Phillip Iscove (co-creator, Sleepy Hollow), Gloria Calderon Kellett (co-creator, the new One Day at a Time), and Dierdre Mangan (iZombie) look back on 2016 and try to find hope in the trends, movements, and good TV from this annus horribilis.

The screenwriter of A Monster Calls, and the author of the novel on which it's based, talks about how anyone with a story can be a writer, adapting his novel, his process, his other books including the Chaos Walking series and The Rest of Us Just Live Here, the Doctor Who spin-off Class he created for BBC, and more.

A Monster Calls is in theaters December 23rd and throughout January.

The actor (Silicon Valley; Big Love) and writer/director of Captain Fantastic, one of the best movies of the year, chats about stepping behind the camera, writing for actors, the biographical aspects of Captain Fantastic, and more. Seriously, stop messing around and see Captain Fantastic.

The screenwriter of Arrival talks about the decade-long process of bringing that story to the screen, “hard hat jobs” he's worked on including the remake/prequel of The Thing, his directorial debut, Hours, and more.

Megan Metzger (When Calls the Heart), Dave Metzger (The Blacklist), Joelle Cornett (Pure Genius), Charlotte Lewis (Faking It), and Jake Thomas (Notorious) discuss what the job entails, how they got their jobs, the best rooms, and the odd place a writers' assistant holds in a writers' room. Recorded on September 11, 2016 at Nerdmelt Theater

Michael Schur (creator of The Good Place; co-creator of Parks & Recreation), Damon Lindelof (co-creator, Lost, The Leftovers), Carlton Cuse (co-creator of Jack Ryan, Colony, and Bates Motel; co-showrunner, Lost), Marti Noxon (co-creator of Unreal and Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce), Douglas Petrie (co-showrunner of Daredevil and The Defenders), David Fury (Buffy; 24), Jane Espenson (Buffy; Once Upon a Time), Charles Murray (Luke Cage; Sons of Anarchy), Andrew Miller (co-creator, Secret Circle; creator of the upcoming Tremors), Andrew Reich (Friends; co-producer Dead Pilots Society), Ben Acker (co-creator, Thrilling Adventure Hour; Supernatural), and Heath Corson (co-host, Nerdist Comics Panel; Scream) join Ben Blacker and Writers Panel darlings Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles; Avatar 3) and Jeff Greenstein (Friends; co-showrunner, Will & Grace; director, Mom) to celebrate this milestone episode of the podcast!

Recorded at Largo at the Coronet on November 6, 2016.

Blindspot creator Martin Gero chats about putting together the team, breaking story, how he uses the writers' room, his unusual hiring process, his late, beloved series LA Complex, procedurals, those tattoos, and more. Recorded at EW Popfest in Los Angeles, CA on October 29, 2016.

The author of The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and more discusses discovering young adult fiction, the invention of characters, how his stories take shape, his earnest love of The Babysitters Club books, and more; he even drops some hints about his next novel! Recorded at NerdCon: Stories in Minneapolis, MN on October 14, 2016.

Barbara Hall (creator of Madame Secretary, Judging Amy, and Joan of Arcadia); Joan Rater (co-creator of Doubt); Aline Brosh McKenna (co-creator of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend); Jenny Snyder Urman (creator of Jane the Virgin); Corinne Brinkerhoff (creator of No Tomorrow). Recorded at CBS Studios on October 5, 2016.

The creators of the new MTV show Mary + Jane discuss writing what they care about, their partnership and process, their breakthrough feature that led to Can't Hardly Wait, what happened after Josie & the Pussycats, and lots more.

Ben Blacker and The Writers Panel have lots of upcoming live shows and appearances, including the 300th Episode Celebration on 11/6 in LA with Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse, Marta Kauffman, Mike Schur, and lots more!