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The Writers Panel

Ben Blacker
Apple TV+
The Running Man
Comedy
Naked Gun
Hollywood
Pachinko
Video Games
Deli Boys
Disney
Writing
Screenwriting
Writers Guild Of America
Stephen King
Song Sung Blue
Starfleet Academy
KAOS
Slow Horses
Character Development
Animation
The Big Cigar

The definitive insider's guide to our current golden age of television, Ben Blacker's The Writers Panel is an ever expanding anthology of live convention panels and intimate in-studio interviews with the writers, producers, and show runners responsible for all the shows you can't stop watching. Over the course of nearly 500 episodes and counting, The Writers Panel has sat across from guests such a... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes644Founded15 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
TV & Film

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Artwork for The Writers Panel

Latest Episodes

Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson (creators, It's Not Like That; Parenthood; Off Campus) discuss telling emotionally driven stories, resurrecting a decade-old pilot as their new show, how the writers' strike benefited the show, how they run their ro... more

Comic book writer Matthew Rosenberg (If Destruction Be Our Lot...; 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank; Spawn) discusses co-writing with his brother, comics as a "dirtbag medium," the upcoming 4 Kids... film adaptation, story problems presented by an animatronic... more

Writer/director Chandler Levack (Mile End Kicks; Roommates; I Like Movies) discusses how her first script became her second movie, revisiting Mile End Kicks after shooting I Like Movies, loving stage directions, music in movies, and lots more.

Check... more

Writers/directors Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher (Pizza Movie; Over Your Dead Body) discuss their comedy sketch roots as "BritaNick" and what that represents, writing scripts that wouldn't be made, editing themselves, how to interact with the people... more

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Recent Guests

Kristin Robinson
Writer and showrunner; co-creator of It's Not Like That
Amazon Prime / It's Not Like That
Episode: Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson (It's Not Like That)
Ian Deitchman
Writer and showrunner; co-creator of It's Not Like That
Amazon Prime / It's Not Like That
Episode: Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson (It's Not Like That)
Chandler Levack
Writer-director known for I Like Movies and Mile End Kicks
Episode: Chandler Levack (Mile End Kicks)
Brian McElhaney
BritaNick partner, sketch writer/performer
BritaNick (sketch group), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Saturday Night Live, Cartoon Network
Episode: BritaNick (Pizza Movie)
Nick Kocher
BritaNick partner, writer/actor
BritaNick (sketch group), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Saturday Night Live, Cartoon Network
Episode: BritaNick (Pizza Movie)
Ben David Grabinski
Writer, director, producer, and showrunner
Writer/Director of Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice; Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix)
Episode: BenDavid Grabinski (Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice)
Colby Day
Screenwriter known for Spaceman and In the Blink of an Eye
Colby Day (writer)
Episode: Colby Day (In the Blink of an Eye)
Lauren Neustadter
President of film and television at Hello Sunshine
Hello Sunshine
Episode: Hello Sunshine's Lauren Neustadter
Alex Russell
Director of the film Lurker and past contributor to various FX and Netflix shows.
Episode: Alex Russell (Lurker; Beef)

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1k ratings
  • Great for writers and fans

    Ben is a great interviewer and gets wonderful guests. The questions are thoughtful and I learn great writing hacks.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CC Rider 7
    United Statesa year ago
  • A treasure trove of writing lessons

    This show has been around for over a decade and has insights on every aspect of television writing. If you are looking to get ahead in the industry do yourself a favor and dig through the episodes, filled with insights from working writers.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jimmy_Crow
    United States3 years ago
  • Great show

    Ben Blacker is a great interviewer. He knows what to ask and how to ask it. He makes his guests open up gets the most out of each interview. This podcast is engaging and enriching. Such a worthwhile way to spend your time if you’re an extremely focused writer. Thank you for the wealth of knowledge in each episode!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KaylaDonDada
    United States4 years ago
  • I’ve basically binged all episodes

    I love this podcast! It’s a real peak inside the curtain of what writers lives are really like in Hollywood. Ive been slowly binging all episodes for the past year taking notes and building some scripts. This has been a great support and fun listen!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    allnicknamesaretakenmarinel
    United States4 years ago
  • Fantastic an educational podcast for writers.

    I love the content. I am learning a lot. I thought I know mostly everything I need to know, but now I see that there is a lot more to writing.

    Thank you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ArtMart21.com
    Canada4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the host for thoughtful questions and deep interviews with working writers.
The show is a long-running resource with actionable writing insights for aspiring screenwriters.
Some episodes with ad breaks have interrupted flow, but overall content is highly valued.
Guests are consistently high-caliber, revealing industry realities and craft wisdom.
Audiences appreciate candid behind-the-scenes stories and practical development advice.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#164
Sweden/TV & Film

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson (It's Not Like That)
Q: What was the biggest challenge when you started the room for It's Not Like That?
Balancing an ensemble cast and maintaining romantic tension between Malcolm and Laurie while keeping the younger characters' arcs engaging, and making sure the show felt both grounded and emotionally expansive.
Macon Blair (The Toxic Avenger)
Q: How did your prior project influence your approach to Toxic Avenger, especially regarding budget and collaboration?
My previous film taught me to stay specific in planning but flexible on set, trust the team, and leverage the studio's support to keep the schedule tight while still pursuing a handmade, character-driven core.
Macon Blair (The Toxic Avenger)
Q: What drew you to directing a new Toxic Avenger and how did you approach balancing homage with originality?
I wanted to preserve the vibe of the original—keep the man in a suit, keep it rated R, stay silly yet sweet—while crafting a new character with a fresh emotional throughline, so the story feels new even as it carries the DNA of the original.
Leslye Headland (Russian Doll; The Acolyte)
Q: What are you watching these days? What else is getting you excited or inspired lately?
Most of the content I consume is YouTube, and I subscribe to a lot of video essays that break down film.
Leslye Headland (Russian Doll; The Acolyte)
Q: Do you see yourself as an auteur? Do you think of yourself that way?
I sincerely hope so, but it's hard for me to actually say because it's difficult to think of myself as the auteur or author of a piece of art.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Writers Panel

What is The Writers Panel about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on candid conversations with television writers, showrunners, and directors about the craft, process, and business of making acclaimed TV. Episodes commonly explore writing rooms, development hurdles, casting choices, and production realities, often weaving in practical storytelling techniques, collaboration dynamics, and industry evolution. Notably, the host consistently draws out behind-the-scenes stories, gives guests room to share hard-won lessons, and highlights how writers navigate budgets, timelines, and creative control to bring compelling series to life.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Writers Panel?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Writers Panel. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Writers Panel and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Writers Panel get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Writers Panel?

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How many subscribers and views does The Writers Panel have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Writers Panel has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Writers Panel?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Writers Panel:

1. Scriptnotes Podcast
2. The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna
3. IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit
4. The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast
5. The Treatment

How many episodes of The Writers Panel are there?

The Writers Panel launched 15 years ago and published 644 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Writers Panel?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Writers Panel?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Writers Panel from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Writers Panel?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Writers Panel. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Writers Panel?

Recent guests on The Writers Panel include:

1. Kristin Robinson
2. Ian Deitchman
3. Chandler Levack
4. Brian McElhaney
5. Nick Kocher
6. Ben David Grabinski
7. Colby Day
8. Lauren Neustadter

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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