Episode 61: Jen Statsky, "Hacks"

<p>Host Geri Cole is joined by <strong>Jen Statsky</strong>—co-creator and showrunner of the HBO Max series HACKS—to talk about the show's journey from an idea on a road trip to a hit series, why writing about people's flaws can bring out the best in a character, and the challenges of writing a comedy series about writing comedy.</p> <p><strong>Jen Statsky</strong> is a TV writer and comedian who cut her comedy-writing teeth on Twitter. Her posts were popular, and she eventually found herself with enough of a following that, in 2011, the account helped her land her first TV writing job at LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON. Since then, she has written for a number of hit comedies, including BROAD CITY, THE GOOD PLACE, and PARKS & RECREATION (all while maintaining her Twitter account, of course).</p> <p>She currently serves as the showrunner of the comedy-drama series HACKS. The series, which Statsky co-created with Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs, follows legendary stand-up comic Deborah Vance (played by Jean Smart) as she works to maintain relevancy through a reluctant partnership with struggling millennial comedy writer Ava.</p> <p>The show premiered in May 2021, and was recently renewed for a second season. It's available to stream on HBO Max.</p> <p>--</p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong><em>Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out <a href= "https://www.wgaeast.org/onwriting/print-archives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OnWriting: The Print Archives</a>.</em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href= "http://www.onwriting.org/">www.onwriting.org/</a></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Follow the Guild on social media:</strong></span><br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">Facebook: /WGAEast</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">Instagram: @WGAEa