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Phil Pirrello

@philpirrello.bsky.social
1.2K followers 952 following 287 posts

WGA TV & Film writer and Star Trek enthusiast, with bylines at THR and Emmy Magazine. Once gave Steven Spielberg a donut.

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Reposted by Phil Pirrello
Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 11/10/2026
RFK Jr is one of the worst people to ever wield power in US government. Eternal shame on anyone who has ever elevated him.
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 09/10/2026
This afternoon in Marble Hill, a New Yorker was shot by an ICE agent in a residential neighborhood. Early reports indicate agents surrounded him and a 5-year-old child in his car before firing multiple rounds. We believe the child was physically unharmed.

This is an unconscionable and incredibly serious situation. I have called the President; when we speak I will demand that he ends all ICE enforcement actions in our city. I will not stand by while ICE agents terrorize our communities.

Our thoughts are with the injured New Yorker and his family tonight. We are praying for his recovery.

Get ICE out of our neighborhoods. Get ICE out of our hospitals. Get ICE off our streets. Get ICE away from our children.

Abolish ICE.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
When we survive this ongoing train of dumb fascists, we need to make rules so that we don’t have to wait for elections to MAYBE fire these evil people when they do evil shit like this.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
For SCRUBS' 25th anniversary, Bill Lawrence gave a very candid interview about how tricky it was sometimes to do an NBC show from a writer under a Disney deal. Especially when it came to network notes that almost ruined one of the show's best episodes. www.televisionacademy.com/features/onl...
televisionacademy.com
Scrubs at 25: How Bill Lawrence’s Hit Sitcom Owes Its Origins to a Night of Beers (Exclusive)
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Alan Sepinwall @sepinwall.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
For The New York Times, I wrote about how Rod Serling create The Twilight Zone in part because it was the only way in the 1950 and 60s for him to comment on the subjects he cared about most, and how that's a good blueprint for contemporary media to deal with our surreal current moment:
nytimes.com
Opinion | ‘The Twilight Zone’ Created a Blueprint for Surviving Our Surreal Moment (Gift Article)
With “The Twilight Zone,” Rod Serling created a durable blueprint for understanding our surreal reality.
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On This Day in Simpsons History @dailysimpsons.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
33 years ago today, Sideshow Bob first met his old archenemy: Rakes. #TheSimpsons episode “Cape Feare” first aired October 7, 1993.
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Mad Scholar Frights @mattzollerseitz.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
But they're gonna have to lay off thousands of people who make a fraction of the executives' income in order to be "fiscally responsible"
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Mike Flanagan @mikeflanaganfilm.com · 06/10/2026
So wonderful to see Sam Sloyan getting the flowers she deserves. Her work in CARRIE is the best I've ever seen from her, and that's saying a LOT www.esquire.com/entertainmen...
esquire.com
The Best Part of the New ‘Carrie’ TV Series? Her Mom.
You already know her from ‘The Pitt,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ and Mike Flanagan’s other shows. As Margaret White, she may finally become a household name.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
One of my favorite Star Trek episodes, with one of Shatner’s best performances. I really admire the scene where a tired and unsure Kirk asks McCoy and Spock for advice on a no-win situation.
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Akilla Cooper @akelacooper.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
May he never work in Hollywood again. He’s done enough damage.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
“.. The U.S. is enduring its worst year for measles since 1991 ..” @apnews.com apnews.com/article/meas...
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Adam Mallinger @bitterscriptreader.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
This week is the 30th anniversary of THAT THING YOU DO. I’m reposting my tribute to it, which includes a deep dive about how contrasting the bloat of the extended cut with the theatrical is a great lesson in editing and efficiency thebitterscriptreader.blogspot.com/2026/10/an-a...
thebitterscriptreader.blogspot.com
An appreciation of THAT THING YOU DO on its 30th anniversary
This is a piece I originally wrote ten years ago for Film School Rejects on the occasion of THAT THING YOU DO's 20th Anniversary. Since Film...
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Siddhant Adlakha @siddhantadlakha.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Lanterns Finale Recap: In Brightest Day Is this the best superhero show? Pretty handily. It’s also one of the best things on TV right now, period, with some of the most wrenching, introspective drama you’re likely to find. A pretty stunning adaptation. www.vulture.com/article/lant...
vulture.com
Lanterns Season-Finale Recap: In Brightest Day
An emotional finale full of deep introspection and difficult truths caps off a strong entry into the superhero TV canon.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I’m watching STAR TREK: TNG’s “In Theory” episode for the first time in years and I never noticed before that the ensign who phases through the floor bleeds from her nose and ear, all the way down her neck. Also, never noticed before that Data says a contraction: “don’t.”
