Top 10 Creative Voices Changing TV as We Know It
Top 10 Creative Voices Changing TV as We Know It
Time was, you could describe most series in a few words and any TV viewer could fill out the rest. But, wow, are there some amazingly original shows out there now, ones that defy easy description. All of them were dreamed up by someone who was willing to break the mold, try something new, dazzle us. And they do.
Here’s to the creative geniuses who are changing TV as we know it; learn how their minds work (and how their series get made) in THE WRITERS’ ROOM, premiering Monday, July 29 at 10pm, only on Sundance Channel.
Photo Credit: Still from THE WRITERS' ROOM: BREAKING BAD10. Louis C.K.
For surreal storylines and incisive comic riffs, there is no better purveyor than Louie. Louis C.K.’s fictionalized version of himself is shlubby enough to be relatable and yet painfully hilarious in encounters with famous friends (Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Joan Rivers, etc.). You may not be sure what each episode is actually about, but afterward you’ll definitely see things in a different way.
How are your favorite TV shows made? Find out on THE WRITERS’ ROOM, Mondays 10pm, starting July 29.9. Dan Harmon
Let’s just say that it’s not every series that can convincingly dive into Claymation or alternate realities or zombies or puppet musicals or Dungeons & Dragons—much less all of those things. But then, Community is not like any other series, a fact that has won it die-hard fans while keeping it firmly out of the mainstream. Good thing mastermind Dan Harmon, who also created the out-there comedy The Sarah Silverman Program, is returning for season five of the series after being temporarily disinvited from Community’s fourth season.
How are your favorite TV shows made? Find out on THE WRITERS’ ROOM, Mondays 10pm, starting July 29.8. Amy Poehler
Along with executive producers/head writers Michael Schur and Greg Daniels, Amy Poehler has created something special in Parks and Recreation. The series began with the mockumentary vibe of The Office but has since settled into its own hilarious rhythm. Bursting with indelible characters (Ron Swanson, Tom Haverford, et. al.), Parks and Rec celebrates how cool the geeks who run community government in Pawnee, Indiana, really are.
Don't miss Amy Poehler, Michael Shur, Greg Daniels and Joe Mande on THE WRITERS' ROOM:Â Parks and Recreation, airing Monday, August 5 at 10pm.
Photo Credit: Still from THE WRITERS' ROOM: PARKS AND RECREATION7. Joss Whedon
The creator of whip-smart, pop-culture-laced dialogue and supernatural heroines (oh, yeah, and heroes too) premieres a new series this fall, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a spin-off of his hit movie The Avengers. The papa of cult-favorite series Buffy the Vampire Slayer< and Angel (not to mention perhaps the greatest gone-too-soon series ever, Firefly) has a way of speaking to hipsters and comic-book aficionados alike.
How are your favorite TV shows made? Find out on THE WRITERS’ ROOM, Mondays 10pm, starting July 29.6. Lena Dunham
It’s pretty hard for a series to genuinely shock the viewing public. I mean, it’s not as though we haven’t seen plenty of nudity and hot couples getting it on. But rarely—if ever—have we seen such honest sex scenes as in Girls, which features auteur/star Lena Dunham in copious coitus positions and pairings, many of which are fascinatingly unflattering. That plus all the oddball friendships and what-am-I-doing-with-my-life angst make Girls both addictive and revelatory.
How are your favorite TV shows made? Find out on THE WRITERS’ ROOM, Mondays 10pm, starting July 29.
Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio / HBO5. Mindy Kaling
As the first female writer on The Office, Mindy Kaling was so much more than airhead Kelly Kapoor: She helped give voice to a show that was often awkwardly funny and that paved the way for mockumentaries like Parks and Recreation and Modern Family. Now she’s taking center stage—not generally a place we find curvy Indian-American women—as an OB/GYN who frets over work-life balance, men and other concerns in The Mindy Project.
How are your favorite TV shows made? Find out on THE WRITERS’ ROOM, Mondays 10pm, starting July 29.4. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Certainly other period dramas have given us great battles, hot sex scenes and magical creatures. But David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have adapted author George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones into a series that does all of these things bigger and better and is willing to go to any lengths to prove that nothing (and no one) is sacred—witness the uproar after the third season’s bloody Red Wedding. The series’ ruthless genius crosses genres to attract and shock fans of all persuasions.
Don't miss David Benioff and D.B. Weiss on THE WRITERS' ROOM: Games of Thrones, airing Monday, August 5 at 10pm.
Photo Credit: Still from THE WRITERS' ROOM: GAME OF THRONES3. Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk
Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have dreamed up some of the most outrageous, barrier-busting (and trend-setting) series on TV today. From the plastic-surgery nightmares on Nip/Tuck to the literal ones on American Horror Story, these two have thrown images on the screen that, frankly, we never could have dreamed of. And then they turn right around and give us the pro-kid, anti-bullying songfests on Glee—these guys give us creativity whiplash.
Don't miss Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk on THE WRITERS' ROOM: American Horror Story, airing Monday, August 26 at 10pm.
Photo Credit: Still from THE WRITERS' ROOM: AMERICAN HORROR STORY2. Tina Fey
Often cited by other creative as an influence and an inspiration, Tina Fey has brought her distinctive brand of smart sass to TV as the head writer on Saturday Night Live and the creator-writer-star of 30 Rock. Never afraid to make herself look ridiculous—hello, Liz Lemon dressing up as Princess Leia to avoid jury duty—or her characters despicable, a.k.a. Jenna Maroney, Fey reels us in every time. We can’t wait to see what’s next.
How are your favorite TV shows made? Find out on THE WRITERS’ ROOM, Mondays 10pm, starting July 29.1. Vince Gilligan
Thrilling, bleak, brilliant... Vince Gilligan creates TV that can’t be explained. His start on the seminal Chris Carter series The X-Files may have hinted at his gift for writing supremely strange stuff, but nothing could have prepared us for the dark genius of Breaking Bad, a show that has quickly vaulted to the top of many critics’ lists of all-time greats. His complex antiheroes—Walter White first and foremost—steal and break our hearts in the same breath.
Don't miss Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston and the Breaking Bad writing team on THE WRITERS' ROOM: Breaking Bad, airing Monday, July 29 at 10pm.
Photo Credit: Still from THE WRITERS' ROOM: BREAKING BAD
