Scriptnotes Podcast 720 - Watch Your Tone
24 snips
Jan 13, 2026 
David Iserson, a seasoned writer known for "New Girl" and "Mr. Robot," joins Susanna Fogel, director and co-creator of "PONIES," to unveil the secrets behind crafting an original tone in their new series. They discuss the unique challenges of pitching period shows, the colorful 1970s aesthetic, and building a diverse writers' room. The duo shares insights on balancing humor with dramatic stakes, navigating production in Budapest, and the importance of trusting your instincts as a writer.
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Psychological Safety Shapes Room Creativity
- Room dynamics depend on psychological safety: writers must know they can challenge showrunners.
- Susanna often had to model pushback to encourage a meritocracy of ideas in the room.
Scripts Open Doors; Room Skill Sustains You
- What gets you into rooms is script quality, but what keeps you valuable inside rooms is room experience and collaboration skills.
- Susanna emphasizes writers must still deliver scripts or they'll lose credibility regardless of room talents.
Grounded Humor Keeps Mixed Tones Cohesive
- Let characters' ordinary lives and coping styles determine comedic tone in a drama.
- Susanna argues humor can coexist with high stakes if it feels truthful to character behavior.
