469: Jeff Melvoin - Running The Show

469: Jeff Melvoin - Running The Show

Author: Hilliard Guess September 25, 2023 Duration: 1:43:07

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In this episode, Hilliard and Chris sat down with Showrunner Jeff Melvoin, the man who has produced hundreds of hours of network television and the genius behind the iconic WGAW Showrunner's Training Program.
We talk about Jeff's amazing new book: RUNNING THE SHOW Television From the Inside. Jeff tells us about his long journey and early career, the starts and finishes of writing the book, the job of the showrunner, the Showrunner Training Program, staffing, producing in the UK vs the US, six rules of making a TV writer, preproduction, post production and so much more.


Buy his book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Rowman.com, or wherever books are sold!


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Step inside a space where the polished veneer of Hollywood gets stripped away, replaced by the raw, unfiltered conversations happening behind the scenes. Screenwriters' Rant Room is guided by Hilliard Guess, a working WGA writer, director, and producer whose own path includes a role as Director of Development and now executive producing an Amazon series. He brings that grounded, insider perspective to every episode. Rather than rehearsed interviews, you’ll hear the kind of frank talk that happens after a long day on set or in a writers’ room. Hilliard sits down with guests or engages with rotating co-hosts, and together they drop what he aptly calls "industry bombs"-those unvarnished truths, frustrating anecdotes, and hard-won insights about writing, producing, and surviving in TV and film. The tone is as hilarious as it is candid, making the complex machinery of entertainment feel human and relatable. This isn't a lecture on structure; it's a living, breathing, and often laughing chronicle of the creative grind. For anyone curious about the real stories behind the screen, this podcast offers a front-row seat to the rants, revelations, and camaraderie that define a life in storytelling.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Screenwriters' Rant Room
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