Episodes

  • Writing FANTASY WORLDBUILDING (Wednesday)
    Jun 2 2026

    Learn how to use WORLDBUILDING to make the FANTASY ELEMENTS of your TV pilot come to life. This week, we look at how WEDNESDAY uses two popular TECHNIQUES to guide the audience through an introduction to its fantasy elements.

    We discuss in this podcast HOW FANTASY WORLDBUILDING can enhance your story's THEME, deepen CHARACTERIZATION, and introduce RULES that help us understand the world our characters must navigate.

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    #Wednesday #WednesdaySeries #JennaOrtega #CatherineZetaJonesDouglas #worldbuilding #FantasyWorldbuilding #fantasy #setting #mystery #writing #TV #TVwriting #writingadvice

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    39 mins
  • Writing GENRE TROPES (Interior Chinatown)
    May 19 2026

    In this episode, Jonathan and Jackie analyze the opening scene of the pilot of INTERIOR CHINATOWN to see how GENRE TROPES can be used to hook an audience and to increase tension.

    • Transcript available here.
    • Recap available here.
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    #InteriorChinatown #CharlesYu #WillisWu #genres #tropes #mystery #writing #TV #TVwriting #writingadvice

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    39 mins
  • Writing a MEMORABLE CHARACTER (Psych)
    May 12 2026

    In this episode, we analyze the opening scene of the pilot of PSYCH to see how to create and introduce a MEMORABLE CHARACTER.

    • Transcript available here.
    • Recap available here.
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    #Psych #psych-os #shawnspencer #sherlockholmes #mystery #writing #TV #TVwriting #writingadvice

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    26 mins
  • Writing a COLD OPEN (The Walking Dead)
    May 7 2026

    Learn how to open a TV pilot using tips taken from THE WALKING DEAD's breathtaking premiere episode. We discuss in this podcast how to create a COLD OPEN that sticks with the audience.

    • Transcript available here.
    • Recap available here.
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    #TheWalkingDead #writing #ColdOpen #OpeningScene #Screenwriting #TVPilot #WritingAdvice #WritingTips #WritingCommunity

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    26 mins
  • Writing WORLDBUILDING (Only Murders in the Building)
    May 26 2026

    In this episode, we analyze a scene from the pilot of Only Murders in the Building to see how worldbuilding techniques can be used to drive a plot and enhance characterization, even in mundane settings.

    • Transcript available here.
    • Recap available here.
    • Join our newsletter here.

    #OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding #OMitB #SteveMartin #BloodyMabel #worldbuilding #setting #mystery #writing #TV #TVwriting #writingadvice

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    44 mins