shadowkat | My Ode to TV Writers Meme (or pardon my slide into geekdom)

An ode to Television Writers - who are currently writing TV shows and/or movies/comic books that I can read. Why TV Writers and why this ode? Ah, because I need a frigging distraction at the moment from my frustrating job search. And two because TV writers have the toughest jobs out there. Novelists have it easy - they get to take as much time as they want to develop their story, revise it, outline it, edit it, tinker with it, and they don't have to worry about some director/head writer/network exec/producer and actor mucking around with it or excuse the lingo, fucking it up. TV writing requires a lot of patience, a bit of negotiation, and a touch of compromise. You have to know when to fight for your art and when to let go - because letting go makes it better. You also have to write fast, on demand, and occassionally for characters and stories you may despise and had no control in creating. TV writers are a bit like actors - they jump from gig to gig, often not knowing how long their work will last. Their jobs are stressfull, fast-paced, and collaborative. They also put up with a lot of crap. And if their work sucks - they get creamed from five places at once. Not a job I envy nor one I'd want, hence the reason I've never tried to be a TV writer. I love to write and I adore TV - but I would not want to be a TV writer.

On my walk today, started thinking about *who* my favorite tv writers were (see here comes the geekiness, told you). Why think this? Ah, while bored and wired last night I wandered about the net and realized that if I were at a convention, I would not be standing in the line around the block for an autograph for James Marsters (*really* not into autographs and ugh, lines - I don't do lines unless absolutely necessary), but rather at one of the writers' tables chatting or listening to a writers panel. (Which may explain why I don't do conventions. That and the crowds. Me and large crowds of people - unmixy things.)

Anywho - My subjective qualifications regarding tv writers are relatively simple: good/snappy dialogue, interesting and prickily characters, unpredictable plot-arcs, and a desire to subvert or change stereotypes and genres - bend them. I also tend to like serials. Always have. Always will. For me you need to give the story time to unfold. The episodic show which lasts no more than an hour - just doesn't have enough time. Again it is a subjective thing. (ie. My opinion.)

Other qualifications - which if you choose to copy this meme you should follow since this is the only objective criteria outside of the number -

1) these are writers who I've seen most of their work and tend to follow around, watching whatever they write for because I know they are writing for that series. (To prove this am listing what they've done in the past.)

2)Each one must be associated with a favorite TV show either currently on or that I've watched in the past and on DVD and is part of reason I am watching said TV show:

In no particular order, just off the top of my head. (Because I'm not bothering to rank. Ranking would be silly, hate ranking. Do far too much ranking in this society in my opinion. Do not need to do more.)

1. Ron Moore - Battle Star Galatica - this third season looks fascinating. According to one of the zines I read: They are playing with Lost's format of doing the flashback to explain why the character is where they currently are. So you get two parrelle stories - A: current plot arc, B:flash-back. Flashback is often self-contained and can be episodic. Current isn't. Both centered on character and the characters propell themes and story-arcs. For example - we'll get flashbacks explaining Starbuck's current relationships with Apollo and Col. Tigh. Prior to BSG - Ron Moore wrote for Star Trek Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space 9, Carnival, Roswell, Touching Evil, G vs. E, Mission Impossible II, and the screenplay for Star Trek : First Contact. Having seen portions of all of these - can say, fantastic genre writer. [go here for info: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0601822/ and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_D._Moore]

2. Shonda Rhimes - Grey's Anatomy, and one of the few female head writers in TV right now. It's a wasteland out there. And Rhimes has Whedon and Sorkin's knack for dialogue/slang. She develops catch-words that find their way into pop-culture. va-jay-jay, seriously, mcDreamy...are all examples. Also one of the few writers out there who can do a multi-racial cast without falling into racial stereotypes. Moore does the same. Hasn't written for many tv shows. Did write something for Scrubs and a TV film: Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. Known to be a huge BTVS fan and took a page from Whedon in coming up with her own slang for her show. [Go here for info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shonda_Rhimes]

