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

Nell Scovell with Conan O'Brien and Greg Daniels 10.04.2018

Recorded March 22, 2018, at the Skirball Cultural Center as part of the Writers Bloc Presents series. For more terrific live writers events visits: http://writersblocpresents.com LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA  https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.com/TVWrit...

Chappaquiddick 03.04.2018

Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, writers of Chappaquiddick, discuss their motivation for writing about Ted Kennedy's 1969 scandal, finding characters in well knows personalities, and more. LISTEN TO THE WRITERS PANEL AD-FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plu s CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA  https://twitter.com/BENBLACKER https://www.facebook.co...

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