Children of Tendu

Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Jose Molina are television writer/producers with over forty years of combined experience on shows including "Lost," "Firefly," "Sleepy Hollow" and "Helix"... and they are giving away all their knowledge for free! Find us on Twitter @childrenoftendu!

ON THE LINE - OUR BEST AND FINAL 09/28/2023

ON THE LINE - OUR BEST AND FINAL A few days before the WGA made its historic deal with the AMPTP, Jose and Javi made one last trip to the line, this time at Universal Studios, to interview our sisters, brothers, and others in the guild who bravely walked the lines to the triumphant end. Featuring interviews with established writers like Marc Bernardin, Julie and Shawna Benson, as well as our union representatives (who dropped amazing information on the organization of the strike... down to the black SUVs and secret WGA phones!) this is an amazing snapshot of the last days of a labor action that resulted in amazing gains for writers everywhere! SOLIDARITY! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/28170185

Live From The Line Part Two: The Conversation Continues - CBS Radford 07/26/2023

Live From The Line Part Two: The Conversation Continues - CBS Radford On a hot and noisy day, Jose and Javi set up shop on the strike line at CBS Radford and talk to WGA luminaries ranging from showrunners Julie Plec and Craig Silverstein to show creator Evan Bleiweiss and the strike captains who keep out labor action safe and coordinated! If you are curious about how we organize, where the signs come from... or how to humanely run a writers room, you won't mind the horns blaring in the background! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/27577125

LIVE FROM THE STRIKE LINE! 06/27/2023

LIVE FROM THE STRIKE LINE! Taking their cues from Lucy Van Pelt, the Children of Tendu set up a booth on the strike line and took questions, gave advice, and even quizzed their betters about their methods and madness. Featuring interviews with producers of "Elementary", the showrunner of "Queen of the South" as well as several amazing up and comers from shows including "Superman and Lois" and "Law & Order: SVU" this is a raw look at what's going on in the frontlines of the WGA strike, and a stark reminder of how much the craft of writing has changed, and why the strike matters! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/27299235

The Leafblower Sessions: Part Two 06/22/2023

The Leafblower Sessions: Part Two In this extra special episode of the podcast, Jose and Javi take a deep, show-by-show dive into Javi's career, dissecting his experiences and distilling the lessons he has learned over the course of his decades-spanning adventures in TV! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/27231237

The Leafblower Sessions, Part One 06/14/2023

The Leafblower Sessions, Part One In this extra special episode of the podcast, Jose and Javi take a deep, show-by-show dive into Jose's career, dissecting his experiences and distilling the lessons he has learned over the course of his decades-spanning career! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/27144450

How Is This Strike Different From The Last? 06/07/2023

How Is This Strike Different From The Last? As veterans of the WGA strike of 2007 picketing in the strike of 2023, Jose and Javi break down the differences between the two labor actions. From the role of social media in the Guild's messaging, to the differences in the message itself, the rise of the #prewga cohort, and the decline of the auteur showrunner, Jose and Javi don't just break it down, but also use the differences in the two labor actions to explain how vital the current struggle is to the art and business of writing for media. /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/27076884

BAD HOMBRES: Writing while Latino/a/e/x 05/22/2023

BAD HOMBRES: Writing while Latino/a/e/x Being Latino/a/e/x in Trump's America is an increasingly precarious business. As white Puerto Ricans whith careers spanning over a quarter century, Javi and Jose have seen, heard, and experienced the pervasive racism of the industry in many of its forms, while also benefitting from their own white privilege. In this unusually revealing episode, Jose and Javi dig deep into their lives and upbringing as colonial subjects of the United States to explore not just what it is like to be latino/a/e/x in Hollywood, but more specifically, what it means to be Puerto Rican and the many issues of race, class, and colonialism that entails. /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/26909295

TENDU.0 - Things We Lost In The Stream 05/11/2023

TENDU.0 - Things We Lost In The Stream Jose and Javi are back and older than ever! As the Writers Guild strikes for higher pay, job security, and reform in how writers are employed and compensated, Jose and Javi aren't just walking the picket line but also breaking down the many changes in the industry that have lead to the current labor action. In the fifteen years since the dawn of the streaming age, the way television is made and consumed has changed enormously, and Jose and Javi have experienced those changes in real time... this is not the same business Jose and Javi came into at the start of their careers, and it isn't the same as when they began recording the Children of Tendu podcast... it's a new era, and Jose and Javi are here to tell you all about it! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/26807910