3. Rob Thomas - Veronica Mars - is able to make a teen drama adult, juggling both the adult and teen storylines simulataneously. Also bends and transforms a tired noir detective genre, making it at times snarky. Pokes fun at it. Does for Private Dick films what Whedon did for slasher horror films. Pop-culture is used sparingly but well. Hasn't written that much for TV - his cred's currently include Dawson's Creek (yes, scoff all you want, I watched and enjoyed Dawson's for quite a while, it's the predecessor to The OC) Snoops - in 1999 (but had a falling out with David E. Kelley - which makes me like him even more, Kelley gets on my nerves - how long and how sappy can we make the mologue today? sigh.),Cupid - short lived but quite wonderful, Space Ghost Coast to Coast - which I didn't catch much of. [For more info - go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Thomas_%28writer%29]

4. Doris Egan - currently with House, but you've seen her work on Smallville, Dark Angel, The Profiler, and Tru Calling. A writer who hunts a way to make the medical mystery explore an internal part of the character. One of her episodes was last year's House and the lawyer lady stuck at the airport.[Go here for more info: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0250668/ and her blog:

tightropegirl]

5. Joss Whedon - best dialogue guy out there. Best known as the Creator of Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and has written for Roseanne, also known for writing the screenplays for: Serenity (directed as well), Alien Resurrection, Titan A.E, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film version), and Toy Story. (And I've seen everything he's done, which I suppose makes me a groupie. Ugh.) He's also written the comics Tales of the Vampires, Fray, Astonishing X-men. Knows how to find the humor in just about any dramatic or romantic sappy moment. Also amazing whiz at blending genres. One of the few male writers out there who likes to write strong women, particulary women who save men and not the other way around. (Wish the writers of Smallville and Supernatural would learn from his example.)[For more info, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joss_Whedon]

6. Ryan Murphy - writer of Nip/Tuck and now Running with Scissors. Apparently also wrote an Angel episode? Or is that Shawn Murphy? Interesting writer - again one who knows who to break barriers. Yes, he goes over the top at times, but his characters to me at least remain interesting.And he gives his women bite. They aren't weaklings. Everyone in a Murphy show is messed up yet charmingly so. Hasn't done that much television or not that much that I've seen outside of the snarky teen spoof Popular, and a couple of films. Like Rhimes, an up and comer on the list. [go here for info: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0614682/#writer]

7. Aaron Sorkin - the king of the rapid fire dialogue, possibly better than Whedon at times - since he does straight drama not genre, which has less action and far more talking. Sorkin can do a rapid fire dialogue scene while two people are doing nothing more than walking down a hallway and make it more interesting than a five minute action sequence, and get in more plot and character development. He does occassionally get preachy, but usually when he's at the top of his game, undercuts with humor or a snide remark. His dramas include: The West Wing (up to S4 I think, before he got caught with drugs and went into rehab), Sports Night, and now tonight, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip ( which every tv critic adores - sort of makes me nervous).[Go here for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Sorkin] Like Whedon, Sorkin often plays script-doctor on his off time and has written many screenplays including: A Few Good Men, Malice, and The American President - which gave him the idea for The West Wing.

8. Jane Espenson - knows how to do physical comedy without making me cringe, tough to do. Has a subtle touch. Also understands how it should relate to character. She wrote amazingly well for the male characters in Buffy, specifically Xander, Jonathan and Spike. Will be writing an episode of BSG this year. Her tv credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Gilmore Girls, Tru Calling, The OC, Star Trek Deep Space 9, and this year episode 3 of Battle Star Galatica - entitled The Passage. Jane won a Hugo for an episode of Buffy in Season 7 of the show. [For more info, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Espenson]
Jane, like Doris Egan and Shondra Rhimes, has a weblog, which can be located here:http://www.janeespenson.com/]

