Interview

Showrunner

How Co-Creator & Showrunner Aeysha Carr Transformed “Government Cheese” into a Series of Indie Film Experiences

If Wes Anderson and David Lynch partnered on a story set in 1969 about a Black family living in the San Fernando Valley, you might approximate the vibe of the new Apple TV+ show Government Cheese. The surrealist comedy is inspired by co-creator Paul Hunter’s childhood, and stars David Oyelowo as eternal optimist Hampton Chambers, a man chasing the American dream after being released from prison. 

Hampton aims to repair the relationship with his wife Astoria (Simone Missick),

By Leslie Combemale  |  May 15, 2025

Interview

Showrunner

“Dark Winds” Showrunner John Wirth on Building a Peabody-Winning Thriller with Native Voices at its Core

"Dark Winds" follows tribal cops Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon), Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), and Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) as they solve crimes on their Navajo Nation turf.

By Hugh Hart  |  May 7, 2025

Interview

Director, Screenwriter, Showrunner

Behind Netflix’s “The Four Seasons”: How “30 Rock” Veterans Lang Fisher & Tracey Wigfield Reimagined a Classic With Tina Fey

Adapted from the classic romantic comedy of the same name, Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield‘s The Four Seasons is a contemporary take on a tale as middle-aged as time: the highs and lows of evolving friendships and relationships between friends who have reached the middle innings of life.

The original film was written and directed by Alan Alda and co-starred Alda and Carol Burnett, and it was one of 1981’s biggest box office hits.

By Simon Thompson  |  May 7, 2025

Interview

Cinematographer, Showrunner

Genesis of Gemstones: Danny McBride and DP Paul Daley Reveal How Bradley Cooper Brought the Unholy Patriarch to Life

The Gemstones Sunday service has come to an end. After four seasons, Danny McBride’s dark comedy following a dysfunctional televangelist family aired its final episode with a glorious blood-soaked banger. But among the chaos, McBride and company focused its scripture on the series’ revolving theme: a family of unconditional love. And it was at the start of the season, we were introduced to the Gemstones’ family origins through a Civil War era epic with 12-time Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper playing the OG bible preacher. 

By Daron James  |  May 6, 2025

Interview

Showrunner

Home Field Advantage: “NCIS: Origins” Showrunners on How Tax Credits Anchored Their Prequel Series in California

Already renewed for a second season, the NCIS franchise spin-off NCIS: Origins has been capturing a new generation of fans. In addition to the 90s set prequel’s heady mix of powerful storytelling, music, and a dynamic young cast, showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal credit a lot of the show’s appeal to the fact that it’s set in and filmed in California.

The CBS show follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Austin Stowell),

By Simon Thompson  |  April 29, 2025

Interview

Showrunner

Devil Went Down to Georgia: How Erik Oleson Crafted Kevin Bacon’s Undead Demon Hunter in “The Bondsman”

Writer/producer Erik Oleson definitely knows a thing or two about characters chasing personal demons. He was the head writer on The Man in the High Castle, and went on to be showrunner and executive producer for seasons of both Marvel’s Daredevil and Amazon’s Carnival Row. It makes perfect sense, then, for him to take on Amazon’s new horror-comedy series The Bondsman

In it,

By Leslie Combemale  |  April 17, 2025

Interview

Producer, Screenwriter, Showrunner

Inside “The Residence”: Creator Paul William Davies on Crafting a White House Whodunit

The Residence, produced by Shondaland for Netflix, is the much-anticipated whodunnit that is Shonda Rhimes’ second show set in the White House. The first, of course, was another beloved, Kerry Washington-led Scandal, which dealt in the shadowy world of Washington’s Olivia Pope, the queen of fixers. Now Rhimes and her collaborator Paul William Davies return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to follow Uzo Aduba’s Cordelia Cupp, a world-famous detective and obsessive birder,

By Leslie Combemale  |  March 19, 2025

Interview

Showrunner

Best of 2024: “Agatha All Along” Creator Jac Schaeffer on Setting off Marvel’s Witching Hour

Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer explores the witchy side of the Marvel Universe just in time for Halloween. The timing of the show’s release is a happy accident for Schaeffer, who also directed the first two episodes. In bringing the titular witch, Agatha (Kathryn Hahn), back from WandaVision, Schaeffer and her team have made a series with a playful spookiness centered on an irresistible Hahn,

By Jack Giroux  |  December 26, 2024

Interview

Showrunner

“Agatha All Along” Creator Jac Schaeffer on Setting off Marvel’s Witching Hour

Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer explores the witchy side of the Marvel Universe just in time for Halloween. The timing of the show’s release is a happy accident for Schaeffer, who also directed the first two episodes. In bringing the titular witch, Agatha (Kathryn Hahn), back from WandaVision, Schaeffer and her team have made a series with a playful spookiness centered on an irresistible Hahn,

By Jack Giroux  |  October 1, 2024

Interview

Showrunner

“The Perfect Couple” Showrunner Jenna Lamia on Meghann Fahy’s Mesmerizing Merritt Monaco

In part one of our interview with The Perfect Couple showrunner Jenna Lamia, she discussed adapting Elin Hilderbrand’s novel, character development, and writing the script. Now we move on to some of the specifics of how Lamia stuck the landing, delivering a satisfying whodunit on the picturesque island of Nantucket, the playground of the uber-wealthy Winbury clan.

