Scriptnotes Podcast 720 - Watch Your Tone
15 snips
Jan 13, 2026 
David Iserson, a seasoned writer known for "New Girl" and "Mr. Robot," joins Susanna Fogel, director and co-creator of "PONIES," to unveil the secrets behind crafting an original tone in their new series. They discuss the unique challenges of pitching period shows, the colorful 1970s aesthetic, and building a diverse writers' room. The duo shares insights on balancing humor with dramatic stakes, navigating production in Budapest, and the importance of trusting your instincts as a writer.
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Origins In Travel And Cold War Research
- David Iserson describes how the idea for Ponies grew from reading Cold War books and traveling in Prague, Budapest, and Berlin.
- He and Susanna developed characters around the concept that Western embassies struggled to run successful spy ops in Moscow, which shaped the show's premise.
Take A Direct Yes When It Lets You Work
- Susanna Fogel accepted a pitch buy from Quibi to avoid endless pitching and get a straight yes.
- She recommends taking a clean yes so you can write the show instead of wasting time pitching elsewhere.
Tone Is Hard To Pitch; Scripts Show It
- Pitching tone is notoriously vague and risky because comps can mislead buyers.
- Susanna and David prioritized giving executives the script to show tone rather than relying solely on verbal comps.
