Xfinity — “What to Watch Next”

For about a year, I served as a writer on Xfinity’s “What to Watch Live” TV series, a weekly talk show highlighting the best new and timely entertainment. I sat in on writers’ room meetings, assisting in segment planning, as well as handled any on-screen copy.

The show made it to just over 100 episodes before the client pulled the plug, which was unfortunate because, at its best, WTWL was both informative and entertaining. However, production suffered from two key issues: 1. The show was shot via webcam, giving it a look and feel that was more reminiscent of a Zoom meeting than an actual TV show; and 2. Due to its unscripted nature, segments covering only a handful of shows could last in excess of 10 minutes.

Before WTWL was canceled, we were given an opportunity to pitch Xfinity on how to improve the show. My colleague Josh Lane and I thought we might do a bit more than that — not only did we want to bring the show on set to enhance its production value, but we wanted to double down and turn our reboot “What to Watch Next” into a podcast.