Dead Pilots Society

Latest Episodes:

Episode 77: Everything's Under Control written by Megan Gailey (Conan) and Aaron Burdette (Man Seeking Woman) Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

This month’s pilot is a real doozy! It’s called Everything’s Under Control written by Megan Gailey (Conan) and Aaron Burdette (Man Seeking Woman). It centers around a working-class Midwestern family who are just barely keeping it together when their grandmother develops Alzheimer’s. It was developed during the 2019-2020 pilot season. It was set up at ABC Network with the late Jamie Tarses and ABC Studios attached to produce.

Everything’s Under Control stars Megan Gailey, Patricia Richardson (Home Improvement) as Gail, Suzanne Cryer (Silicon Valley) as Beth, Joshua Malina (The West Wing) as Darryl, Jake Nordwind (The Groundlings) as Brad, Jemma Moore (Host) as Hostess/Smartphone/Event Planner, Noah Findling (The New York Times) as Instructor/Hibachi Chef, and Andrew Reich with stage directions.

Get the video for the table read for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/join

Tune in next week for our interview with Aaron and Megan. Thanks for supporting our show! Enjoy!

For more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 76: Trae Crowder, Corey Ryan Forrester, Drew Morgan Interview (Middle Of Somewhere After Show) Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

We hope you had a chance to listen to the table read for Middle of Somewhere written by Andrew Reich (Friends) and the WellRED crew aka Trae Crowder, Corey Ryan Forrester, and Drew Morgan. In this episode, Andrew sits down with the guys for a deep dive into the development of this pilot, including an expansive conversation about some of the more controversial story ideas that the studio and network nixed. They break down how studios pair showrunners with talent, how the news cycle can affect projects for better or worse, and the challenges of getting authentic Southern characters on TV. Enjoy it and thanks for listening!

Get the video for the table read for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/join

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 75: Middle of Somewhere written by Andrew Reich (Friends), Trae Crowder (Well Red), Corey Ryan Forrester (Well Red) and Drew Morgan (Well Red) Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

Our pilot this month is called Middle of Somewhere written by Andrew Reich (Friends), Trae Crowder (Well Red), Corey Ryan Forrester (Well Red), and Drew Morgan (Well Red). This is an ensemble comedy about three best friends in the rural south and the women in their lives. Middle of Somewhere was set up at ABC with The District and ABC Studios attached to produce.

Middle of Somewhere stars Trae Crowder, Corey Ryan Forrester, Drew Morgan, Dylan Gelula as Paige, Beth Stelling as Amber, Keith Johnson as Ballard, Broti Gupta as Katie, Jake Nordwind as teenage boy/golfer/Buddy/Wally, Steve Agee as Mayor Rick/townsperson #1, Jemma Moore as Teenage manager/granddaughter/Crystal, and Andrew Reich with stage directions. Thanks for watching! Enjoy it!

Get the video for the table read for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/join

Tune in next week for our interview with Trae, Drew, and Morgan. Thanks for watching and supporting our show! Enjoy!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 74: Hilary Winston (My Name Is Earl) & Mat Harawitz (Angie Tribeca) Interview (Common Areas After Show) Jul 29, 2021

Show notes

We have a great after show interview for you! It’s an enlightening conversation with Hilary Winston (My Name Is Earl, Community) & Mat Harawitz (Angie Tribeca, Will & Grace) writers of last week’s episode, Common Areas. Hilary spills some life changing advice she got from Kerry Washington in college and tales from her first staff writer job on The Orlando Jones Show. Mat tells us about his most embarrassing job interview moments, some sage (and practical) writing advice, and a conversation about the history of TV pilots. Hilary also taught us about Dan Harmon’s story circle, which she learned from Dan Harmon. Andrew gave us some great intel on how David Crane (Creator of Friends) ran his rooms and some great tips for creating a positive working experience. This is absolutely a must listen episode for everyone! Enjoy!

Get the video for the Common Areas table read for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/join

Better Help Promo offer:

BetterHelp is customized online therapy that offers video, phone and even live chat sessions with your therapist, and it’s more affordable than in-person therapy. See if it’s for you.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and Dead Pilots Society listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp dot com slash deadpilots.
Have your first session in under 48 hours at B-E-T-T-E-R-H-E-L-P dot com slash deadpilots.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 73: Common Areas written by Hilary Winston (My Name Is Earl) & Mat Harawitz (Angie Tribeca) Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

Our pilot this month is called Common Areas written by Mat Harawitz (Angie Tribeca) & Hilary Winston (Happy Endings). In cities where rents have sky rocketed, people are turning to micro-units in luxury buildings, where they can get a bedroom for the price of an apartment in any other city. These dorm residents are getting a lot more than just a tiny bedroom and athlete’s foot, they’re getting a community (but also probably athlete’s foot). Common Areas centers around the tenants of one of these adult dorms. The project was set up at ABC with Stoller Global Solutions and Sony TV attached to produce.

