It’s time for Pendemictv!

It’s time for PendemicTV!

Check out this new online resource for anyone interested in writing TV.

Amidst the blight of current events, there are a couple of new online screenwriting resources being launched by Hollywood writers. Cooped up in their homes for the foreseeable future, what better way to spend time than getting onto Zoom and talking about — what else — writing!

Betty Sullivan, a writer I know who is a member of the Zero Draft Thirty Facebook group, messaged me about an initiative launched by Joel Silberman. It’s called PendemicTV: Intimate conversations with the top writers in TV and film. Weekdays at 6 PM Pacific/9 PM Eastern.

I reached out to Joel with a few questions so he could explain what it’s all about.

Scott: What is the inspiration for PendemicTV?

Joel: I’ve thrown mixers and hosted workshops for years under the umbrella of an organization called the Writers Assistants Network, and this spring I was planning to start hosting a series of mixers on my own with live interviews to differentiate them from other bar nights. When the pandemic hit, I thought it put the kabosh on all that, but then I realized I could still do the interviews virtually, and it might be a really nice way to build community during a tough time. Then my friend Tasha Cerny said she’d produce, and that made it all feel doable.

I’m also kind of fascinated with live streaming. Like, it’s 2020 and we don’t have flying cars, and we’re still apparently vulnerable to viruses, but at least we can broadcast interviews of our peers and mentors live on the internet and let others chime in with questions of their own. So, hashtag silver linings, I guess.

Scott: What’s the focus of the podcast?

Joel: My friend/mentor (friendtor?) Matt Nix, who created “Burn Notice” and a bunch of other shows, says that “Great writers don’t just write what they know; they write who they are.” And that’s totally true. So with these interviews, I want to really dig into who these writers are. I want to know what experiences they’ve had as people that made them the writers they are today, and in turn how their experiences as writers have made them the people they are today.

I did a test interview last week with a writer-producer named Kate VanDevender who ran a show for YouTube and currently runs something called Sand Mirror Studios, which is a remarkable resource for creatives. In discussing how she got there, we talked about her experience as a construction worker and professional mime, and her mother’s near-fatal health crisis. It was deep and kind of spellbinding, and that’s the vibe I want in these interviews (alongside the jokey riffing and writing tips).

Scott: Who are some of the TV writers and producers we may expect to see on PendemicTV?

Joel: The list is long and thrilling. So many amazing people have said yes, and if folks are watching and the quarantine is still on in May, there are a bunch more who’ve said they’d do it. For now, the list is:

Aaron Fullerton (Producer, “FBI”)
Adam Milch (Co-EP, “The Morning Show”)
Ali Schouten (Supervising Producer, “Merry Happy Whatever”)
Aurin Squire (Producer, “Evil”)
Brian and Mark Gunn (Writers, “Brightburn”)
David Slack (EP, “MacGyver”)
Greg Small & Rich Blaney (Creator/EPs, “The Lizzy Borden Chronicles”)
Frank Lesser (Creator/EP, “You’re Not a Monster”)
Jack Kenny (EP, “Jessica Jones”, “Warehouse 13”)
Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Co-EP, “Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance”)
Jenny Klein (Co-EP, “The Witcher”)
Judalina Neira (Producer, “The Flash”)
Liz Alper (Co-Producer, “The Rookie”)
Mark Bianculli (Co-Creator/EP, “Lincoln Rhyme”)
Matt Nix (Creator/EP, “The Gifted”, “Burn Notice”)
Matthew Federman (Co-creator/EP, “Blood & Treasure”)
Michael Weithorn (Creator/EP, “King of Queens”)
Nikki Toscano (EP, “Hunters”)
Peter Lalayanis & Ryan Johnson (Co-EPs, “Blindspot”)
Shawn Ryan (Creator/EP, “S.W.A.T.”, “The Shield”)
Shawna and Julie Benson (Co-producers, “Wu Assasins”)
Stacy Traub (EP, “Black-ish”)
Tatiana Suarez-Pico (Producer, “The L Word”)
VJ Boyd (Co-creator/EP, “Lincoln Rhyme”)

Scott: That’s an impressive list! What platforms are you on?

Joel: Here’s pretty much everything you need to know:

What: A live interview show with showrunners, creators, and other writer-producers. Live viewers can ask questions in real time.

When: Every weeknight at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET, from now until when social distancing ends.

Where: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Periscope, Youtube, and Twitch.

Who: Hosted by Joel Silberman (“Hunters”, Staffme.TV). Guests included Nikki Toscano (EP, “Hunters”), Matt Nix (Creator/EP, “Burn Notice”), Shawn Ryan (Creator/EP “S.W.A.T.”) and many many more.

Why: Because we could all use something fun and positive right now, and celebrity Zoom videos are getting old.

Here’s the schedule for the rest of this week:

4/7: Matt Nix (Creator/EP, “The Gifted”, “Burn Notice”)
4/8: Michael Weithorn (Creator/EP, “King of Queens”)
4/9: Matthew Federman (Co-creator/EP, “Blood & Treasure”)
4/10: Judalina Neira (Producer, “The Flash”)

Here is an episode of PendemicTV with Joel hosting Nikki Toscano, executive producer of Hunters, the new Amazon Prime series starring Al Pacino.

You can also see the episode on Facebook and Twitter.

This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in writing for TV to learn more about the craft and business from industry insider. Plus, since the episodes are live streamed, you can enter the conversation via your questions (text-based): Weekdays at 9PM EDT / 6PM PDT during the pandemic.

Kudos to Joel for this initiative! I look forward to seeing where this goes!