Author: LB

A legendary figure in the television writing and production world with a career going back to the late ’60s, Larry Brody has written and produced hundreds of hours of American and worldwide television and is a consultant to production companies and networks in the U.S. and abroad . Shows written or produced by Brody have won several awards including - yes, it's true - Emmys, Writers Guild Awards, and the Humanitas Award.

LB: 2 TV Shows I’m Binge-Watching Right Now

by Larry Brody

I’ve been getting emails asking what I’m binge-watching on TV these days.

Interestingly, no one’s asking for recommendations as such, as in “I’ve got some time on my hands. What should I be binging on my big screen, iPad, Galaxy S8, et al.?”

Which is just as well because I feel awkward recommending any series to anyone these days, especially since the most recent PEOPLE’S PILOT, during the judging of which I learned that no matter how intelligent, talented, and perceptive any two people (or in the case of the judges, any 10 people) are, you can never be sure any of them will agree on what the simple phrase “good TV show” means. read article

Larry Brody: How Not To Write A Great TV or Film Script

by Larry Brody

Just what you need to start off the week: 18 non-rules (because the Brode doesn’t believe in rules) guaranteed to bring your beloved pet TV or film project to a lowly and humiliating end.

1. Start without an outline and wing it.

2. Don’t bother having a central theme. read article

LB’s Writing Credo

Ah, but is it???

by Larry Brody

We all see and hear, all the time. I’m talking the dreaded BAD WRITING, self-indulgent, uncommunicative stories, poems, TV shows, films, web series, YouTube videos.

I’m not saying everything being presented to us is bad. Most of it isn’t. But there’s enough of the let’s-call-it-“disappointing” stuff to make even the most open-minded pop culture fan cry.

(Pop culture? Where did that expression come from? Oh yeah, the 1960s, before everyone living in the world today but a few old rock stars and obsolete movie stars were born.) read article

LB: Saying Goodbye to Lin Bolen, A Real TV Pioneer

by Larry Brody

The Real Lin Bolen

One of the darker sides of getting, um, older (as opposed to the brighter ones, like being able to rest longer between workouts and pretend to no longer care about what other people think) is standing on the shore of the river Styx and watching old friends depart this plane of existence.

It doesn’t take long for the bravado behind cynical sentiments like “Better her than me,” or “He’s well out of it now” to  fade away, replaced by the fearful awareness that, “Holy hell, I could be next,” and eventually, if you keep on keeping on, by an awareness of the transience of all things that pervades your entire body.

An awareness that even the coldest of us have to acknowledge as genuine sorrow. read article

LB’s Choices for the 2018 WGA Writing Awards

by Larry Brody

The 2018 Writers Guild Awards will be  given out next month. It’s pretty much a given that a lot of you won’t agree with me, but in the interests of total disclosure and all that hooey, here’s the Writers Guild Award ballot I just filled out:

By all means feel free to dispute my choices in the comments!