44 episodes

Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Emmy Award-winning writer/producer on "Lost" and creator of "The Middleman") and Jose Molina (writer/producer on "Sleepy Hollow," "Firefly," "Castle" and "Law & Order: SVU") share their hard-earned experiences, giving practical, straight-shooting advice on breaking into television and staying there!

Children of Tendu Children of Tendu

    • TV & Film
    • 4.8 • 109 Ratings

Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Emmy Award-winning writer/producer on "Lost" and creator of "The Middleman") and Jose Molina (writer/producer on "Sleepy Hollow," "Firefly," "Castle" and "Law & Order: SVU") share their hard-earned experiences, giving practical, straight-shooting advice on breaking into television and staying there!

    ON THE LINE - OUR BEST AND FINAL

    ON THE LINE - OUR BEST AND FINAL

    A few days before the WGA made its historic deal with the AMPTP, Jose and Javi made one last trip to the line, this time at Universal Studios, to interview our sisters, brothers, and others in the guild who bravely walked the lines to the triumphant end. Featuring interviews with established writers like Marc Bernardin, Julie and Shawna Benson, as well as our union representatives (who dropped amazing information on the organization of the strike... down to the black SUVs and secret WGA phones!) this is an amazing snapshot of the last days of a labor action that resulted in amazing gains for writers everywhere! SOLIDARITY!

    • 1 hr 21 min
    Live From The Line Part Two: The Conversation Continues - CBS Radford

    Live From The Line Part Two: The Conversation Continues - CBS Radford

    On a hot and noisy day, Jose and Javi set up shop on the strike line at CBS Radford and talk to WGA luminaries ranging from showrunners Julie Plec and Craig Silverstein to show creator Evan Bleiweiss and the strike captains who keep out labor action safe and coordinated! If you are curious about how we organize, where the signs come from... or how to humanely run a writers room, you won't mind the horns blaring in the background!

    • 1 hr 44 min
    LIVE FROM THE STRIKE LINE!

    LIVE FROM THE STRIKE LINE!

    Taking their cues from Lucy Van Pelt, the Children of Tendu set up a booth on the strike line and took questions, gave advice, and even quizzed their betters about their methods and madness. Featuring interviews with producers of "Elementary", the showrunner of "Queen of the South" as well as several amazing up and comers from shows including "Superman and Lois" and "Law & Order: SVU" this is a raw look at what's going on in the frontlines of the WGA strike, and a stark reminder of how much the craft of writing has changed, and why the strike matters!

    • 1 hr 10 min
    The Leafblower Sessions: Part Two

    The Leafblower Sessions: Part Two

    In this extra special episode of the podcast, Jose and Javi take a deep, show-by-show dive into Javi's career, dissecting his experiences and distilling the lessons he has learned over the course of his decades-spanning adventures in TV!

    • 1 hr 47 min
    The Leafblower Sessions, Part One

    The Leafblower Sessions, Part One

    In this extra special episode of the podcast, Jose and Javi take a deep, show-by-show dive into Jose's career, dissecting his experiences and distilling the lessons he has learned over the course of his decades-spanning career!

    • 1 hr 26 min
    How Is This Strike Different From The Last?

    How Is This Strike Different From The Last?

    As veterans of the WGA strike of 2007 picketing in the strike of 2023, Jose and Javi break down the differences between the two labor actions. From the role of social media in the Guild's messaging, to the differences in the message itself, the rise of the #prewga cohort, and the decline of the auteur showrunner, Jose and Javi don't just break it down, but also use the differences in the two labor actions to explain how vital the current struggle is to the art and business of writing for media.

    • 42 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
109 Ratings

109 Ratings

JohnstonMR ,

Two Writers with Heart and Wisdom

Jose and Javi give a lot of really good, real-world advice leavened with a good amount of humor. The best thing I can say about this show, as a 52-year old novelist who is probably never going to write for TV, is that if I’d been able to listen to this stuff when I was a young man about to graduate from high school, it would have changed the course of my life, and I probably would have moved to LA to try to make a go of writing for television.

Anyone who wants to become a TV/Movie writer should be listening to this show—start with the older episodes and work your way through.

Tracy Cheney, M.Ed ,

What a welcome surprise!

I was driving from LA to AZ listening to screenwriting podcasts when this blast from the past popped into my radio… only it was fresh from the WGA picket lines of 2023! Hadn’t heard from you guys since 2021. Welcome back! I never missed your previous shows and sure won’t now. You made me smart about the TV industry then…I started writing pilots. So now I will be listening as you teach us how to navigate this the new landscape.

AWOLJACK ,

I devoured these

What now? I wish there were more... Guess I’ll listen to them again :)

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