Children of Tendu: On Writing 09/06/2021

Children of Tendu: On Writing Remember when we said our previous episode would be our series finale? WE LIED. And we are back to prove it with a super sized episode where we answer YOUR questions about OUR process. How do we write? Why do we write? Where do we write? (and it's not in the bathtub like Dalton Trumbo) All these questions and more! Answered right here! With our usual career-endangering candor! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/20377571

IS THIS OUR SERIES FINALE? 05/06/2021

IS THIS OUR SERIES FINALE? Seven years ago, veteran television writer/producers Jose Molina and Javier Grillo-Marxuach set out to consign all their experience to a podcast and to give it away for free. One Golden Age of television, a pandemic, and several complete disruptions in the industry later, Jose and Javi look to the future and ponder the fate of the Children of Tendu Podcast... and more importantly, their own transition from wizened veterans to fellow travelers with newcomers in a rapidly changing world! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/18998429

The Editorial Of Tendu 03/02/2020

The Editorial Of Tendu Most writers have very little idea of what goes on in an edit bay, and how to best manage the collaborative relationship between a TV writer/producer and the show's editor. To remedy this situation, Javi and Jose have brought in one of the most prolific and acclaimed editors working today - Shawn Paper, whose credits include Parks and Rec, Veep, What We Do In The Shadows, Flight of the Conchords, and countless others - to discuss how writers and editors can, and should, be best friends! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/13363961

The Directorate of Tendu 12/09/2019

The Directorate of Tendu In this super-sized deep-dive, Jose and Javi interview Jeremiah Chechik - director not just of the pilot episode of Javi's show "The Middleman" but also TV shows including "Chuck", "Gossip Girl", "Shadowhunters", "Helix", "The Bronx is Burning", "Burn Notice" - and, oh yeah, a couple of classic feature films including "Benny and Joon" and "Christmas Vacation". /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/12329045

THE CHILDREN OF TENDU MEET THE PRESIDENT OF THE WRITERS GUILD 07/02/2019

THE CHILDREN OF TENDU MEET THE PRESIDENT OF THE WRITERS GUILD The Writers Guild is currently engaged in a landmark labor action which has already changed the face of the entertainment industry. In this special episode, Jose and Javi have a lengthy and candid conversation with WGA President David A. Goodman about the how's and why's of the guild's goals and strategy as it seeks to redefine the role of agents and agencies in the business of representing writers. /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/10378817

Children of Tendu Live at the Writers Guild - The Fellowship of the Writers Room! 04/22/2018

Children of Tendu Live at the Writers Guild - The Fellowship of the Writers Room! As part of their "Living in the Middle" sessions at the WGA, Javi and Jose host a talk about the writers room - what sort of personalities thrive in the collaborative creative environment that fuels the creation of TV narratives, and how does a writer find his or her voice among the talented many who make up a staff! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/6509146

The Big Pitch - Part Two 04/22/2018

The Big Pitch - Part Two In this the second part and conclusion of "The Big Pitch" Jose and javi discuss what happened after The Big Pitch... what networks heard The Big Pitch, who didn't and why? What was it like in the rooms where they pitched? What sort of feedback did they get? Did anyone buy The Big Pitch? What was it like to develop a role playing game into a potential TV show... and, most importantly: did the rigors of working together after 24 years of friendship destroy Jose and Javi... or did it make them stronger? /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/6508722

THE BIG PITCH - PART ONE 04/22/2018

THE BIG PITCH - PART ONE Most TV writers do not hear a series being pitched until they are the ones doing the pitching. In this brand new episode, the Children of Tendu discuss the process by which they developed a pitch for a TV adaptation of a popular role playing game... and they throw in the entire pitch for free! That's right, rather than just talk about pitching, Jose and Javi rehearsed their pitch live at the Writers Guild, and now you can hear it here! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/6508652

