Advertise on podcast: Children of Tendu

The last time Jose and Javi talked about pitching it was 2019, and pitches were massive in-person affairs in which writers had to pitch six seasons and a movie... what has changed? EVERYTHING! In this scintillating hour full of the usual career-killing candor, the Children of Tendu explain how their pitching style has changed to match these wild and unpredictable new times, and - more importantly - what essentials have remained unchanged and why. It's the first third time that Jose and Javi have done a podcast about pitching, and things sure have changed!

Do Jose and Javi do anything other than grouse about the sorry state of the business? Yes! Occasionally they write... they even get PAID to write! But what's that even like? Not the gettng paid so much as the actual sitting at the keyboard and banging it out. Well, for the first time since the last time, here are Jose and Javi discussing ther approach to the craft of writing, how it has changed since the last time they talked about it (SPOILERS: it has changed. A lot.) So dim the lights and chill the keyboard - Jose and Javi have some tea to spill about their relationship... TO THE PAGE!

It's the epic conclusion to the beginning of the first chapter in a new era of Tendu! Join Jose and Javi as they navigate the vicissitudes of television writing in the post strikes, post pandemic, post peak TV era. It's a whole new world out there and Aladdin isn't around to whisk you off on his magic carpet and soothe you with his supple baritone... but you do have the Children of Tendu giving you the straight dope, calling 'em like they see 'em, and finding the occasional silver lining in an industry going through a major change!

It has been three long years since the Children of Tendu graced the podcast-sphere, and the world of writing for television has changed enormously.. So, yeah,  they're back, and they are PISSED! Yes, Jose and Javi continue in their quest to give away all of their knowledge of television writing for free, yes, jose and Javi persist in being mentors and educators to the writing community at large... but make no mistake, the business has been disrupted, writing is a more precarious career than ever, and there are more, and many new, landmines and pitfalls on the road. So they're back, and while there is much to be angry about the business, there is also much advice and information to be passed on - AND THE CHILDREN OF TENDU ARE BACK, BACK FROM THE FRONT LINES, TO BRING YOU THE FACTS, UP TO DATE, AND WITH THE USUAL CAREER-THREATENING CANDOR!

Hi there! Javi here, and no, I don't have a new episode of Children of Tendu - Jose and I are still figuring out the state of the business post pandemic, post strike, post streaming - but in the meantime, why not sample my latest endeavor: Multiplex Overthruster! In this cinematic odyssey, I join Paul Alvarado Dykstra ( co-founder of Fantastic Fest) and the heroic and stalwart Producer Brad in revisiting the summer movies of our teenage years! We started with the summer of '82 - the year of E.T., Star Trek 2, The Thing, Poltergeist, and Blade Runner - and are now on our second season, the summer of '83! Kicking things off is a little independent film called "Return of the Jedi"... here's part one, listen, enjoy, subscribe - spread the word! Multiplex Overthruster - available wherever fine podcasts are... uh... available!

A few days before the WGA made its historic deal with the AMPTP, Jose and Javi made one last trip to the line, this time at Universal Studios, to interview our sisters, brothers, and others in the guild who bravely walked the lines to the triumphant end. Featuring interviews with established writers like Marc Bernardin, Julie and Shawna Benson, as well as our union representatives (who dropped amazing information on the organization of the strike... down to the black SUVs and secret WGA phones!) this is an amazing snapshot of the last days of a labor action that resulted in amazing gains for writers everywhere! SOLIDARITY!

On a hot and noisy day, Jose and Javi set up shop on the strike line at CBS Radford and talk to WGA luminaries ranging from showrunners Julie Plec and Craig Silverstein to show creator Evan Bleiweiss and the strike captains who keep out labor action safe and coordinated! If you are curious about how we organize, where the signs come from... or how to humanely run a writers room, you won't mind the horns blaring in the background!

Taking their cues from Lucy Van Pelt, the Children of Tendu set up a booth on the strike line and took questions, gave advice, and even quizzed their betters about their methods and madness. Featuring interviews with producers of "Elementary", the showrunner of "Queen of the South" as well as several amazing up and comers from shows including "Superman and Lois" and "Law & Order: SVU" this is a raw look at what's going on in the frontlines of the WGA strike, and a stark reminder of how much the craft of writing has changed, and why the strike matters!

In this extra special episode of the podcast, Jose and Javi take a deep, show-by-show dive into Javi's career, dissecting his experiences and distilling the lessons he has learned over the course of his decades-spanning adventures in TV!

In this extra special episode of the podcast, Jose and Javi take a deep, show-by-show dive into Jose's career, dissecting his experiences and distilling the lessons he has learned over the course of his decades-spanning career!

As veterans of the WGA strike of 2007 picketing in the strike of 2023, Jose and Javi break down the differences between the two labor actions. From the role of social media in the Guild's messaging, to the differences in the message itself, the rise of the #prewga cohort, and the decline of the auteur showrunner, Jose and Javi don't just break it down, but also use the differences in the two labor actions to explain how vital the current struggle is to the art and business of writing for media.

Being Latino/a/e/x in Trump's America is an increasingly precarious business. As white Puerto Ricans whith careers spanning over a quarter century, Javi and Jose have seen, heard, and experienced the pervasive racism of the industry in many of its forms, while also benefitting from their own white privilege. In this unusually revealing episode, Jose and Javi dig deep into their lives and upbringing as colonial subjects of the United States to explore not just what it is like to be latino/a/e/x in Hollywood, but more specifically, what it means to be Puerto Rican and the many issues of race, class, and colonialism that entails.

Jose and Javi are back and older than ever! As the Writers Guild strikes for higher pay, job security, and reform in how writers are employed and compensated, Jose and Javi aren't just walking the picket line but also breaking down the many changes in the industry that have lead to the current labor action. In the fifteen years since the dawn of the streaming age, the way television is made and consumed has changed enormously, and Jose and Javi have experienced those changes in real time... this is not the same business Jose and Javi came into at the start of their careers, and it isn't the same as when they began recording the Children of Tendu podcast... it's a new era, and Jose and Javi are here to tell you all about it!

Remember when we said our previous episode would be our series finale? WE LIED. And we are back to prove it with a super sized episode where we answer YOUR questions about OUR process. How do we write? Why do we write? Where do we write? (and it's not in the bathtub like Dalton Trumbo) All these questions and more! Answered right here! With our usual career-endangering candor!

Seven years ago, veteran television writer/producers Jose Molina and Javier Grillo-Marxuach set out to consign all their experience to a podcast and to give it away for free. One Golden Age of television, a pandemic, and several complete disruptions in the industry later, Jose and Javi look to the future and ponder the fate of the Children of Tendu Podcast... and more importantly, their own transition from wizened veterans to fellow travelers with newcomers in a rapidly changing world!