In the final shot of the penultimate episode of The Perfect Couple,

By Andria Moore  |  September 24, 2024

Interview

Screenwriter, Showrunner

“The Perfect Couple” Showrunner Jenna Lamia on Her Nicole Kidman-led Whodunit on Nantucket

When showrunner Jenna Lamia set out to bring Elin Hilderbrand’s beloved novel The Perfect Couple to life, we were just getting reacquainted with our obsession with mystery and drama. The limited series format, which has seen success in shows like Big Little LiesNine Perfect Strangers, and The White Lotus, ushered in an era of mystery, scandal,

By Andria Moore  |  September 23, 2024

Interview

Showrunner

“House of the Dragon” Showrunner Ryan Condal on the the Women Vying for Power in Westeros

For those who haven’t watched House of the Dragon since its debut in 2022, the show is based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire and Blood. The story chronicles the early days of the Targaryen dynasty in the time of Aegon the Conqueror, a forefather to the much-beloved Game of Thrones heroine Daenerys. The new series has developed its own enthusiastic fandom, one that was thrilled to see the premiere of new weekly episodes as of June 16th of this year. 

By Leslie Combemale  |  July 22, 2024

Interview

Producer, Showrunner

“Silo” Creator Graham Yost Unseals the Secrets of Season 1

Graham Yost had his work cut out for him when he set out to tackle author Hugh Howey’s apocalyptic sci-fi trilogy series “Silo,” all of which are set in the titular structure (none of Howey’s books are actually titled “Silo”) and deal with the society that lives within it’s 144 heavily monitored floors. The denizens of the Silo live in a claustrophobic brutalist tower outfitted with retrofuturistic touches that include clunky computers, a large screen in the cafeteria showing what appears to be a denuded,

By Bryan Abrams  |  June 20, 2024

Interview

Actor, Producer, Showrunner

“Dr. Death” Showrunner, Executive Producer & Stars on Season 2

In the second season of the celebrated Peacock series Dr Death, the show takes on another doctor featured on the hit Wondery true crime podcast, “Miracle Man,” Paolo Macchiarini. The story is of the world-renowned surgeon (played here by Edgar Ramirez) celebrated for his groundbreaking work in regenerative medicine and organ transplantation, but ultimately disgraced by his misconduct, dangerous practices, and web of deceit.  

His rise and fall are,

By Leslie Combemale  |  December 21, 2023

Interview

Producer, Screenwriter, Showrunner

Best of 2022: “House of the Dragon” Co-Creator & Co-Showrunner Ryan Condal on Season One & Beyond

It’s that time of year—we look back on a few of our favorite interviews from 2022 in our annual year-end list.

The first season of House of the Dragon has come to a close as an unqualified success. The premiere saw the largest single-day viewership for a series debut in HBO’s history and continued to land consistently in the top five titles streamed across all platforms through its last episode.

By Leslie Combemale  |  December 27, 2022

Interview

Producer, Screenwriter, Showrunner

“George & Tammy” Creator Abe Sylvia on Crafting a Complicated Love Story

It’s a story that’s been on Abe Sylvia’s mind for a while. The screenwriter of The Eyes of Tammy Faye and writer/producer of such television series as Dead to Me and Nurse Jackie has always had a soft spot for country music. Blame it on his Oklahoma upbringing. And that’s why Sylvia found the story of George Jones and Tammy Wynette too good to resist.

By Chris Koseluk  |  December 20, 2022

Interview

Producer, Screenwriter, Showrunner

“House of the Dragon” Co-Creator & Co-Showrunner Ryan Condal on Season One & Beyond

The first season of House of the Dragon has come to a close as an unqualified success. The premiere saw the largest single-day viewership for a series debut in HBO’s history and continued to land consistently in the top five titles streamed across all platforms through its last episode. The show was renewed before the second episode of the series even aired. 

House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones—created by George R.R.

By Leslie Combemale  |  October 24, 2022

Interview

Showrunner

“Winning Time” Showrunner Max Borenstein on Crafting an American Epic

Before Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty showrunner Max Borenstein sat down to write the show’s pilot episode, executive producer Adam McKay gave him one simple note: “Have fun with it.” Crammed with boisterous performances, Winning Time (its season finale aired this past Sunday, May 8, and is now renewed by HBO for a second season) does offer fun to spare but the series also brims with drama as it chronicles the betrayals,

By Hugh Hart  |  May 9, 2022

Interview

Director, Showrunner

“The Man Who Fell to Earth” Creator Jenny Lumet Turns an Iconic Alien Tale Into a Modern Epic

The new Showtime limited series The Man Who Fell to Earth is inspired by the 1963 novel and subsequent 1976 cult classic of the same name. Highly anticipated, it is created by award-winners Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman, of Star Trek Discovery and Strange New Worlds. In this story, Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as an alien called Faraday on an urgent mission to save his homeworld. He tracks down genius scientist Justin Falls (Naomie Harris) who somehow holds part of the secret to saving both his world and ours.

By Leslie Combemale  |  April 22, 2022

Interview

Showrunner

“Vikings: Valhalla” Creator Jeb Stuart on Bringing a Little “Die Hard” Energy to the 11th-Century

Jeb Stuart’s Vikings: Valhalla, opens on a massacre in England. The victims, this time, are Vikings — a colony of Scandinavian descendants living on English soil since their raiding forebears put down unexpectedly peaceful roots. But a couple of generations down the line, King Aethelred (Bosco Hogan) is angrily denouncing an alleged Viking problem to his complicit nobles, and in what comes to be known as the St. Brice’s Day massacre, murders them all. 

By Susannah Edelbaum  |  March 1, 2022