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Whew! Here we go with the FINAL episode of our Severance coverage. This special coda episode is an interview with the Executive Producer and Writer, Chris Black!
Chris has been writing TV since the mid-90’s. He’s worked on Weird Science, Sliders, Cleopatra 2525, Star Trek: Enterprise, Desperate Housewives (no, really), Mad Men, Ugly Betty, Lone Star, Outcast, Invincible, Severance (which is why he's here today), and most recently, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Chris oversaw the Severance Season 1 writer's room and is the credited writer on Episode 8 (though as you'll learn in today's interview, which parts of which episode which writer actually wrote gets a bit complicated.)
We discuss the differences in writing for Streamers vs. Network TV, the differences in Appointment Television vs. Bingewatching, working with comic book-cum-TV greats Robert Kirkman and now Matt Fraction, and of course some behind the scenes tidbits on Severance.
This podcast is a 5-part mini-series, dropping 2x per week for 2.5 weeks. The schedule is as follows:
Part 2: Episodes 1-3 (and wine pairings with those episodes)
Part 3: Episodes 4-6 (and wine pairings with those episodes)
Part 4: Episodes 7-9 (and wine pairings with those episodes)
Part 5: Interview with Chris Black, Executive Producer and Writer on Severance (Today! It’s this post!)
Beverage Pairing
Chris’ Pairing
We of course asked Chris what he would drink while watching Severance. With the caveat that once you’ve worked years on a TV show the action of watching it is no longer a drink-worthy experience, Chris is a beer guy, a Cali guy, and so his drink of choice for a show and concept as good as Severance (see the video clip above to hear his thoughts on Dan Erikson’s original pilot!) he gave us:
Cali Squeeze Blood Orange Wheat Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, San Louis Obispo, California
Brewed with real blood orange for maximum refreshment. A crisp, ruby red beer with juicy orange and fresh citrus flavors, that always go down easy. Cali Squeeze is a Hefeweizen (wheat ale) that includes barley malt, malted wheat, toasted wheat, and Cara-malt. Refreshing, low in bitterness, pale yellow, and slightly hazy. 5% ABV, 15 IBU
Thanks so much for listening and/or reading this 5-part Severance series of podcasts. We’re back to our regular 1-per-week schedule next week!
Until then, watch something amazing, drink something amazing, and read and/or write something amazing. These are the best things in life, as Arnold-as-Conan would say.
Wine and...TV: SEVERANCE Season 1, Part 5 - Interview w/ Exec Producer and Writer Chris Black