This week on Watch With Jen, we have a very special guest and the man behind one of my favorite shows in recent memory. The TV writer, director, producer, showrunner, and co-creator of Halt and Catch Fire, which, along with The Americans, Succession, and Better Call Saul, is easily one of the best series of the 2010s, Christopher Cantwell is here to tell us all about the cult favorite AMC show that you can watch in its entirety right now on Netflix. (And you should totally do that and then come right back to listen to the podcast!)

In addition to his TV work, which also includes co-executive producing Lodge 49 and Paper Girls, Chris has been very active as of late in the world of comic books, where he is currently writing Marvel's monthly Iron Man series, as well as his own original titles in collaboration with some truly fantastic artists and imprints such as Vault Comics' The Blue Flame, Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body from Boom Studios, She Could Fly, Volume 3 from Berger Books and Dark Horse. You can find the latest issues of these titles on comic book store shelves throughout the month.

Running the length of a feature film, in this epic episode (which serves up some details about the critical favorite that have never before been revealed), Cantwell shares the funny and fascinating behind-the-scenes saga of Halt and Catch Fire from its initial idea to its eventual series run on AMC. Here you'll hear about the casting process including the way that the actors informed their characters, as well as the decision to constantly shift the show's setting and power dynamics each season, along with production stories, Halt's pitch-perfect use of music, and so much more.

As a fan of the series from the very beginning and someone who greatly enjoyed chatting with Chris's brilliant wife Elizabeth about horror movies earlier in the year as well, this conversation was a true honor and a pleasure and I'm thrilled to share the story of Halt and Catch Fire with all of you all.

Originally Posted on Patreon (11/16/21) here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58774714

Theme Music: Solo Acoustic Guitar by Jason Shaw, Free Music Archive