Episode 199: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Interview Part Two

Episode 199: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas Interview Part Two

Author: Ben Blacker and Andrew Reich April 30, 2026 Duration: 1:05:09
This is the After Show for Gimme Five, featuring part two of Andrew’s conversation with Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, creators of How I Met Your Mother.

Ever wonder what happens to all those television scripts that get bought, developed, and then… nothing? Dead Pilots Society resurrects them. Hosted by writers and producers Ben Blacker and Andrew Reich, this podcast stages live table reads of comedy pilots that were fully written for networks and studios but never made it to air. Each episode brings one of these forgotten scripts to life with a cast of talented actors from shows and movies you’ll recognize, performing in front of an audience. The result is a unique blend of comedy, Hollywood history, and cultural artifact-you’re hearing a piece of television that almost was. It’s a celebration of the work itself, free from the pressures of network notes or the threat of cancellation, focused purely on the laughs and the story. Tuning in, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes feel for the development process, hear interviews about what went right and what stalled, and experience the genuine fun of performance. For anyone interested in the inner workings of TV, film, and comedy culture, or who just loves a good story told well, this podcast offers a consistently entertaining and insightful listen. It’s a chance to discover the hidden gems and hilarious misfires that languish in filing cabinets, finally getting their moment in the spotlight.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Dead Pilots Society
Podcast Episodes
Episode 194: Bump by Georgia Pritchett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:14
Bump follows a British couple coming to America to meet their surrogate, since surrogacy is illegal in the UK, only to discover she’s very different from what they imagined.
Episode 193: Ginger Gonzaga Interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:10
Many listeners know Ginger from her roles in Marvel’s She-Hulk, CBS’s True Lies, Showtime’s Kidding, I’m Dying Up Here, HBO’s Togetherness, and Room 104. But in this episode, the spotlight shifts to her as a creator as w…
Episode 192: Yellow Written by Ginger Gonzaga [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:54
After being arrested, following a very public hypomanic episode Pepper, A witty visual artist is court ordered to live in a halfway house with an ensemble of lovable misfits that she deems crazier than herself. This soul…
Episode 191: Text Thread Dead Pilot Summit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:07
This special episode of Dead Pilots Society brings together the writers behind the last two pilots for a sort of Text Thread Dead Pilot Summit. The conversation features Aaron Brownstein and Simon Ganz, writers of Guy Te…
Episode 190:  Andrew Waller and Mike Gagerman Interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:55
This week’s After Show features Andrew’s conversation with Mike Gagerman and Andrew Waller, writers of the film Search Party (not the TV show), creators of the viral Twitter thread Shh… Don’t Tell Steve, and currently wr…
Episode 186: Lisa Muse Bryant Interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:15
Lisa traces her remarkable journey from Camden, New Jersey, to writing on standout series like Black-ish, The Four Seasons, Man on the Inside, and Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
Episode 185: Dream Written by Lisa Muse Bryant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:20
When her son graduates from college, former teen mom Dream Morgan turns her life upside down to pursue her dream of becoming a famous singer. This is a musical, single camera comedy about one fierce and funny woman who u…