Episode 3: Todd Linden

Home Town: Niantic, CT

Current Town: North Hollywood, CA

What are you working on now?: Developing new TV ideas. Most recently wrote for MIGHTY DUCKS: GAME CHANGERS on Disney+ and shot a (now dead) pilot for HBO Max.

Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person: I can tell you when I fell in love with writing. In my sixth grade English class, we had a month-long assignment called the “Writing Marathon.” Throughout the month we needed to write a collection of short stories, poems, etc. One of my short stories was about a fireman flashing back to a memory with his wife as he dies fighting a fire. I can only imagine what kind of warning signals screamed through my teacher’s head after reading such dark material from a 12-year-old, but I remember it was at that point for me that creative writing clicked. I fell in love with building characters and a world with emotional impact. And at the time, I was coming to terms with my lack of athletic abilities and realizing that becoming the future first baseman of the Yankees was probably not in the cards for me, so sparking to an alternative option was very exciting. It was at that point that I knew a career that included writing could fulfill me and seemed slightly more attainable.

If you could change one thing about television, what would it be?: On the business side, there is a major problem with the amount of free work expected of writers nowadays. It obviously takes a lot of time and energy to create a TV show – you’re creating an entire new world – and even if a production company and/or studio comes on board your project, and even if they give you extensive and multiple sets of notes to rework your pitch or your spec script, often times you won’t see a dime unless the project ultimately sells to a network. So you could easily be working on something for a year or more with studio executives involved and never actually get paid for it. That’s just one of many examples of all the free work writers have to do just to have a chance to sell something, and it isn’t right. Writers deserve compensation for their time and work addressing notes from an executive who is getting paid to give those notes.

Who are or were your television heroes?: Thinking of TV writers specifically, Mitch Hurwitz and that brilliant first season of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT definitely gave me a target to aspire to when I was in college. A few other writers who constantly inspire me with their work are Dan Fogelman, Michael Schur and Tina Fey.

What kind of television excites you?: The television that excites me the most are the shows I like that I don’t think I’m nearly talented enough to write myself. Whether it be a hilarious and/or complex character (i.e. TED LASSO – he has such a specific well-crafted voice, or Arabella in I MAY DESTROY YOU – so raw and real), or a compelling storyline with great twists (i.e. THE GOOD PLACE) or a unique spin I could only wish I had come up with (i.e. THIS IS US). And yes, watching such brilliant shows can certainly make me question everything about my own abilities and whether or not I should find a new career, but usually it inspires me to dig deeper and push to be a better writer.

What advice do you have for TV writers just starting out?: Look to write things that stem from personal experience and knowledge. And I say that especially when you’re trying to sell a TV show idea, and especially when you’re early in your career and executives don’t know what they can expect from you. I’m sure you’ve heard the “write what you know” advice before, which I think is good advice in general because it makes for more authentic writing, but I’ve found it to be imperative in giving me any chance to sell an idea. The show doesn’t have to mirror your exact life, of course. But find stories that are born from your personal experiences and/or find real ways to connect yourself to your characters – especially in comedy where characters usually drive the series as opposed to a high concept storyline. It’s getting harder and harder to sell scripts and pitches, the competition is incredibly fierce, and there are people from all backgrounds and experiences that are bringing their unique perspectives to the table. So TV executives don’t need to rely on you to tell someone else’s story. You could pitch the most interesting character or idea they’ve ever heard, but if you haven’t connected it to yourself and your life to prove you have multiple stories to tell in that area, they probably won’t trust you to sustain the idea for multiple seasons. This is especially true for newer writers who don’t have a proven track record with them. So you need to convince them you’re the best (maybe even the only) person to write that particular idea you’re pitching them.

Any Plugs?: Well I’m not very good at plugging myself. But try checking out MIGHTY DUCKS: GAME CHANGERS – it’s a fun journey and at the time of doing this interview, we’re still waiting to hear about the fate of a Season 2**, so more viewers can only help!

**MIGHTY DUCKS: GAME CHANGERS has recently been picked up for season two!

TODD LINDEN started as a production assistant and writers’ assistant on shows including JOEY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER and HAPPY ENDINGS. After writing a Season 2 episode of HAPPY ENDINGS, he landed his first staff writing job on an ABC show, FAMILY TOOLS. Since then, he has written on several other staffs including ALEXA & KATIE (Netflix) and MIGHTY DUCKS: GAME CHANGERS (Disney+) and has sold projects to ABC, Netflix, and HBO Max.