Episode 107: Jesse Armstrong, "Succession"
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
Release Date: 03/14/2024
Episode 135: Protecting Free Speech in Journalism with Susan Rinkunas, Sammie Smylie, Nitish Pahwa and Matt Shuham
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
In the final part of OnWriting’s series on protecting free speech, journalists Sammie Smylie, Nitish Pahwa, Matt Shuham and join moderator and journalist Susan Rinkunas to discuss the escalating threats faced by journalists in the US, why it's so critical to fight back to protect journalism that informs the public and holds power accountable, and more. Sammie Smylie is a state education reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago, a leader in the Civic News Guild with the WGAE, and a WGAE Council Member for Online Media. Nitish Pahwa is a business and technology journalist at Slate, and a member of the...
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Episode 134: Screenwriter Roundtable with David Koepp, Craig Brewer and Kirt Gunn
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
We're wrapping up 2025 with an OnWriting Screenwriter Roundtable, featuring David Koepp, Craig Brewer and Kirt Gunn. The three writers joined us to discuss the origins and process behind their latest projects, how they develop their ideas over time, and much more. David Koepp is a writer and director known for writing the screenplays for films like Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, and Spider-Man, among many others. His most recent project is Black Bag, a mystery-thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh released in Spring 2025. Craig Brewer is the writer and director of...
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Episode 133: Protecting Free Speech in Late Night with Josh Gondelman, Liz Hynes, Greg Iwinski and Sasha Stewart
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
In part 2 of our series on protecting free speech, veteran late night television writers Josh Gondelman, Liz Hynes, Greg Iwinski and Sasha Stewart join us to discuss the eventful past few months in the world of late night, the current state of the genre, and how they think late night comedy might shift throughout the ongoing fight to protect free speech. Josh Gondelman is a former late night writer for shows like Desus & Mero and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, a stand-up comedian and former WGAE Council Member. Liz Hynes is a writer on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, a former...
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Episode 132: Protecting Free Speech in Public Broadcasting with June Thiele, Peter Miller, Jill Cozza-Turner, and Rupeshi Shah Bhat
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
In the first of a multi-part series on protecting free speech in media, public television writers Rupeshi Shah Bhat, June Thiele, Peter Miller and Jill Cozza-Turner discuss the state of public broadcasting in the face of ongoing threats like the loss of federal funding, and why it's so critical to fight back to protect both public broadcasting specifically and free speech overall. Rupeshi Shah Bhat is a preschool TV writer who has written for PBS KIDS programs like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and is a member of the WGAE Animation Caucus. Peter Miller is a Emmy and Peabody Award-winning...
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Episode 131: WGAE AI Task Force Roundtable with Larry J. Cohen, Sarah Montana and A.M. Homes
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
This week, WGAE AI Taskforce co-chairs Larry J. Cohen and Sarah Montana, and taskforce member A.M. Homes sit down for an OnWriting roundtable conversation about all things artificial intelligence: how we got to where we are today, the risks AI poses to workers, what the WGAE is doing to protect members from this technology, and more. A.M. Homes is a writer whose credits include television series like Mr. Mercedes and The L Word. She is a former member of the WGAE Council and currently a member of the WGAE AI Taskforce. Larry J. Cohen is a writer on the television series Berlin Station and...
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Episode 130: Screenwriter Roundtable with Nia DaCosta, Benny Safdie and Will Tracy
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
We're kicking off the Fall/Winter 2025 season of OnWriting with a roundtable conversation between screenwriters Nia DaCosta, Benny Safdie and Will Tracy, who sat down to discuss their latest projects, the writing process, and more. Nia DaCosta is the writer and director of Hedda, a provocative, modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen's classic play in which the titular Hedda Gabler finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Benny Safdie is the writer and director of The Smashing Machine, the true story of mixed martial arts and UFC...
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Episode 129: How to Organize a Union with Rez Nemorin, Jessica Schulberg and Leah Gotcsik
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
WGAE member organizers Rez Nemorin, Jessica Schulberg and Leah Gotcsik sit down to discuss what the organizing, bargaining and enforcement process looks like at each of their workplaces, how being in a union builds a stronger and more supportive community, the importance and responsibility of being an active union member – especially right now – and much more. Rez Nemorin is a producer in the world of nonfiction television, where she is currently involved in bargaining the first contract at Lucky8. Jessica Schulberg is a senior reporter at HuffPost who helped bargain their second and...
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Episode 128: Lang Fisher & Tracey Wigfield, "The Four Seasons"
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
Co-showrunners Tracey Wigfield and Lang Fisher discuss running their latest writers' room, how the pitching process has changed for them throughout their careers, why figuring out the story is like being good at math, and much more. Tracey Wigfield is a TV writer and showrunner. She created the NBC series Great News and the Saved by the Bell revival on Peacock. Before that, she was a writer on 30 Rock as well as The Mindy Project. Lang Fisher is a TV writer, showrunner and director. She co-created the Netflix series Never Have I Ever and was a writer on 30 Rock, The Mindy...
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Episode 127: On Saturday Night Live with head writers Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell and Kent Sublette
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
Saturday Night Live head writers Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell and Kent Sublette join Greg Iwinski to talk about the process of writing for a different host every week, how giving notes to writers differs from giving notes to the cast, what writing for SNL teaches you about rejection, and much more. Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell and Kent Sublette are the current head writers of Saturday Night Live. Kent has been a head writer for the show since 2016, and Alison and Streeter have been head writers since 2022. Greg Iwinski is an Emmy-winning comedy writer whose credits include Last Week...
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Episode 126: All About the WGAE Film & TV Captains Network with Suzanne Weber, Sarah Montana and Devin Delliquanti
OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
Three intrepid WGAE member Captains – Sarah Montana, Devin Delliquanti and Suzanne Weber – kick off the summer season OnWriting with a roundtable discussion of our Film and Television Captains Network: what a Captain is, how Captains further the Guild’s ability to provide effective union representation for each and every member, the all-important WGA Captain hat and more. The WGAE Captains Network is a group of dedicated and engaged WGAE members in the Guild’s Film/TV/Streaming sector who connect other members in their workplace and networks to the union. They work to build...
info_outlineTo kick off a brand new season, host Taffy Brodesser-Akner sits down with Succession creator and showrunner Jesse Armstrong to discuss how he staffed and ran his writers’ room, the importance of maintaining distance and perspective in your artistic endeavors, what's next for Jesse now that Succession is over, and much more.
Jesse Armstrong is a screenwriter, showrunner, and producer known for his work on several critically acclaimed television series. He rose to prominence as co-creator and writer of British sitcoms Peep Show and Fresh Meat, as a writer on the first three seasons of The Thick of It and cowriter of its 2009 feature adaption, In the Loop, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Most recently, Jesse served as creator and showrunner of the HBO black comedy Succession, for which he received – among others – four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, three Golden Globes, and two Writers Guild Awards for Drama Series.
Succession centers on the ultra-wealthy and ultra-dysfunctional Roy family, owners of global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo, and their fight for control of the company amidst uncertainty about the health of the family's patriarch. The series—which is nominated for the 2024 Writers Guild Award for Drama Series—concluded its fourth and final season concluded last year, and the entire series is available to stream on Max.
This episode of OnWriting is hosted by screenwriter, journalist, and author Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Taffy is the creator and showrunner of the FX on Hulu miniseries Fleishman Is in Trouble which is based on her 2019 novel of the same name. She has previously worked as a freelance writer and as a contributor for GQ and The New York Times, where she is currently a staff writer. You can follow Taffy on Twitter at @taffyakner.
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