Actors of Tendu! 11/21/2016

Actors of Tendu! In this special episode of the podcast, the Children of Tendu enlist guest stars Natalie Morales - star of Javi's show The Middleman - and Jason O'Mara - who starred in, and worked with Jose on, Terra Nova - to discuss how actors and writers work together, and how this crucial creative relationship can be made better in the fast-paced and ever changing world of television. How do these series leads approach scripts when the arrive fresh off the printer? How do they deal with writers on and off the set? What do they wish writers would - or wouldn't - do on the page and off? Join Jose and Javi as two of their most famous collaborators drop their hard-earned wisdom and advice! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4843905

Agents of Tendu 10/24/2016

Agents of Tendu There is one question. The ETERNAL question. The question that all who want to write in Hollywood ask themselves over and over again. How do I get an agent? In this very special episode, Jose's first agent, Matt Bedrosian not only answers the eternal question of "how do you get an agent?" but also gives a no-holds-barred look behind the scenes at a talent agency and answers some of the most pressing questions asked by writers, both repped and non-repped... What do agents do? Why don't they answer my calls? What are they doing when they are not answering my calls? Why do you even need an agent? But mostly, we talk about "how do you get an agent?" Really. There's an answer. /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4768308

The Union of Tendu 09/19/2016

The Union of Tendu When a guy writes on shows ranging from "Family Guy" to "Futurama" and "The Golden Girls", you pay attention to what he has to say. When that same guy is also Vice President of the Writers Guild, you clean out your ears, dust off your glasses, take out a pencil and a pad and take down some notes! In this candid, no-holds-barred conversation, Jose and Javi talk to David Goodman about his successes and struggles in comedy - animated and live action - and also have a lively discussion about the Writers Guild: what it does, who is in it and why, the strike of 2007 and how it affected working and neophyte writers alike, and why involvement with the union is crucial for all writers! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4677218

LIVE AT THE SAN DIEGO COMIC CON 08/12/2016

LIVE AT THE SAN DIEGO COMIC CON In which Jose and Javi settle their Gladiator vs. Braveheart feud once and for all - in front of a live audience at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con! Putting that issue to rest with a sense of drama unseen since the Roman Colisseum, Jose and Javi then answer audience questions about writing for television, breaking into the business, the art of the argument, collaborative storytelling and Role Playing Games, how new media is affecting the television staffing landscape, and many, many more topics! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4579953

The Comedy Stylings of Tendu 07/15/2016

The Comedy Stylings of Tendu The Children of Tendu know drama... but they are not nearly as knowledgeable about the world of comedy... so to tell you how to break into comedy, what the work is like for writers there, and how to have a long, successful, and productive, career, Javi and Jose called in a team of experts: Steve Baldikoski and Bryan Behar - a writing team with twenty years in comedy who currently co-executive produce the hit Netflix series "Fuller House" - and Kate Spurgeon - who recently completed the Warne Bros. Writing Fellowship and is currently in her first writing gig, also on "Fuller House". In this very special episode, these amazing ambassadors from the comedy world drop some serious wisdom on the funny! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4492415

The Post-Production of Tendu 07/08/2016

The Post-Production of Tendu In the last two Children of Tendu podcasts, Jose and Javi walked you through Pre-Production and Production... now comes the Grand Finale: Post - AKA: "what happens after you have written your script and it has been filmed". In this supersized special episode, Javi and Jose describe not just the massive effort required to get a show from the camera to the air, but also describe the vast army of artists involved, and lay out a blueprint for writers to successfully work their way through the process the Tendu way! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4492403

The Production of Tendu - A Children of Tendu Special 06/13/2016

The Production of Tendu - A Children of Tendu Special The script is done. You have navigated the slings and arrows of pre-production. The cameras are rolling: what does the writer/producer do on the set? What are the pressures, politics, and practicalities of filming an episode of television? And what are the common mistakes and missteps for new and experienced writers to avoid when they step foot in that mysterious maelstrom of activity known as "production"? Jose and Javi answer your questions, and question your answers in... The Production of Tendu! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4437849

