Once We Were Spacemen Once We Had Some Not-So-Horrible Bosses with Alexi Hawley | Episode 8
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Dec 24, 2025 In this conversation with Alexi Hawley, creator of The Rookie, he shares his journey from drummer to television writer. Alexi demystifies showrunning, discussing the blend of creative and managerial skills required. He recounts early writing experiences and the lessons learned from his time on Castle. The chat dives into the challenges of production during the pandemic, plus the economics of TV work. Hobbies like drumming and softball help him unwind as he juggles multiple projects, including upcoming spinoffs and Hulu's The Envoy.
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Learn TV By Watching Every Stage
- Learn TV by doing the building blocks: be a staff writer, go to set, watch prep and editing, and see how scripts translate to production.
- Observe budgets and production constraints early so you write scenes that are achievable on screen.
Showrunning Is Left+Right Brain Work
- Showrunning blends creative leadership with hard management tasks like budgets and personnel oversight.
- You must switch between imaginative story work and left-brain operational problem solving.
Train With Real Production Constraints
- Get practical training by being on staff to learn breaking story, rewrites, and why certain scenes cost more.
- Use that experience to write scenes that fit production realities and avoid costly surprises.
