logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
48m 41s

187 | Writing For Multi-Cam Sitcoms (w/ ...

MEG LEFAUVE & LORIEN MCKENNA
About this episode

Even though Debby Wolfe began her career writing "edgy, brooding feminist shorts" (her words), but really found her lane as a writer when she wrote a Modern Family spec that launched her career. Since then, she's written on a number of multi-cams, eventually arriving on Lopez vs. Lopez, which she's currently showrunning. Today, Debby discusses how she manages to produce at the pace Network TV requires, how she staffs, and the importance of character-driven comedy.

Watch Season 2 of Lopez vs Lopez starting on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 with back-to-back episodes at 8/7c and 8:30/7:30c on NBC. New episodes air next day on Peacock. It will continue in those time slots going forward — which means, yes, you'll be getting two new episodes of the show per week! 

JOIN OUR PATREON: www.patreon.com/thescreenwritinglife

Up next
Oct 9
266 | Emmy-Winner Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere) on the Myth of the “Big Break”
JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so Meg was already a fan of Jeff Hiller from his Emmy-winning performance in SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE, but after listening to his moving and hilarious memoir Actress of a Certain Age, she fell completely in love with his honesty, humor, a ... Show More
50m 41s
Oct 2
265 | KPop Demon Hunters Directors: Maggie Kang & Chris Appelhans on Balancing Heart, Humor & Music
JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so This week, we’re joined by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the writer-directors of KPOP DEMON HUNTERS, to unpack the craft behind one of the year's biggest movies. From finding the emotional core of their story to shaping "Golde ... Show More
50m 36s
Sep 25
264 | Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend, Star Trek): Turning Writing Into a Job (and a Life)
JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so We’re thrilled to welcome Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman for a masterclass on making writing sustainable. For Akiva, the real “tragedy” is living in the anxious space between drafts. His cure? Treat writing like a job: set hours, cl ... Show More
57m 44s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Will Smith (Slow Horses)
Will Smith (creator, Slow Horses) discusses comedy in drama, building off of author Mick Herron's plots, his work on Veep and The Thick of It with Armando Iannucci, and the reason why this show works as well as it does.Come see Ben Blacker's live show, RETROSPECS, on Sunday, Sept ... Show More
40m 52s
Oct 2021
‘Better Call Saul’s’ Rhea Seehorn Is Secretly Hilarious
Rhea Seehorn may be best known for playing the very serious Kim Wexler opposite Bob Odenkirk on ‘Better Call Saul.’ But for the first 15 years or so of her acting career, she couldn’t break out of the “sitcom” box. This fall, while fans eagerly await that ‘Breaking Bad’ spin-off’ ... Show More
52m 38s
Sep 2018
Ch. 27/28: Jameela Jamil, Actress | Jen Statsky, Writer
In the Season 3 premiere, The Good Place writer and comedy maven Jen Statsky and actress Jameela Jamil shoot the shirt with host Marc Evan Jackson. They talk about the writers’ room’s excitement to write Season 3, how Jameela didn’t watch Season 1 until it was over, Mike Schur’s ... Show More
1 h
Sep 2024
Ilana Glazer: Just Two Broads in the City
What happens when two "Broads" sit down for a podcast? Find out, as actor, writer, producer & standup comedian, Ilana Glazer joins Kelly to discuss her experience creating, starring and eventually walking away from the hit show, "Broad City". Kelly talks about her experience gues ... Show More
50m 26s
May 2025
Melissa O’Neil of The Rookie
This week, Tommy is joined by actress Melissa O’Neil who plays Sergeant Lucy Chen in ABC’s THE ROOKIE. Melissa has been a fan-favorite character over the course of seven seasons of this smash hit series, and she will be returning for a highly anticipated eighth season. You may al ... Show More
1h 1m
Dec 2018
Riverdale S:3 Chapter Forty-Three: Outbreak E:8 Review
Ben Bateman and Frank Moran are back to break down the midseason finale of Riverdale. Jughead reunites with Jellybean, Hiram’s plans come to fruition, Betty escapes and is Hiram the Gargoyle King? All that and more is discussed. Join us! ABOUT RIVERDALE: Riverdale is an upcoming ... Show More
50m 13s
Nov 2024
Jennifer Lopez (“Unstoppable”)
“Unstoppable” star Jennifer Lopez talks about her new film and reflects on her decades-long career — including the challenges of being a Latina actress in Hollywood, and her belief in the power of art to inspire and unite. Also on this episode, the Roundtable makes some Thanksgiv ... Show More
1h 9m
Aug 2022
Issa Rae - 'Insecure' & 'Rap Sh!t'
"The voice of millennial Black women for more than a decade," in the words of The Washington Post, reflects on how she became enamored with TV, the robbery that inspired her web series 'The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl' and how that show, along with Larry Wilmore and Pren ... Show More
57m 25s
Mar 2025
Jean Smart - 'Hacks'
One of TV's all-time great comedy actresses, a six-time Emmy winner, reflects on why she walked away from her first hit show, 'Designing Women,' mid-run; why she thinks she's had some of her greatest successes over the past decade, at an age at which many actresses can’t find any ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 2020
Bewitched with Dana Schwartz
Years were spent trying to figure out the perfect way to bring back the 60s sitcom, Bewitched. The result was a confusing, critical bomb. How do you go wrong with a hot Oscar winner, SNL star, a handful of Daily Show correspondents, and the Ephron sisters? Blank Check attempts to ... Show More
2h 38m