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
A similar thing happened to my friends and I when we skipped school to camp out all day/night to get Phantom Menace tickets. Our physics teacher asked us how we were feeling, since we skipped his class. And then he cued up a VHS tape of the local nightly news with the interview we gave.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
For FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS’ 20th Anniversary today, @sepinwall.bsky.social did a deep dive with Jason Katims on the making of the show and got some trivia about the “Mud Bowl” episode I’ve never heard before. This is a must-read: www.televisionacademy.com/features/onl...
televisionacademy.com
Friday Night Lights at 20: Jason Katims on How He Turned NBC’s Underdog Football Drama into a Modern Classic
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Clear eyes, full hearts…
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On This Day in Simpsons History @dailysimpsons.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
32 years ago today, October 2, 1994, #TheSimpsons episode “Itchy & Scratchy Land” first aired on Fox.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A Worf-Kirk interaction would be interesting, especially given that Worf’s great grandfather was at Kirk’s trial in STAR TREK VI. You know Moore would have wrote a hell of a scene with Worf bringing that up.
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Angry @angrystaffer.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Directing DOJ to slow-walk politically damaging decisions until after people vote would be a major scandal under any normal administration. Here, it’s just Friday.
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Akilla Cooper @akelacooper.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
It's very much NOT mind-boggling. We suck donkey balls right now and you can't blame any foreigner for not wanting to deal with our bullshit
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
25 years ago today, ALIAS premiered. This & DS9 made me want to be a TV writer. Here’s Victor Garber talking about making one of TV’s best pilots (and how he convinced Jennifer Garner to get a driver so she didn’t have to drive herself after 13+ hour days) www.televisionacademy.com/features/onl...
televisionacademy.com
Everything You Wanted to Know About Alias, According to Victor Garber
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
“Darmok” has some of the best acting in all of Star Trek (and 1 of the weirdest gaffes, with phasers fired from the photon torpedo launcher). When this episode first aired, it started late & I didn’t account for that when I taped it. I didn’t see the ending until years later via Columbia House.
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The Spaceshipper 🚀 @thespaceshipper.com · 28/09/2026
Star Trek: The Next Generation started 39 years ago today. The future began again at this (Encounter at Far)point.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Ha I can’t take credit for that, that’s how Lindelof referred to him in the behind the scenes feature
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Tonight’s LANTERNS ep is an enviable piece of screenwriting. The opening scene, especially. And Chandler gives such a nuanced performance as Halogram. He and Pierre have off the charts chemistry.
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TrekMovie.com @trekmovie.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Happy anniversary to Star Trek: Enterprise, which premiered on this day in 2001 with "Broken Bow," which took place 100 years before the events of The Original Series. Created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, it showed humanity's first foray into the final frontier.
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Will Harris @willharrisinva.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
It's the 36th anniversary of the premiere of COP ROCK, so what better time to revisit my @avclub.com oral history of the series? No matter how ridiculous you think the series was, you'll be emotionally invested by the end of the piece. www.avclub.com/an-oral-hist...
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On This Day in Simpsons History @dailysimpsons.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
“My eyes! The goggles do nothing!” 31 years ago today, September 24, 1995, #TheSimpsons episode “Radioactive Man” first aired on Fox.
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On This Day in Simpsons History @dailysimpsons.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
34 years ago today, September 24, 1992, #TheSimpsons episode “Kamp Krusty” first aired on Fox.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Repost with an image of your favourite James Bond (wrong answers only):
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Alan Sepinwall @sepinwall.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Last fall, I did a long interview with Vince Gilligan about Pluribus that, for a variety of complicated reasons, wasn't available in full until today:
totei.com
The View over Vince Gilligan’s Shoulder
The Pluribus showrunner explains how he hatched his Emmy-winning sci-fi hit about the human right to be unhappy.
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Marc Guggenheim @marcguggenheim.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
THE LAST STARFIGHTER is returning... in comics form!!!! @benjaminraab.bsky.social and @dblackanese.bsky.social have crafted a PITCH PERFECT sequel to one of my favorite movies. The saga of Alex Rogan and the Star League didn’t end in 1984. This creative team proves that it’s just beginning.
