As we all know, TVWriter™’s good buddy and long dead mentor, Aristotle, (the guy without a last name because…Aristotle, you know?) was, if not the inventor, then certainly the first person to codify the three act writing structure that is the basis for, well, just about every story ever written.
Here, in case y’all forgot, is a hearty explanation of the three act structure (and if this doesn’t help you master it, you can always try LB’s mighty fine TV writing book). Anyway:
As TVWriter™’s longtime friend the Old Billionaire used to say, “If you’re lucky, you don’t have to be smart.” Truth to tell, though, Michael Schur, writer-creator of The Good Place and former writer for The Office has both those things going for him and then some:
Michael Schur is one of the most adept minds in TV comedy. From his early days producing the Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon-era Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, to his work as one of the key writers on The Office, he has charted a career that spans some of the best TV comedy of the 2000s.
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Eighth Grade
Bo Burnham
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Best Original Screenplay
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Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty
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Best Adapted Screenplay
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Barry
Bill Hader, Sarah Solemani, Emily Heller, …
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Best New Series
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The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Amy Sherman-Palladino, Jen Kirkman, Daniel Palladino, …
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Best Comedy Series
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The Americans
Joe Weisberg, Joshua Brand, Stephen Schiff, …
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Best Drama Series
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Lowell Ganz
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Laurel for Screenwriting
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Babaloo Mandel
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Laurel for Screenwriting
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Paean to the People
Alex Gansa
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Best Episodic TV Drama
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Jenji Kohan
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TV Writing Achievement
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Chapter One: Make Your Mark
Bill Hader, Alec Berg
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Best Episodic TV Comedy
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Bathtubs Over Broadway
Dava Whisenant, Ozzy Inguanzo
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Documentary Screenplay
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The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Tom Rob Smith, Maggie Cohn
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Best Adapted Long Form
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God of War
Cory Barlog, Richard Zangrande Gaubert, Orion Walker, …
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Best Video Game Writing
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Castle Rock
Sam Shaw, Dustin Thomason, Mark Lafferty, …
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Best Original Long Form
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The Fake News with Ted Nelms
Ed Helms, Sara Schaefer, Joe Randazzo, …
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Comedy/Variety – Specials
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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
John Oliver, Daniel O’Brien, Josh Gondelman, …
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Comedy/Variety Talk Series
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General Hospital
Chris Van Etten, Lloyd Gold, Shelly Altman, …
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Best Daytime Drama
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Adam McKay
Vice
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Paul Selvin Award
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Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Steve Melcher, Ann Slichter, James Rowley, …
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Best Quiz and Audience Participation
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Class of Lies
Tessa Williams
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Original Short Form New Media
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Question for the source of the above list, our good friends at Wikipedia: Shouldn’t these categories all be labeled “best writing?”
Everything you need to know about the “Legendary Pop-Icon and Humanitarian,” by our legendary Contributing Editor Emeritus.” (That title means that Herbie, erm, outgrew us…and his professional growth spurt makes us proud.) Anyway:
Burt Ward, pop-culture icon and world-renown humanitarian, was about three seconds late for our phone interview, and he apologized.
But the apology, of course, was not necessary, certainly because his delay was only a minuscule of a moment, and secondly because he was detained due to his non-stop efforts to rescues dogs.
The mission of the Writers Guild Foundation’s Veterans Writing Project is to identify emerging writers from United States military backgrounds and provide them with the tools and insights to nurture their passion for writing and successfully navigate the entertainment industry.
We do this in two phases over a yearlong program: A weekend-long retreat, and monthly follow-up workshops and special events. Each military veteran is paired with WGA members. Our writer-mentors represent some of the most beloved movies and television series of the past and present, and are committed to guiding the voices of the future.
When is it?
The program’s kickoff event – the weekend retreat – takes place in spring 2019. Ongoing mentorship workshops and networking events will continue each month through spring 2020 on weekday evenings.