Dead Pilots Society

Latest Episodes:

Episode 175: How To Get Over Bryan Byers Written by Ilana Peña & Anne Sundell Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

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!

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Episode 174: Austen Earl Interview (Letters to Beyoncé, Up All Night, The Millers, Happy Together) May 29, 2025

Show notes

Episode 174: Austen Earl Interview (Letters to Beyoncé, Up All Night, The Millers, Happy Together)

In this after-show interview, Andrew talks with writer/producer Austen Earl about his pilot Letters to Beyoncé, inspired by his own mom. Austen shares how he went from a tiny town in Vermont to a Hollywood writing career—with a surprising assist from his athletic background.

They discuss the ups and downs of working in TV, including cancelled shows, and the influence of White Lotus creator Mike White on Austen’s path. A funny, honest look at what it takes to make it in comedy writing.

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Episode 173: Letters to Beyoncé written by Austen Earl (Up All Night, The Millers, Happy Together) May 22, 2025

Show notes

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.

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

Episode 172: Lauren Herstik Interview (American Vandal, Pearson) Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

In this after-show episode of Dead Pilot Society, we're joined by writer Lauren Herstik, who brought us Camp Friends — a pilot that's had more lives (and deaths) than most scripts could dream of. This one has everything: clown camp trauma, projectile vomit over a salad bar, surrealist puberty freakouts, and a long, winding journey through the chaotic world of TV development.

Lauren sits down with host Andrew Reich to talk about the evolution of her coming-of-age summer camp comedy, from its original, raunchy YA vision at HBO Max, to a beachy reinvention, to its current cryogenic stasis somewhere in the Disney orbit. Along the way, we hear how shifting mandates, network rebrands, and executive shakeups nearly killed the project multiple times — and how Lauren refused to let it go quietly.

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Episode 171: Camp Friends Written by Lauren Herstik (American Vandal, Pearson) Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

This month, we have a fantastic dead pilot, Camp Friends, written by Lauren Herstik. You may know Lauren as a writer on American Vandal and Pearson. Camp Friends is about best friends who spend every summer at Camp Wigeon. This is their CIT (counselor-in-training) year, the last before becoming counselors, and the last chance to have the best summer ever. So when a new, hot, mystery girl shows up at camp and threatens to derail those plans it’s a big problem.

Our cast this month features Zosia Mamet (Girls), Sasheer Zamata (Agatha All Along), Aparna Nancherla (The Great North), Jasmine Elist (Mr. Corman), Comedian Mary Shalaby, John Gemberling (The Great North), Will Choi (Central Park, BoJack Horseman), and Andrew Reich with stage directions.

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Episode 170: Riki Lindhome and Natasha Leggero Interview (Another Period) Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

This is the After Show episode for Buffalo Tens featuring Andrew’s interview with Riki Lindhome and Natasha Leggero (Another Period). It’s also our last episode of MaxFunDrive 2025. If you haven’t joined, boosted or upgraded yet, what are you waiting for?! You’re reading the show notes! You’re obviously a fan! Go to maximum fun.org/join right now! And then you can enjoy the insane story of how malaria brought Riki and Natasha together, how Another Period came to be, and the many times Buffalo Tens almost made it to a screen big or small. But first go to maximum fun.org/join and check out all the cool gifts that are only available for a few more days! And help Maximum Fun reach their goal of 15,000 new, boosting or upgrading members. If they make it, they are going to have a blow-out party and invite everyone! Please show your love for our show today, before it’s to laaaaaate!!!! Go to maximumfun.org/join! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindeadpilots

Episode: 169: Buffalo Tens Episode 2 by Riki Lindhome and Natasha Leggero (Another Period) Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

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

Episode 168: Buffalo Tens Episode 1 by Riki Lindhome and Natasha Leggero (Another Period) Mar 22, 2025

Show notes

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!

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

Episode 167: John Enbom Interview(Party Down, Veronica Mars) Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

We have another live show coming up soon. It’s on Sunday March 16th at 2:00 and at the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles, and we will be reading not one but two episodes of a hilarious dead pilot or I guess a dead show, written by and starring the incredible Riki Lindhome and Natasha Leggero. Riki and Natasha co-created and starred in the Comedy Central show Another Period. But you know them from so many other things as well. Riki is one half of Garfunkel and Oates and you’ve seen her in everything from Big Bang Theory to Knives Out to Wednesday. Natasha you know from her comedy and Chelsea Lately and as a voice actor in one million things. A great cast is coming together for this, it’ll be so much fun. Go to Elysiantheater.com to snag your tickets.

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Episode 166: Rich Dan Poor Dan written by John Enbom (Party Down, Veronica Mars)) Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

John also wrote on Veronica Mars, iZombie, and Benched. This pilot has that unique Enbom touch.

Rich Dan, Poor Dan was recorded live in front of an audience at the Elysian Theatre in Los Angeles. Our cast was Ryan Hansen (Party Down) as Danny, Martin Starr (Party Down, Silicon Valley) as Daniel, Zoe Chao (Party Down) as Marnie, Olivia Liang (Kung Fu) as Sasha, Comedian Patrick McDonald as Stuart, Janet Varney (Stan Vs. Evil, JV Club) as Bernice/Maywell, Ellie Reed (Girlboss) as Louise, Comedian Anna Seregina as Olga/Sexy Assistant/Sally, Brendan Scannell (Bonding, Heathers) as Gerd Himmel/Charmaine, Dead Pilots Society Stalwart Greg Santos as Ivan/Carlo/Marcus/Dr. Tim Salk, and John Enbom with Stage Directions (Andrew had Covid).

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