Common Areas stars Allison Miller (A Million Little Things) as Nicole, Okierte Onaodowan (Hamilton) as Casey, Toni Trucks (SEAL Team) as Camille, Asif Ali (WandaVision) as Evan, Rex Lee (Entourage) as Walter, Mo Welch (Conan) as Amy, Suzy Nakamura (The West Wing) as Zena, Nick Wechsler (Revenge) as Beau, Annie Savage as Beth-Ellen/Jen/Guy/Realtor/Podcast Host/Security Guard/Scandinavian/Bartender/Beau’s Mom and Andrew Reich with stage directions. Thanks for watching! Enjoy it!

Get the video for the table read for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/join

Tune in next week for our interview with Hilary and Mat. Thanks for watching and supporting our show! Enjoy!

Lifespan Promo offer:

Visit LifespanFitness.com and use code DPS5 at checkout for 5% off. That’s LifespanFitness.com and code DPS5

Better Help Promo offer:

BetterHelp is customized online therapy that offers video, phone and even live chat sessions with your therapist, and it’s more affordable than in-person therapy. See if it’s for you.
This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and Dead Pilots Society listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp dot com slash deadpilots.
Have your first session in under 48 hours at B-E-T-T-E-R-H-E-L-P dot com slash deadpilots.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 72: Paul Scheer & Andrew Guest Interview (Voice Of The People After Show) Jun 24, 2021

Show notes

We caught up with the writers of Voice Of The People this week! Andrew sat down with Paul Scheer (The League, Black Monday) and Andrew Guest (30 Rock, Community) for their after show interview. They talked about the development process for Voice Of The People and where they saw the series going. They go in depth about the notes they received from HBO and what it was like to work with Adam McKay and Owen Burke at Gary Sanchez. A deep dive into news pundits and Paul realizes that he actually was a pundit on Best Week Ever! They also discussed things to look for in a writing partner and the reason why some shows go to series and some end up on Dead Pilots Society. Paul told us about how he got his start performing at UCB to creating The Human Giant for MTV. Andrew talked about his experience working on the 30 Rock pilot as a writer’s assistant and the ups and downs he endured as a writer after that. It’s an enlightening conversation about creativity and comedy writing. Enjoy it!

Get the video for the table read of Voice Of The People for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/join

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 71: Voice Of The People written by Paul Scheer (The League) & Andrew Guest (30 Rock) Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

We’re kicking off summer with a hot pilot! It’s called Voice of the People written by Paul Scheer & Andrew Guest. It’s a behind the scenes look at the cutthroat world of cable news punditry, where people treat the news like entertainment, in which one woman slowly loses her integrity as a journalist on her path to becoming an “expert.” It was set up at HBO with Adam Mckay’s company, Gary Sanchez attached to produce.

Voice of the People stars Sasheer Zamata as Lucy (Woke, Saturday Night Live), Paul Scheer as Frank (The League, Black Monday), Marc Evan Jackson as Brett (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Nicole Byer as Vanessa (Nailed It, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates), Kate Mulgrew as Kate (Orange is the New Black), Vella Lovell as Dottie/Wanda/Vivian (My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), John Hodgman as Jon Meachum (Coraline, The Daily Show), Gary Anthony Williams as Carl/Roger/Jeffrey/Server (Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle), Jaime Moyer as Eddie Johnson (Modern Family, AP Bio), Eugene Cordero as Donald Liu/Mathew/Reporter/Suited Person (Kong: Skull Island, Tacoma FD), Carlos Alazraqui as Ricardo/Driver (Reno 911!, The Fairly Oddparents), John Clarence Stewart as Greg (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Eric Edelstein as Ron/Congressman Davis/Manager/Nandi/Commercial VO/director (Jurassic World), and Andrew Reich with stage directions. Thanks for listening! Enjoy it!

