Television is a very writer-driven business, and it's one of the few parts of entertainment where writers are treated with respect, only because they need you. If they didn't have to treat you with respect, they would be happy to dismiss you.

It's very hard, I think, for critics to write positive reviews, because there's not that much to say about something you like. You can kind of say 'I really like that band' and then if you're forced to fill up the rest of an article, you've got to start saying heady things. It's much easier to say negative things in a review.

There's a lot that you can do in television that you can't do with a film, theoretically. At the time, the only possibility was to do a movie.

If you've never watched people watch television, I don't recommend it. It's not an exciting thing to do.

The "executive producer" title either means that you're the person who created, or co-created, the show, or you're the person who's in charge of day-to-day operations. Whereas "producer" is often just a writing credit.

One of the best ways into the business is to get a job with a production, which you can do by cold-calling or by getting your résumé out there, and also through contacts. That's where nepotism really helps.

The people that always impress me are the ones that are curious about what they're going to do next.

I think of there being two conditions that creative people go through. I think it's fear and curiosity.

I have this identity for myself as a writer and the only thing that can happen is that I chip away from it.

I remember being asked when I was in high school what do I want to do when I grow up and the answer is so indicative - I would like to have been a successful playwright.