The Preproduction of Tendu - A Children of Tendu Special! 06/02/2016

The Preproduction of Tendu - A Children of Tendu Special! In this special, super-sized, episode of the podcast, Jose and Javi break down what happens in that crucial time between the moment a television writer finishes writing a script and when the cameras roll... what is Pre-Production? What is the role of the writer/producer during this crucial process? How do all the pieces that go into making an episode of your television come together, and how do all the problems get solved - or don't - before your favorite show actually gets filmed? Tune in to this information-packed episode... and stay tuned for the cliffhanger ending, in which Jose and Javi promise to eventually cover... Post-Production! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4408439

TENDU EMERGENCY BROADCAST! 05/16/2016

TENDU EMERGENCY BROADCAST! On Friday, May 13, the internet was abuzz with news of the pickups and cancellations of dozens of television shows -- feeling the nervy vibe, Jose and Javi took to Periscope to answer questions about pilot season, the upfronts, network ad sales, why some shows get cancelled -- and why others get picked up -- and if there's hope for your beloved but cancelled favorite (we're lookin' at you, Agent Carter) to find a new home after being kicked off the network nest! The thrills and confusion of pilot season was demystified during this hourlong live session... and now, here it is in podcast form! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4371592

CHILDREN OF TENDU LIVE AT UCLA! 05/06/2016

CHILDREN OF TENDU LIVE AT UCLA! As part of his "Anatomy of a Pilot" class at UCLA, writer/showrunner/show-creator/nice guy Richard (Miracles, Grimm, Witches of East End, Supernatural) Hatem invited the Children of Tendu to speak to his students, and to submit to his rigorous questioning about the business of television, the role of the writer in the writers room, the set, and in the collaborative hierarchy of series television... the Children of Tendu, as you might imagine, had some very pointed opinions about all of this! to find out more about the UCLA extension writers program - without whom this recording would not have been possible - check out their website at http://writers.uclaextension.edu /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4350091

The Eleven Laws of Showrunning - A Children of Tendu Special 01/27/2016

The Eleven Laws of Showrunning - A Children of Tendu Special In this brand new, supersized episode, the Children of Tendu look at the business of television from the tippity-top, leveraging their combined forty years of experience into a discussion of showrunning. In our Golden Age of television, what does it mean to lead the creation of a television, how does it work, and what are some of the sins committed by both experienced and inexperienced managers in the pursuit of getting the show on the air by any means necessary. /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/4105908

Tendu or Do Not: Children on the Ledge - Staffing Season Special 04/27/2015

Tendu or Do Not: Children on the Ledge - Staffing Season Special We are now in the thick of that most dreaded of seasons: staffing. For three to four months, every television writer in Los Angeles waits on pins and needles to find out which shows will return the next season and which pilots get picked up to series -- and hovers over the phone to hear whether they will be getting job interviews to become staff writer/producers on those shows. To soothe your frayed nerves and talk you down during this nerve wracking time, the Children of Tendu have recorded "Tendu or Do Not: Children on the Ledge," in which Jose and Javi not only dispense useful advice on how to survive this trying time of the year, but also share war stories from some of their most harrowing staffing seasons to date. Also, Javi sings the Spanish-launguage jingle from the Schaeffer beer commercials of his youth, and Jose delivers the best ever reading of the line "large cocks." /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/3515472

Tendu Mamá También - A Children of Tendu Special 04/13/2015

Tendu Mamá También - A Children of Tendu Special In a very special two-hour Children of Tendu Special, Jose and Javi interview special guests Akela (V, Grimm, The Witches of East End, The 100) and Deric (Warehouse Thirteen, Beauty and the Beast) Hughes on the controversial topic of diversity inb television. Informed by personal anecdotes illustrating the good, the bad, the questionable, and the blatant, Jose, Javi, Akela, and Deric provide an in-depth discussion of what it is like to be a "diverse" write in an industry that has not always - and may still not entirely - welcome difference within its ranks. They also digress... a lot. /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/3488378

10DU or Die! A Children of Tendu Road Trip Special 03/02/2015

10DU or Die! A Children of Tendu Road Trip Special A mere week ago, Jose (Agent Carter, Sleepy Hollow) Molina and Javier (Lost, The Middleman) Grillo-Marxuach set off on an epic road trip to Las Vegas Nevada - their goal? To not only make it to Sin City alive, but to record a super-sized podcast answering your questions about television, the business and the cradt of writing during the drive! /episode/index/show/childrenoftendu/id/3397260

Children of Tendu

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