Get the video for the table read for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/join

Tune in next week for our interview with Paul and Andrew. Thanks for watching and supporting our show! Enjoy!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode 70: Riki Lindhome & Monica Padrick (Tails After Show) May 11, 2021

Show notes

It’s week two of the Max Fun Drive! Thank you so much if you’ve already supported the show by becoming a MaxFun member. Make sure you let us know on twitter or instagram so we can properly thank you! For week two we caught up with Riki Lindhome (Knives Out, Another Period) and Monica Padrick (Community, Central Park) about their pilot Tails. They were so great to talk to. Monica told us about her transition from being a journalist to a TV writer and how a dinner with a family friend changed her career. Riki gave us the origin story of Garfunkel & Oates, why she started writing sitcoms, and the many brutal experiences she’s had as a songwriter for hire. Thanks for listening! Enjoy it!

If you don’t know already, MaxFunDrive is the one time a year where we ask you to support our show by donating and becoming a MaxFun Member. All Maximum Fun podcasts are audience supported. That means that our audience directly support and make our show possible month after month. With your new or upgrading Max Fun membership, you’ll get access to all of our bonus content along with the entire library of Maximum Fun bonus content. There’s a whole bunch of membership tiers that get you all different kinds of gifts too!

This year our bonus content includes all of the video from our table reads this past year along with TWO incredible Maximum Fun Crossover episodes.

Our first crossover episode is with the hosts of Round Springfield, Allie Goertz and Julia Prescott. Round Springfield is a Simpsons-adjacent podcast where Allie and Julia interview writers, directors, showrunners, and voice-actors from the Simpsons-verse on their various paths to Springfield — failed pilots, other projects, and beyond. In our crossover, Ben, Andrew, Allie and Julia take a deep dive into the Simpsons pilot, they discuss the Simpson’s spec script that started Andrew’s career, inside scoop from the Friends writers room, and a general 90s nostalgia trip.

Our second crossover episode is with John Moe and his MaxFun podcast Depresh Mode. John and Ben talk to writers Steven Canals (Pose), Paul R. Puri (Chicago Med), and Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girflriend) about mental health among writers and writing about mental health on TV. It’s an enlightening conversation about process for our process nerds!

Get all of this bonus content for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/join

Tune in next week for our interview with Riki and Monica. Thanks for watching and supporting our show! Enjoy!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Feed Swap! Dead Pilots Society loves The JV Club May 10, 2021

Show notes

Dead Pilots Society producer Ben Blacker chats with Janet Varney, host of MaxFun's The JV Club podcast. DPS fans will enjoy Janet (you know her from several of our episodes!), the funny and frank conversations about our most awkward years, and the celebrity guests.

Don't forget to check the boxes for Dead Pilots Society and The JV Club when you become a MaxFun member! Please help support the little shows that can and do!

To become a MaxFun member go to maximumfun.org/join

Janet shares episode 9 with us: Angela Kinsey

Is it easy to go from the bustling streets of Jakarta to the country roads of Archer City with a little Dallas in between? Don’t miss this rare opportunity to find out what “wall bangs” are, how to con your way into an internship on a popular talk show, and maybe even learn a little Indonesian… all courtesy of Angela Kinsey from NBC’s The Office.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Feed Swap! Dead Pilots Society loves We Got This! May 08, 2021

Show notes

Dead Pilots Society producer Ben Blacker chats with Hal Lublin and Mark Gagliardi, hosts of MaxFun's We Got This podcast. DPS fans will enjoy the comedy arguments, the silly decisions, and the celebrity guests of We Got This.

Don't forget to check the boxes for Dead Pilots Society and We Got This when you become a MaxFun member!Please help support the little shows that can and do!"

Mark and Hal share episode 56 with us: Batman vs Superman with guests Travis McElroy and Ben Blacker.

The Man of Steel vs The Dark Knight. The Guardian of Metropolis vs The Savior of Gotham. When Batman and Superman collide on screens around the world this weekend, it will no doubt be epic, but if you REALLY want to know who wins, look not further than We Got This, as we sit down with Superfan Travis McElroy (MBMBaM, The Adventure Zone) and Bat-Fan Ben Blacker (Dead Pilots Society, Thrilling Adventure Hour) to determine once and for all which DC Comics icon reigns supreme!

It's still MaxFunDrive and plenty of time for you to become a Maximum Fun Member. If you've already become a member we really appreciate your support and if you haven't yet you can do so for as little as $5. $5 gets you all of our bonus content including access to video of our table reads and some incredible crossover episodes. Become a MaxFun member at maximumfun.org/join

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

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