Spies have the same kinds of needs and desires that everybody does, which is funny. The best kind of comedy derives from that kind of truth.

One of the things that I have always been interested in is the actual experience of people in their lives as opposed to what we think their experience should be.

I really gravitate to the comedy of tonal contrasts. I hope that doesn't sound insufferably pretentious. What I mean is people having reactions to things that seem inappropriate, or being happy in an apparently unhappy situation.

I think it's satisfying for people to feel that that relationship is reciprocal in some way. The truth is, you do have a relationship with your fans, and there is a feedback loop there. And while you have to be careful not to write a show just for the superfans, that kind of feedback is really valuable.

The idea of the writer/producer in television is much younger than people think it is.

A showrunner as a position is a relatively new thing. It used to be the executive producer. That's not true anymore. Now it's evolved into this model where people look to showrunners and say, that guy is that show. It's just become a lot more interesting to know the showrunner and to get a sense of that person.

I really like transgressive characters that have an alternate world view. I've actually written a fair number of kids movies, and I'll insert these kid-friendly articulate sociopaths who are usually yelling at the children for their own benefit.

I came to accept in myself a long time ago that I really do like writing articulate sociopaths.

Everybody should have a television show. Let's all get television shows!

The funny thing for me is, I have never lived in a network world.

I am fortunate in that I am motivated to do what I do by just a really goofy desire to do it. Maybe I have demons that are hidden away someplace, and I'll discover mine someday.