INTERVIEW with "The Colbert Report's" Glenn Eichler

Writer Glenn Eichler was kind enough to answer my questions regarding the state of the industry in New York, as well as share his own experiences as a television writer.

What job opportunities are available to new writers in New York?

I’m not too up on all the job possibilities, but it seems there are fewer than, say, two years ago.  I believe they relocated the writing staff of Law & Order C.I. to L.A., so there goes one potential employer (although I do think the other two Law & Orders are still written here).  All My Children is also about to move to L.A., after shooting here for 39 years.

  

30 Rock is written and shot here, as are several late-night shows: Dave, Jimmy, Jon, of course Stephen… there are still a number of talk/daytime shows here, like Wendy Williams and The View… the latest season of  In Treatment was written and shot here, but I don’t know if it’s coming back.

But when you’re thinking about writing jobs in New York, don’t forget the many MTVN networks (MTV, VH1, the various Nicks, BET, Spike, etc.) – that’s a good way to gain some experience and a credit on your resume.  There are also lots of news shows done here for CNN, MSNBC and (God help me for calling it news) Fox News, as well as the broadcast networks’ new operations.  I don’t know if there are actually jobs available at any of these places, but if feels like there should be.

What are the most successful ways to "break in" to the business in New York?

           When it comes to comedy, a lot of people seem to make connections by taking improv classes and/or performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade.  Again, MTVN is usually open to young, cheap talent (or, even better, young, free talent), and they have an employment page on their website.  But I won’t kid you about breaking in without some kind of entree: it really, really helps to know somebody.  And even when you know somebody, it’s tough as hell.  In any case, the old saw applies: if you want to work in TV, take any freaking TV job you can get, at least for your first job.  You can re-evaluate once you’ve gained some experience and made some connections.

Your credits include animated series as well as The Colbert Report.  How did you make the jump from one genre to another, and what advice do you have for other writers wanting to do the same (i.e. moving from comedy to drama)? 

          I made the jump because the animated show I wrote for five years (Daria) had a sort of cultish cachet, so I got to meet some up-and-coming comedy writers while doing it.  By the time the show wrapped, several of them had become established in the industry, including Ben Karlin, who became e.p. of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.  He recommended me for the latter when it was staffing up.  So my story may be a little atypical.  But my advice for writers is always the same: never stop writing, even when you’re not being paid to, and try to learn as many genres as you can.  Even so, you may get pigeonholed in one area – I was “the guy who can write in a teenage girl’s voice,” until I became “the political satire guy.”

How does writing for a nightly comedy show compare to writing for a weekly series?

          I can’t say how a nightly show differs from an episodic show with human beings, since I’ve only done an episodic animated show, but the short answer is, they couldn’t be more different.  An episode of an animated series typically takes about nine months to produce, which means you’ve got a bunch going at once, rolling out slowly; obviously a nightly show has to be done nightly.  For a fictional series you’re concerned about things like character development, story arcs, etc; for a nightly show, it’s about what’s in the news and individual jokes.  And the pace of a nightly show is grueling, but the audience feedback is almost instantaneous.