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Phillip Iscove @pmiscove.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Still to this day one of the most shocking cliffhanger moments I’ve seen on TV.
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Nick Field @nickfield.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The State AGs were on pace to kill the Paramount/Warner Bros by litigation and delay until Gavin Newsom stepped in and turned the tide. Now the Trump loyalist Ellisons will control CNN and HBO. Don't ever, ever forget that Newsom stabbed us in the back www.wsj.com/business/med...
wsj.com
Exclusive | Newsom Expresses Concerns About State Antitrust Suit Against Paramount
The California governor has told people involved in the suit that blocking the $81 billion deal could harm Hollywood jobs.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
They can relocate corporate HQ, but not the lot or their movie industry. Also, Ellison lives in Malibu and has a fleet of planes and cars. He doesn’t want to move. He was never gonna move, after making everyone go to the lot 5 days a week.
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Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Bonta after detailing the terms of the deal: "I don't think these two companies should merge...I still don't." I mean, Jesus wept. I doubt this is the end of Newsom's 2028 ambitions, but it certainly should be. He got played by DAVID ELLISON!
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
A friend at Paramount says morale is very low. They are upset people caved & believed the BS that Pmt would move. That they even threatened to do so reveals how full of shit they are about their Intentions. Also, 30 movies a year? Impossible to hit unless 1/3 of them are already in production.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Post a comic cover you love.
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Katie Phang @katiephang.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Concessions don’t work. That’s why the State AGs need to take their case to trial. They've got the Ellisons on the ropes. Protect consumers and workers. Block the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Sign the Petition! noparamountconcessions.com
noparamountconcessions.com
#BlockTheMerger
Twelve state attorneys general sued to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Concessions don’t protect workers, consumers or creators. Tell the AGs to hold strong and take it to trial. SIGN THE P...
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Alan Sepinwall @sepinwall.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I didn't want my Fleabag retrospective piece to get lost in the shuffle of what's been a very busy anniversary week at What's Alan Watching? I'm as proud of this as any column I've written in quite some time, and I hope you'll give it a look:
whatsalanwatching.com
Fleabag needed us even more than we needed her
10 years ago, Phoebe Waller-Bridge's masterpiece changed the way we looked at fictional characters looking at us
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
He’s threatening to move the HQ, and it’s all performative BS. As my friend at Paramount said: “If trucks were rented, facilities would be notified. Staff on the lot would have had an all-hands. Also, you can’t just put down a blanket deposit. That’s not how that works, even if you’re rich.”
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Jess Piper @piperformissouri.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
…
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
What scene makes you emotional no matter how many times you've seen it? McCoy’s line in STAR TREK III, “turn death into a fighting chance to live,” guts me more than the reason why he says it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzJR...
youtube.com
My God, Bones... What Have I Done?
YouTube video by Rich Evans
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I just teared up watching that clip. I also love the First Contact callback with Picard’s “Set a course for Earth. Maximum warp.”
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Deadline asked no follow ups on which moving truck company? What date for service was actually given? You can’t just pay a deposit on trucks for service TBD, even if you’re a nepo baby MAGA billionaire. Also, Ellison doesn’t want to leave Malibu.
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
For the cheap seats, Ellison is not taking paramount out of LA. Deadline and the trades happily carry his water because clicks. The “deadly serious” and put the deposit on the moving trucks claims here are about as threatening as a “double dog dare.” deadline.com/2026/09/para...
deadline.com
Paramount To Leave California Amid Antitrust Battle & Stalled Warner Bros Merger
Leaks out of David Ellison's inner circle said the CEO wold take his Paramount ball & leave California if state AGs didn't back off on their antitrust suit
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
“You know, a town with money's a little like the mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it, and danged if he knows how to use it.”
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Phil Pirrello @philpirrello.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
At the Emmys tonight, they played famous TV themes for the audience during commercial breaks and it was a cool and classy touch to include animated show themes, too. There’s life before and life after hearing the X-MEN theme blasting out of the speakers.
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