Episode 102: Sharon Horgan, "Bad Sisters"

01/20/23 • 38 min

Host Alison Herman talks to Sharon Horgan about how she kept her stories straight when writing across two timelines, her tips for pitching a project, the universal ideas at the heart of a story about four sisters failing spectacularly at attempting murder, and more.

Sharon Horgan is an acclaimed writer, actress, producer, and director, best known for her multiple award-winning sitcom CATASTROPHE, which she co-wrote and starred in with Rob Delaney.

Her other writing credits include the BBC comedy series PULLING, the comedy series SHINING VALE, and the BBC sitcom MOTHERLAND. As an actress, Sharon is known for her roles in feature films like GAME NIGHT, DATING AMBER, THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, among others.

Her latest project is BAD SISTERS, which she co-created, wrote, and stars in. The ten-part comedy thriller follows a group of five sisters (the Garveys) and the promise they make to always protect each other after their parents’ premature death.

The Writers Guild Award-nominated series premiered in the US in August 2022 and is available to stream on Apple TV+

Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006.

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Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives.

Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/

Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Sharon Horgan is an acclaimed writer, actress, producer, and director, best known for her multiple award-winning sitcom CATASTROPHE, which she co-wrote and starred in with Rob Delaney.

The Writers Guild Award-nominated series premiered in the US in August 2022 and is available to stream on Apple TV+

Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006.

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Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives.

Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/

Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Previous Episode

Episode 101: Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

Host Greg Iwinski talks to Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole about their collaboration process for BLACK PANTHER and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, rewriting a screenplay while – and as part of – grieving, space-saving ways to write a half-dozen languages into your script, and more.

Ryan Coogler is a writer-director whose credits include the 2013 biopic FRUITVALE STATION and the CREED franchise.

Joe Robert Cole is a writer-director who has written for the series THE PEOPLE VS. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY, and wrote and directed the feature film ALL DAY AND A NIGHT.

Ryan and Joe cowrote the screenplay for BLACK PANTHER as part of Phase Three of the MCU. The film was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for Adapted Screenplay and became the first superhero film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER – their latest project together and the sequel to the 2018 film – follows Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje during their fight to protect Wakanda from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

The film was released in November 2022. It’s currently playing in theaters and will be available to stream on Disney+ starting February 1, 2023.

Greg Iwinski is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and no-award-winning performer whose writing includes LAST WEEK TONIGHT and THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT. He recently finished writing the first season of GAME THEORY WITH BOMANI JONES on HBO, and can be found on Twitter @garyjackson.

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Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives.

Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/

Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

Next Episode

Episode 103: David Magee, "A Man Called Otto," "Lady Chatterley's Lover," "The School for Good and Evil"

Host Alison Herman talks to David Magee about writing three films that were released in the same year, adaptation as a form of translation, exploring the deeper cause of pain and bitterness in both Chatterley and Otto, and much more.

David Magee is the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of FINDING NEVERLAND, THE LIFE OF PI, MARY POPPINS RETURNS and many more.

His credits in 2022 include an impressive three feature films: THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, now streaming on Netflix; an adaptation of D. H. Lawrence's LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER, also streaming on Netflix. And finally, A MAN CALLED OTTO, and an adaptation of the Swedish novel and film, A Man called Ove, which is now streaming in theaters.

Alison Herman is a staff writer for The Ringer, where she writes about culture in general and television in specific. When not fighting a losing battle against Peak TV, she tweets at @aherman2006.

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Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives.

Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/

Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast