098 - Robert Hewitt Wolfe (EP of Elementary, The Dresden Files & Andromeda)

This week, host Gray Jones interviews veteran TV & feature writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, executive producer of Elementary, and developer/EP of The Dresden Files and Andromeda.

Episode 098 is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her interactive-online class “Rewrite Techniques,” running Four Saturdays, May 23 - June 13. To get your 10% off, use the code onthepage10at checkout.

Robert Hewitt Wolfe attended UCLA for screenwriting. His first screenplay, “Paper Dragons,” placed second in the prestigious Goldwyn awards. He started out writing features, but soon was able to pitch and write an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which led to staffing on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, where he would write for five years.

After leaving Deep Space Nine, Robert worked on several pilots; one was produced as a TV movie called Futuresport, starring Dean Cain and Wesley Snipes.

Robert was then approached to develop the syndicated series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, where he would serve as head writer for two years.

Robert has a lot of great stories of the subsequent years, writing for The 4400, The Gates, Alphas, Star-Crossed, and developing the series The Dresden Files. In 2016, he landed on Elementary for another long run; he explains how different it is writing for a series that doesn't have a writing room.

Robert has spent a lot of time developing pilots, features, and novels, and has great advice for what's needed on the page.

INDEX TO THE EPISODE:

2:16 interview start.
2:58 - Describes Star Trek franchise’s open script submissions.
3:49 - how he had an agent fresh out of film school at UCLA because of placing in contest, and was able to come in to Star Trek: The Next Generation to pitch.
5:37 - how he initially wanted to write features, and some features he wrote sold, but ended up in TV.
7:06 - his first staff writing experience, from the beginning of Deep Space Nine - discusses his many mentors from the show, and how different that room was to other more current shows.
12:00 - why he eventually left Deep Space Nine, but then was approached to develop Andromeda; stories about what it was like to develop and run that show.
18:53 - his career right after leaving Andromeda, back to writing features.
19:53 - went back to TV to help launch The 4400, then developed pilots, including the one that became The Dresden Files. Talks about that time, being a number two for two different shows, writing for several others, before landing on Elementary.
23:30 - talks about writing on Elementary, and what it was like to write without a writers room. Talks about the difference between that and having a writers room.
28:06 - talks about his mentors, and what he learned from them.
29:29 - mentoring others - how he feels it’s part of the job.
31:36 - sponsor break.
32:35 - discusses development, and what he does between shows - different situations, and how to succeed; finding your passion.
36:58 - talks about chasing IP, and why IP is so important.
41:25 - discusses his most recent show, Prodigal Son.
43:12 - what’s next - lots of irons in the fire.
45:52 - what will production be like after COVID-19.
49:50 - help for greener writers - make the show runner’s life easier, help their vision to come true, research.
53:08 - advice on the page - characters, dialogue, scene & story structure.
57:13 - general career advice - TV is a team sport.
59:28 - least and most favorite parts of being a TV writer.

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Upcoming weekly interviews will include Shawn Ryan (creator of Timeless and The Shield), writers from Arrow, The Flash, Legacies and Warehouse 13, and lots more!