Scriptnotes Podcast

John and Craig welcome writer and showrunner David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, Ally McBeal) to look at his process for adapting books to TV, particularly with his latest series Margo's Got Money Troubles. They explore where to find your act breaks, crafting complicated tones, and when to trust the writer of the book.
We also look at how TV has changed over David's storied career, how he runs a writers room, creating story engines, the difference between writing for broadcast TV and streaming, and the one thing a TV show should never be.
In our bonus segment for premium members, David coaches John and Craig on how to survive a long running series.
Links:
David E. Kelley on IMDb
Margo's Got Money Troubles on AppleTV
Harvard Alcohol Project: Designated Driver
The Painful Truth About Long Covid by Alan Levinovitz for WIRED
Salmon
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John August on Bluesky and Instagram
Outro by Nick Moore (send us yours!)
Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our intern is Lauren Loesberg.
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.

John welcomes writer and showrunner Courtney Kemp (Power, Nemesis) to ask, how do you find an audience and build momentum on television? They look at how writers can match their voice to an underserved audience, the pitfalls of being boxed in by a niche, and what new writers can do to get people excited about their work.
We also chart how Courtney built her career from magazine writer to creating the television franchise Power, look at the exciting success of Obsession and Backrooms, and answer listener questions on talking to your reps about financial struggles, and how to find your project's "why now?"
In our bonus segment for premium members, Courtney shot her new show Nemesis entirely in Los Angeles, and you can too!
Links:
Courtney Kemp on Instagram and Wikipedia
Nemesis on Netflix
'Obsession' Makes History With Biggest Second-Weekend Spike in Modern Times by Pamela McClintock and Lexi Carson for The Hollywood Reporter
The 'Pitt' Effect: A Scramble to Get Shows Back on Air Faster by Lesley Goldberg for Ankler Media
Ryan Walker hotel reviews
Star City
Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book!
Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
Check out the Inneresting Newsletter
Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription
Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube
Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
John August on Bluesky and Instagram
Outro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!)
Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.

John welcomes back Phil Hay (Destroyer, The Invitation) to ask, how do you get a movie made with independent financing? They look at how indie movies get made, where you get the money, deciding when to go indie, and whether streamers complicate the picture.
We also follow up on testing movies with focus groups and answer listener questions on how to navigate the editing room, daily routines, and what to do when your story has too many themes.
In our bonus segment for premium members, we look back on what Phil learned about D&D from his documentary The Dungeon Masters.
Links:
Phil Hay
Scriptnotes Episode 244, Episode 377, and Episode 505
The Dungeon Masters
The Answering Machine Meltdown from Swingers
John's daily to-do template
Pamela Ribon's One Act documentary
Petey USA's The Yips
KOXY College Radio
Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book!
Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
Check out the Inneresting Newsletter
Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription
Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube
Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
John August on Bluesky and Instagram
Outro by Craig Good (send us yours!)
Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome back Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) to explore the timely questions about art and human labor posed by her long-awaited sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2. We'll warn you now: Spoilers ahead!
We also look at what AI knitting podcasts can tell us about the future of industrially-produced slop, and answer a listener question on how to approach the engine of a TV show.
In our bonus segment for premium members, what would a hypothetical Scriptnotes Screenplay Club look like? Aline weighs in to make sure the design is impeccable.
That's all.
Links:
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Aline Brosh McKenna on Instagram and IMDb
The Sheep Detectives
Knitting Bullshit by Kate Davies
Inception Point AI
How many E's are in Seventeen? on YouTube
Inserting yourself into Game of Thrones on Instagram
One Move God Mode vertical by NetShort
New York Times Issues Stern Warning to Its Freelance Writers About AI Use by Maggie Harrison Dupré for Futurism
Jared Freid on TikTok
The Feed Is Fake by Lane Brown for New York Magazine
Indigo Girls
Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book!
Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
Check out the Inneresting Newsletter
Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription
Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube
Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
John August on Bluesky and Instagram
Outro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!)
Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.

John and Craig go back to the beginning to examine the mechanics of the flash-forward opening — or as it's known on this podcast, the "Stuart Special." They look at what makes a strong flash-forward, when to avoid them, and how to pay back the narrative debt they incur.
We also follow up on the Scriptnotes survey and answer a massive grab-bag blitz of listener questions including the potential pitfalls of child protagonists, "unfilmable" elements, and how to end a scene.
In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you socialize at Hollywood parties? We've made all the mistakes so you don't have to.
Links:
The script for episode one of Chernobyl
Scriptnotes episode 493: Opening Scenes
Greta Gerwig's Little Women screenplay
The Sheep Detectives
Scriptnotes episode 731: Avoidance and Other Anti-Quests
Sorkinisms – A Supercut by Kevin T. Porter
My journey to the microwave alternate timeline by Malmesbury
Solasta 2
Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book!
Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
Check out the Inneresting Newsletter
Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription
Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube
Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
John August on Bluesky and Instagram
Outro by Nick Moore (send us yours!)
Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.