Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss

We weren’t finished with John Wirth, so he comes back for more.
This time we talk leadership style, drinking too much soda and the use of the red pen.
John talks about being blunt, some more failure stories and even more advice.

We speak to the legendary John Wirth.
He talks about a Hollywood career so long that he can't even remember all of the shows he has run, the shows he has been fired from and arguing with actors who hadn't won Emmys.
He talks about managing upwards, 'run money' and an extraordinary argument with talent about trust.
A remarkable episode with a remarkable storyteller.

We talk to the extraordinary SJ Hodges.
She talks about changing her name to a gender neutral one to get read, jumping from staff writer straight to show runner and what she learned from managing a literal car crash on The Player.
Then SJ shares her personal journey of losing her husband to a brain tumour, what she did next and how she ended up building a community around her memoir Uneven Ground.
A poignant and honest episode.

The podcast is back for the second half of season three and we have a cracker.
Gary Whitta, writer of Book of Eli and Rogue One gives an extraordinary interview about his transition from video game editor to writer, working on Star Wars and his frustrations with Hollywood. 
He gves us an extraordinary pig analogy, talks about the excitement and pressure of being asked to work on the world's largest franchise and why he now won't watch any new Star Wars shows.
One of the most honest and candid interviews we've had, Gary holds back nothing as he talks about his rollercoaster journey to the pinnacle of Hollywood.
A must listen for writers, Star Wars fans and anyone interested in perseverance, creativity and how to play the Hollywood game.

After a long mid-season break, we are back up with the second half of Season Three of Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss.
Noah and Dan talk about what they have been up to the last few weeks - Noah's show got cancelled! - and we thank our long-term partner Scriptation and then introduce tomorrow's episode with Rogue One writer Gary Whitta.
This taster episode will just remind you of the quality of our banter, get you reacquainted with our voices and sets the table for a great upcoming season.

Our first Oscar winner!
For the last episode before our mid-season break we have Ed Swick on the show.
He talks about his new book - Hits, Flops and Other Illusions.
And we talk winning Oscars, writing truthful books about Hollywood and his extraordinary career.
He tells us how the industry has changed, that films like the ones he made aren’t made anymore and a bit more about winning Oscars.
Ed tells us about his motivation for making movies, his favourite industry moments and how writing his book helped him relive his Hollywood story.
A fascinating episode with one of the entertainment industry’s biggest hitters.

We talk to the fascinating Jim Mickle.
He tells us about this start in independent movies, taking a break during the strike and the upcoming final season of Sweet Tooth.
He explains how he got in to tv, becoming a showrunner and suffering from imposter syndrome and working in New Zealand during a pandemic.
Jim talks about how hard and tiring being a showrunner was, nearly working with Stallone and why he is pleased to have made slow progress at the beginning of his career.
A really interesting discussion with an engaging and successful showrunner.

We talk to the fascinating Emily Fox who tells us about getting fired, trying to stuff a large chair into a car in the rain while in tears and the importance of connection in a writing room during a pandemic.
She tells us about her shows getting cancelled due to a change of exec, being nice to people firing her and building bonds among colleagues.
We talk the importance of support outside the industry, her cancellation radar and her ability to forget about failed projects.
A fun and interesting discussion with a delightful writer.

We talk to Emmy-nominated writer and producer Wendy West.
She talks about researching murder, her love of morgues and being the only woman in the room early in her career.
Wendy talks about mentoring young female writers, supporting veterans and what it's like to work in the Dick Wolf world.
She explains her path to success, her love of crossovers and finding out her show is being cancelled by fax.
A fascinating insight into procedural TV by one of the best to have done it.

We talk to Oscar and Emmy award nominee Eddie Schmidt.
He talks about being comedy adjacent, his time in an improv troupe and how he moved into the showrunning part of Hollywood.
We discuss leadership style, the fun of working in comedy and the demeaning comments of mean bosses.
We talk about how to appreciate comedy, the complexities of navigating Hollywood and being able to speak truth to talent.
A fun and insightful discussion about working and succeeding in the comedy part of Hollywood.