Let's Make A Horror

Introducing: Let’s Make A Sci-Fi!

An eight-part adventure through the creative process as three comedians try writing a successful sci-fi pilot— with help from scientific experts and Hollywood screenwriting pros.

Let's Make A Sci-Fi, Episode 1: Take Me Seriously (feat. Jem Garrard + Catherine Winder)

Ryan, Mark, and Maddy talk to producers Catherine Winder (Star Wars) and Jem Garrard (Vagrant Queen) and learn how to identify great story ideas. Then, they pitch each other concepts for their science fiction pilot and land on a winning idea.

Let's Make A Sci-Fi, Episode 2: World-Building (feat. Neill Blomkamp + Emily VanDerWerff)

Ryan hosts a sci-fi movie marathon for inspiration. Director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) and critic Emily VanDerWerff (Vox) advise on how to create engrossing fictional worlds. The gang develop their universe and even design a spaceship—but is world-building the right place to start?

Let's Make A Sci-Fi, Episode 3: Characters (feat. Simon Barry)

Ryan, Mark, and Maddy pitch their premise to showrunner Simon Barry (Continuum)—only to be told they have a big problem: they don’t have any characters. They explore what makes a compelling character with screenwriting professor Kat Montagu and fill their generational ship with… generations! They also crystalize their protagonist: Kirby.

Let's Make A Sci-Fi, Episode 4: Science (feat. Neil deGrasse Tyson)

The gang has their world and their characters, but is there enough science in the fiction? They pit their concept against all-star experts—astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, “Bad Astronomer'' Phil Plaitt, and Hollywood science advisor Mika McKinnon (Sharknado) — to determine whether the pilot makes scientific sense. And when the science doesn’t check out, they get the experts to create some that does.