9. Alan Ball - the writer and creator of Six Feet Under and the film American Beauty. He started his TV career writing for Cybil ( a great situation comedy based on the Brit hit Absolutely Fabulous and is said to have based Annett Being's character on Shephard), Grace Under Fire (another great sitcom), and Oh Grow Up, he's also a playwrite. And his newest tv series, based on the Charlain Harris Southern Vampire novels and entitled True Blood, is slated to premiere on HBO in Autumn 2007. Until then we got the film Towelhead to look forward to. Interested in the dark underbelly of suburban life. I saw one of his plays when he was writing theater in the 80's I believe. One to watch. (Oh - Six Feet Under is coming to Bravo...for those who missed it on HBO, I only saw the first two seasons, unfortunately.)[Go here for more info on Ball:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Ball_(screenwriter) and here:http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0050332/]

10. Tie : Bryan Fuller - Wonderfalls,Dead Like Me, Deep Space 9 and Voyager. Good at black comedy and has an off-kilter sense of humor. Has also created powerful female characters much like Whedon and Rob Thomas. [Go here for complete list of his works: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0298188/] OR Tim Minear - writer and co-executive producer on Firefly and Angel. Also did Strange World, The X-Files, Lois and Clark and The Inside (a tad too dark for even my sensibilities), and Wonderfalls with Bryan Fuller. Fearless writer who has the ability to delve into the darker areas of characters. (Couldn't decide between these two.) His upcoming stories may be Drive picked up by Fox about the illegal drag racing circuit, and The Spike Movie ( which I'm not holding my breath for, because honestly I think by the time they get around to doing it, Marsters will be 50 and far too old.)He's also writing a screenplay based on a Heinlein novel. [for more info go here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Minear]

Okay, dinner time. And new tv shows...hee.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I love your list!
I won't do the meme because traditionally I haven't followed writers, BtVS changed all that: all of a sudden I cared a lot about who wrote what episodes and what else they have written, and what they'll be writing in the future.

It was Shawn Ryan who wrote for Angel. He went on the create The Shield.

Very interesting post and I agree with most of your choices.

You know whose writing I miss? Darin Morgan. He wrote maybe one episode a season for The X-Files and Millennium but everything he wrote was both incredibly funny and thoughtful yet also somehow managed to re-focus the entire series. He wrote "Clyde Bruckman," "Jose Chung" - definitely the first tv writer that I tracked and sought out information on. Unfortunately what I discovered was that he was very lazy and only wrote when his brother (an exec producer on the afore-mentioned series) made him. I think of him now as a proto-Joss, one unfortunately with all the ambition sucked out of him, but so much talent. Alas!

You probably already know that Doris Egan wrote several sf novels under her own name (and one under the name of Jane Emerson)? - these are well worth seeking out.

Yep. A friend of mine was working beside her at EF Hutton, while she typed her first novel on the screen. I found one of them at B&N, checked it out and I prefer her television writing.

Ryan Murphy is Nip/Tuck; Shaun Murphy wrote for Angel S2 and then created The Shield. He's not bad either.

I'd add a number of writers from The Office onto this list, like Paul Feig and executive producer Greg Daniels (who also co-created King of the Hill and wrote for The Simpsons during their glory years). Speaking of the Simpsons, John Schwartzwelder--who wrote some of the series' funniest episodes--deserves a spot, too.

You might add Larry David (Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm), but I'm not sure his style is your cup of tea.

There are also a number of writers I would have included on this list a few years ago, who have dimmed in my eyes. Amy Sherman-Palladino, Chris Carter, J.J. Abrams, Brannon Braga--I don't get as excited when I see their names on a project anymore. It MIGHT be good, but they've all allowed laziness and self-indulgence to slip into their scripts, and it's no longer a sure bet.

Yeah, I know. Should have edited that post but got lazy. Figured it out after I looked up Ryan Murphy on Google. Not a huge fan of Shawn Murphy's writing - the episode of Angel he did, was okay, but didn't do much for me. Jeff Bell, David Fury, Stephen DeKnight, Drew Goddard, Mere Smith, Jane Espenson, Joss Whedon, Greenwalt, Edlund, and Minear were the only Angel writers that intrigued me.
And out of that group - I'd only follow Fury, Minear, Whedon and Espenson. Bell, Goddard, Greenwalt (who is now doing Eureka by the way), Edlund - hit and miss for me.

Not a huge fan of the half-hour comedy. The jokes don't work for me, I tend to like humor that resolves something that is incongruent and usually in the witty/sarcastic department. My problem with the humor in The Simpsons, King of the Hill, The Office - is the story is about the delivery of the joke, which I often see before it is delivered. I'm not saying I don't laugh, I do, just not often enough for me to watch the shows all the time. Or follow the writers. Sorkin will often make me laugh over some of the comedic writers or Whedon.

My favorite comedy writers - were the older ones - Larry Gelbert for MASH, Larry David for Seinfield but not for all the episodes - the best were the ones that dealt with absurdities, such as getting stuck in the parking garage. But I don't often find funny a second go around. Loved James Burrows - in the early years of Cheers, Night Court, and Fraiser.

The only situation comedies on right now that has made me laugh have been "Everyone Hates Chris" (a couple of times) and "My Name is Earl".

Currently the funniest thing I've seen has been a film: "Little Miss Sunshine" that has about three absurd scenes in it that had me on the floor laughing.

Comedy is a hit or miss, so I never follow comedy writers around. Drama writers - yep. They usually, more often than not, make me laugh more than the writers whose sole purpose is to make me laugh.
It's a subjective thing.

BY absolutely no coincidence, Greg Daniels wrote "The Parking Garage" episode of Seinfeld.

I understand your stand on comedy writers--great comedy writers are so rare these days. In the 70s, you had classic sitcoms like Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, All in the Family, etc.; in the 80s and 90s, you had MASH, Taxi and Cheers. The writers there knew how to do 24 minutes of concise character-based comedy, gave you some big laughs, and threw in some poignant or even thought-provoking moments. It doesn't seem like much, but industry pros will tell you it's almost impossible to do on a week-by-week basis.

The only two sitcoms I unconditionally love these days are My Name Is Earl and The Office, and MNiE faded in the latter half of its first season, sliding off the peak of the "Joy's Wedding" episode. The Office's second season, on the other hand, was absolutely brilliant from start to finish. (If you loved Steve Carell in "Little Miss Sunshine", tune in for the work he's doing as Worst Boss Ever! Michael Scott.)

I was never that crazy about Arrested Development, because I thought it was too self-referential for its own good. (It ran the risk of disappearing up its own butt every week.) How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men are good, solid, sitcommy sitcoms, a nice way to while away a half-hour, but nothing spectacular.

We both seem to have forgotten about Scrubs and its head writer, Bill Lawrence, but that's not surprising--NBC forgets about it every year.

What's the old saying? Dying is easy--comedy is hard.

Nah, didn't forget "Scrubs" just wasn't a huge fan of it. I appreciate it. But I'm not into it.
Again, just odd about comedies.

Also tried How I Met Your Mother and Two and A Half Men which I can never stay focused on. Friends and Coupling on the other hand made me laugh and I did actually pay attention to. But How feels like rehashed plots from other shows.

Haven't watched enough of Earl or The Office. I think I had pottery on those nights last year, or used the time for something else? This year - I'm not positive but I think they may be opposite Grey's Anatomy - which is amongst my favorite shows. And makes me laugh more than Earl or The Office did when I tried them. I liked Carroll in Sunshine but not in The Office.

Like I said, it's rare that I sitcoms. The only ones I think I ever watched regularly - every week or close, were in the 80s and early 90s - MASH, Cheers, Night Court, Fraiser, Taxi, Seinfeild, Ellen, Grace Under Fire, Roseanne, Barney Miller, News Radio (I miss News Radio), Murphy Brown, Cybil, Friends, and Just Shoot Me. The new ones...just don't work for me. I hear Help Me Help You and Ugly Betty might be a shot back to those glory days. We'll see. Right now the one's on are too gimmicky or too recycled to hit my funny bone.

My Ode to TV Writers Meme (or pardon my slide into geekdom)

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