021 - Paradise (Pilot) Dan Fogelman cover art

021 - Paradise (Pilot) Dan Fogelman

021 - Paradise (Pilot) Dan Fogelman

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

Breaking Down Hulu’s Paradise Pilot by Dan Fogelman: Teleplay Analysis & Screenwriting Lessons

In this episode of The Screenplay Lab podcast, we analyze the pilot teleplay for Paradise, the Emmy-nominated 2025 Hulu series from Dan Fogelman (This Is Us). If you're a screenwriter, TV writer, or filmmaker, this deep dive into modern pilot structure is a must-listen.

What You’ll Learn:

  • How to write a pilot twist that actually works

  • Dan Fogelman’s use of nonlinear storytelling and emotional payoff

  • Setups/payoffs, mechanics, and pacing in a 55-page script

  • Crafting dialogue, formatting tips, and white space usage

  • Behind-the-scenes: how Paradise became a $15M-per-episode drama

  • Genre blending: sci-fi, political thriller, and character-driven drama

We Break Down:

  • Script structure

  • Use of time jumps, flashbacks, and visual storytelling on the page

  • Clues leading to one of the most effective pilot twists in recent TV

Whether you’re writing your first pilot or refining a series bible, this episode offers practical insights from a modern masterpiece in TV writing.

Video Podcast

Jeff Barker's Website

No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.